Terra Cotta Tree Lamp

Materials:

five 4" standard terra cotta pots
2" standard terra cotta or papier-mache pot
4" plastic flower pot or papier-mache pot
2 small artificial palm bushes or artificial palm plant
designer clip light with 6' cord
2 papier-mache eggs or 2" papier-mache balls
small plastic foam or floral foam cone
Aleene's Patio and Garden outdoor adhesive or Liquid Nails
Folk Art acrylics: nutmeg, burnt umber
apple butter brown antiquing medium
brown spray primer
satin-finish polyurethane
wire cutters
18- to 20-gauge craft wire
flat artist paintbrush and small liner brush
painter's caulk
painter's masking tape

1. Create the trunk by turning a 4-inch terra cotta pot upside down and glue another 4-inch pot right side up on top of it (end to end) (figure A).

2. Glue another one rim-to-rim on top of the first two. Add the last two 4-inch pots, alternating in the same manner. The top pot should be right side up (rim up) (figure B). Set aside to dry.

3. Create the top using the 4-inch plastic or papier-mache pot; this is the base to anchor the palm branches. If you use a plastic pot you will need to first prime the pot with brown spray primer. Cut about 2 inches off the top of the foam cone (figure C) and wedge inside the 4-inch plastic pot (figure D). Glue in place if necessary.

4. Using a drill, drill random holes all over the pot to hold the palm branches (figure E); the amount of holes will determine the thickness of the tree top.

5. Paint the entire tree trunk brown, including the drilled top (a mixture half and half of nutmeg and burnt sienna). Dry brush burnt sienna all over trunk in a cross hatch pattern to simulate a palm trunk pattern (figure F). Add dry brushing in nutmeg in the same manner.

6. Brush on the antiquing medium and wipe off the desired amount with a damp paper towel to create depth to the trunk. If desired, seal with satin polyurethane.

7. Using wire cutter, clip the individual palm leaves from the bushes, leaving about a 1- to 2-inch-long stem (figure G). Poke them through your predrilled holes (figure H). The foam will hold them in place. Arrange as desired and glue the drilled top in place on top of the tree trunk (figure I).

8. Paint the "coconuts" (the papier-mache eggs or balls and the 2-inch clay or papier-mache pot). Paint them using the same process as the trunk to create a brown textured surface. Use the antiquing medium and polyurethane on these pieces too (figure J).

9. Prepare the eggs/balls to hang by poking the craft wire through one end and wire the other end to a palm branch up near the trunk (figure K). Arrange to desired placement and hide the wire amongst the branches (figure L).

10. To make the lighted coconut, drill out the bottom of the pot. If it is clay, use a file or a drill with a ceramic drill bit. You need to make the hole big enough for the light clip to fit snuggly into (figure M). If you use a papier-mache pot, simply cut out the hole in the bottom. Clip the light housing into the pot and screw the light bulb inside the pot. Add craft wire to the pot to secure it in place (figure N) between the two other coconuts poking out of the bottom of the palm trees (figure O).

11. Allow the cord to poke through the palm leaves and dangle out the back of the branches.

Tip: If you want to disguise the cord more, you can string the bulb housing up through the terra cotta trunk before it is glued in place; you will, however, have to make all of the drainage holes larger to fit the housing through using a ceramic drill bit or a file.