I would suggest just using green grout instead of thinset, and just make sure the base is wide enough to support it all, it sounds like an excellent idea!!!

OHMYGOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!! That's a fabulous idea. I totally understand your plan, and can't see why it won't work, as long as you keep the scale right so it's not top-heavy. SUNSHINE - what a WONDERFUL, CREATIVE idea. If you don't mind, I might borrow part of that idea. I don't put up a huge Christmas tree anymore, but have to put up a few things. I LOVE your idea, and hope you'll get started quickly and give us a tutorial along the way. BTW - you holding out on us - not showing us what you've been doing w/thinset on styrofoam/BBs??????? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?????

Yep! A GREAT idea. Sounds like the base will be sturdy enough, and you're gluing the dowels up into the tree. Also, with the tree being shaped as it is, wider at the bottom, I can't see how it woould be top heavy.
The only thing I would change would be the candles. I would place votive candles around the base instead of inserting candles in the trees. I can just see wax melting all over those beautiful trees!!

Sounds like a great idea!
Can't wait to see it happening in pictures!
Katie

Those are some good ideas ! ---- Made me think of some of my own, too. I have a whole bunch of cardboard cones from industrial thread ... I can make mosaic trees out of them !

********** Project number 876 ....... *rolling my eyes !*

TMG you're too much!! I understand the quandry you get yourself into with this hobby! Before I started looking at this forum I was actually stumped for stuff to do! How naieve and ridiculous I was then...

Slo-help yourself to any idea I have. Heaven knows I've helped myself to yours! Yes, I've been messin' with thinset and hypertufa and other concrete mixtures. Did some leaf castings. In the process of making rocks for my flower beds except its been to dang hot to do much the last two weeks. AND my eldest (22 yrs old this month-stepson) brought his girlfriend to meet us this past weekend. Got sidetracked having to do HOUSEWORK! UGH! Whenever I actually FINISH something I will post the wip pics and the finished one. Having issues finishing things lately too. Been canning and freezing. As with everyone else, too many ideas not enough time!

I will have to involve my DH in this one, so there will be time issues with him. But since it's just August I may have it done by the holidays!!

Great idea, though I hate thinking about Christmas already!!

Maria

Jane, why grout, instead of the thinset?

I'm only recently getting a grasp on the concept of thinset...I'm so 'not knowing' in these things.

I love this idea and I like the idea of votive candles set in the base. I absolutely LOVE Christmas...November 1st I start my decorating outside and inside the house. I can't wait to see how your centerpiece looks!

Barb

I was just thinkin' that the styrofoam has all those little holes and so it is easy to grout. When I use those round styrofoam balls, I just glue my tesserae on and grout, it's super easy and fast. And grout comes in so many colors or can be tinted, that it would be faster than having to paint afterwards....but maybe I'm thinking of different styrofoam....some are smooth.

Calam-what kind of glue are you using directly on styrofoam? My experience gluing directly on it has been bad. I wind up pushing it into the styrofoam and just have a big mess when I try to grout over it. I have an issue with patience so that may be the big prob here. That's why I decided to thinset it first, sand it fairly smooth and then plan to glue tesserae onto the thinset and then grout or thinset over that. Does that sound right?

Also since posting the initial idea, I have thought that you could cut stars out of the large blocks of styrofoam and dowel them into a log too. Also just balls mosaiced and doweled in could be nice. AND if I can figure out what to use to hook it on the tree, styrofoam mosaiced and made into ornaments. Somebody must've done that one already. I'll have to do a search.

Can't help it ladies...I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! My kids and I make stuff for months and months beforehand and we just can't wait for people to open their gifts!

Why not just insert a wire loop with glue before you smeared on the thinset?

Thanks Bama! That's why I post here! Now I just gotta do it!

With all the styrofoam things I have done I have used GEII in black or clear to put my pieces on. Of course you can only do so much and have to let it dry so they don't slide but I have had great success with it. These were all for indoor things only.

Great idea though..I really can't wait to see it done..I only decorate for christmas..never had the time or money to decorate for any other holiday!

My giant olive that sits in my giant martini glass was just a styro egg with the pointy end flattened some. I also used silicone to glue directly to the styrofoam.

Ok here are some pics of this work in progress.

I started with three Styrofoam Christmas Trees, different sizes. One inch dowel and a log.

Thinset each tree three times. They probably donÂt NEED three coats. I did it on two trees and they are now fat so I will probably do two more coats to the center tree. I understand you could skip the thinsetting altogether. I painted one green just for kicks but it seems unnecssary.

Found an old log, this was from our stockpile of wood. I think the log is actually too big now that I see it with the trees, but right now IÂm not changing it. Cut the log in half. We tried to cut a smaller log but the bark just fell all apart and there were too many bugs in it for my comfort. So we used the chainsaw on this one. I sprayed the log with termite/ant/spider, etc. spray, put it in a plastic bag and left it outside for about 48 hours. (ThatÂs just how long it took me to get back to it.)

Used ½ inch dowel purchased at AC Moore. DH got his drill out and measured to center of log and drilled approximately half way to 2/3 way into the log using ½ inch drill bit. That was the smallest we could find in his tools. (He is always helpful, but he isnÂt very organized.) We tried it out on a scrap piece of wood before cutting into the log. It was a perfect match and the dowels wouldnÂt even move once inserted, so I didnÂt even glue them into the log. Have tried to pull them out and they won't budge. We cut the dowels with pvc cutters. I cut them higher than I thought they would need to be since cutting is easy, but you canÂt put them back together once theyÂre cut. Measured halfway for each other tree, eyeballed it and drilled the other holes. (There was some guess work involved in where I wanted the trees, taking into account the different sizes, and the bark makes it hard to hit a spot just right.)

Then I made an "X" mark on the bottom of the trees to find center. We drilled into the Styrofoam with the same drill bit. Sat the tree on the dowel and determine if it needed to be drilled out anymore or if the dowels needed to be cut. Did a little of both based on whether I was afraid of drilling the tree too much and causing a crack. I didnÂt have much concern about the dowel showing under the tree. I will just paint it brown if it shows too much.

I then thought about putting it on a table and the log scratching the surface. So I got out my felt and glued it to the bottom of the log.

I had absoutely no plan when I started gluing. I just went with it. Not sure what else I will put on the other trees, but some variation of what I have already done will obviously be used. My DD found the star in my blue globs and she found a seashell star that I think I may use on the top of another tree. Not sure what will be on the middle one, would like an angel but have to find one.

Have toyed with using sled ornament on the log, not doweled just glued. Found some candles that are battery operated but not sure what I will do with them. Have thought of a snowman also. Will have to see how my creative juices flow.

It'a heavy but not unmoveable. I only plan on moving it twice a year anyway. So questions, comments.

Sunshine, what a clever project! I love your creativity. It looks great so far! Your idea of adding a sleigh is great and maybe you could add some cotton snow during the holiday season that easily can be replaced each year.

Debbi-I actually have been playing with that idea! Thanks for your input! I have also thought that it would be cool to make an armature and use white glass to create what would look like a snow covered hill and put a tree or snowman on that! Can ya' tell I LOVE Christmas/winter decorations!

Well, you did GOOD. I so loved the idea when you first posted, and you followed through. G.R.E.A.T. Didja decide not to put candles? Just went back to look again. You know what? After you mosaic the middle one you could add little danglies for a 3-D effect. HobLob has those teensy ornaments that would look cute. I like this idea so much I'm gonna try to use the concept for something for the holidays.

I like slow's idea of the teensy ornaments!! They have such cool ones now!!

Love your ideas, though I can't bear to think of Christmas yet!!

Maria

Good job! I do what Chickee does, I use silicone on styrofoam. I bet this project of yours will be copied by several of us here!!! Jane

Slow-is this what you were thinking of? (Forgive the grammer.) Where you thinking it could be mosaiced AND put on the small ornaments? These are just kitchen skewers, cut with exacto knife, a little sanding 'cause sometimes they split on the end. Then I just inserted them into the styrofoam with a little GEII. I'm gonna play around with this a little too.

Also, I do have some battery operated candles I found at AC Moore for 1.49 each, but not sure there will be room. Still working it out. I think real candles is just not an option on this particular piece. May be an option on my next piece that I am already playing with in my head! (Mosaiced pumpkins on a log. Saw some leaf shaped tealight holders at the store that would go great on it.) Sheer craziness!!

No. What I was thinking was get those miniature ornaments from HobLob, and as if they were beads, put them into your mosaic but AFTER you grout, so you can have them dangling and won't have to worry w/them while grouting. Just for an example - not suggesting this but just to show you what I mean - on the one you have mosaiced, you could add one here and there on those half marbles w/just a dab of silicon so they stand out from the tree and dangle just as an ornament on a large tree. I love danglies, and hang them every chance I get on something - it's like my love of tassels or crystals - love hangy things.

Oh, I get it now. On my way out for school supplies. Will look for those while I'm out. Thanks for your input!

No tiny ornaments in town yet! Dang it! The lady at Jo-ann Fabrics snickered at me when I asked. I guess I'm just way too ahead of the curve for the first time in my life!

Oh, good grief! Where's that lady from??? Hobby Lobby has had Christmas ornaments out for weeks, maybe months, as well as another home dec store in town - Ellis Pottery. Well, it gives you time to do the mosaicing, then when the holidays get closer, you can decorate your trees. OR, you could make your own ornaments w/stained glass. I used to have a huge tree branch, spray painted gold in my family room, and used it for all the different seasons to decorate. I get bored easily, so took it down. Now DD wants me to put up another one cuz she misses it when she visits. Might do that again for Christmas this year, since everyone w/be here. My thinking is I can stick real branches into a large cone, mosaic the cone, and make stained glass or mirror ornaments for the branches. Now to find a log.

I swear no ornaments that I could find yet. I have not gone to any home decor shops though. There is no Hobby Lobby within two hours of me. But I am still looking. Like your idea. Can't wait to see a pic of that!

I do have a plan to make some ornaments with stained glass, still churning it around.