Branching Out

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Branches, leaves and other tree elements are everywhere in home decorations, from branched bedposts at stores such as Anthropologie to forest-patterned wallpaper.

Now, those who want to be surrounded by the great outdoors are literally bringing whole trees inside — either as furniture, accessories or simply placed in a vase to be admired.

This approach provides do-it-yourself enthusiasts with a cheap and sustainable way to get a trendy look — after all, the materials needed for a tree branch project can literally fall into someone's front yard.

Choose your tree

Anybody can find wood outdoors and turn it into a statement piece for the household, said Chris Lubkeman, author of "Tree Craft: 35 Rustic Wood Projects That Bring the Outdoors In" (Fox Chapel Publishing, 2010), who has been cultivating wood and turning it into projects since his days as a boy in Brazil and Peru. He now works on an Amish farm in Pennsylvania.

Start by looking for a hardwood such as oak or maple, he said. Avoid softwood such as pine that may contain messy sap. The majority of his projects use old evergreen Christmas trees, which are plentiful after the holidays pass.

"When the tree is done for the year and starts to dry out, I'll use the stumps and trim off the branches," he said. "From the trunk, I can make three table lamps."

Karen Bertelsen, host of HGTV Canada's "Superstar" style shows, writes for the blog "The Art of Doing Stuff," where she posted about a table that she made out of walnut wood.

"Walnut is very difficult to remove the bark from and harder to come by," she said, noting that it shouldn't be used by DIY amateurs. "It is, however, a really dark, rich color that looks great."

Working with wood

Letting the wood dry out is the key aspect of outdoor-to-indoor decor.

"If you don't allow the stump to dry out, you'll have a hard time removing the bark," Bertelsen said. Lubkeman said that drying the wood gets rid of bugs.

Another way of de-bugging wood is to put it into a plastic bag and either spray it with bug spray or let it sit in the freezer for a few days, according to Bertelsen.

Work with wood that's reasonably seasoned, Lubkeman said. Any wood that's too green will crack as it dries.

Once it's prepared, the wood can be used in DIY projects or simply put on display, leaves and all.

Simple projects

The projects themselves are endless. Lubkeman suggests getting creative and searching for wood that might have unique features. Wood that's been struck by lightning or mangled driftwood can add flair to any project.

"When you see something that's interesting, take it," he said.

Lubkeman's book is full of many DIY rustic projects for the home, including stump seats, kitchen utensil holders, umbrella stands and coat racks.

For a really simple project, take an old piece of firewood and slice it like bread for coasters — the beauty is in the grain of the wood.

He also suggests turning excess wood into salt and pepper shakers by drilling holes into the top of small, hollow pieces.

Finish line

Don't forget to finish what you started. It's not essential to finish the wood, but it "will help protect the stump from further drying out and cracking, but most importantly, it provides a rock solid surface on top," Bertelsen said. "I have two stump tables in my house right now. One of them is finished with legs, the other one is set on the ground with no legs or finish. Both look great."