One Room Challenge Week 3: DIY Faux Olive Tree
The love for olive trees (and faux olive trees) is hot right now. I’m including myself in that count because let’s be honest, they are the perfect sophisticated addition to any room. And I will never turn down adding a plant or greenery to a space. My only issue was how expensive they are! Even the lower cost faux olive trees run over $100 and the idea of trying to convince my husband that it is an essential is laughable. So I set out to create one myself, on a budget. And now I bring you this DIY faux olive tree.
Materials:
- Olive Stems – I got mine from Hobby Lobby. They have smaller stems for $6.99 and bushier stems for $13.99. I got mine when they had all of their faux stems 50% off. I used a mix of the smaller and the bushier pieces, but overall you will need about the equivalent of 6 of the smaller to create the same look I did. Bushier Stem, Small Stem
- Moss or Dirt
- Branch – I cut one off a tree in our yard. Depending on the size you want you may be able to use a fallen branch. I recommend one with a few branches. Even better if there is a vine piece wrapped around. You could also use a wooden dowel wrapped in brown paper wrapping to make it look wood-like.
- Floral Foam – I recommend having enough to secure your stem at the top and also down through the container to keep it in place. I only purchased a top piece and used cardboard and newspaper to secure the branch beneath it. It’s not as sturdy as using more foam would have been. Do as I say not as I did 😆.
- Planter or container
- Floral Wire
- Brown Floral Tape
Place your foam in the bottom of the container and push your branch through to secure.
Make sure the sides of the foam are packed tight. I used newspaper and cardboard. Depending on the shape of the foam you use you may not need extra materials to secure.
Top the foam with the moss or dirt to cover.
Attach your faux olive stems to the real branches using the floral wire.
You can also use floral velcro for this step.
Then cover with brown floral tape. I could have used a light floral tape based on the color of my branch, but had to go with what I had. Ett voilà!
I have used these olive stems all over our house. I love them. They are a great faux stem.
We are using a faux olive tree in Aubrey’s room because although a lot of light comes in there, the majority of the time the curtains are closed or pulled to a point it’s dark. Fairly certain nothing would live in there.
But it’s fine because she’s a beauty!
Next steps in this room are wallpaper and beadboard. I had success the last time, which coincidentally was also my first time putting up wallpaper, but I’m dreading it this go around. Thank goodness for the motivation of the One Room Challenge to make me get to it!
You can follow along with these projects step by step, along with all of my other DIY, design and lifestyle posts on my Instagram here.
See the other projects for this challenge here:
- Week 1: The Plan
- Week 2: Bedding
- Week 4: Vintage Floral Wallpaper
- Week 6: Ikea Rast Dresser Hack
- Week 7: Furniture Touches + The Great Paint Debacle
- Week 8: The Final Reveal!
Check out the other amazing projects happening as part of the Better Homes and Gardens One Room Challenge!
oh wow!! I can’t believe you made that tree with faux!! I have a little olive plant for a couple of years and it’s still tiny! I may have to attempt this DIY myself!!
You definitely should! It was so easy! Her room is so dark so I’m excited to have found a way to get a little greenery in there!
Can’t wait for next week
Me either because that will hopefully mean the wallpaper is done .