Bottle Brush Tree Bases 5 Ways: Fridays At 5:00

I love bottle brush trees and today I am sharing 5 fast and easy ways to upgrade your bottle brush bases for the holiday season ahead!

Bottle brush trees are all the rage right now and whether you are drawn to new ones or vintage ones (or a mix of both like me), they absolutely add a charming touch to most any area during the holidays.

While the trees are always charming, the bases sometimes can be a little ho-hum. With that in mind, today I am sharing 5 quick and easy ways that you can upgrade your NEW bottle brush tree bases with little effort. I say NEW trees because (being a vintage lover) most of the time OLD bottle brush trees are valuable and their bases add to that value and also help to identify them as old. So, these are ‘upgrades” that I would only do on new bottle brush trees. Not sure if your tree is old or new? You can learn more about bottle brush trees here.

Let’s Start: Remove The Original Base

To begin the process of changing out your base, all you have to do is remove the original base. Usually they pull right off but you may need a set of pliers or wire cutters in some cases.

Choose Your New Base

Spools/Other Wood Items

This is probably the one bottle brush tree upgrade that I have seen most often over the years. Simply grab a spool of thread (it could be old or new) and drop your tree right in. I like to use both spools that have thread on them and naked wooden spools. You can also stick these trees into all sorts of wood items. I have used stumps out of the back yard and little alphabet wooden blocks as well. All you have to do is drill a small hole!

Candle Sticks

I love this idea because the options here are endless. And, chances are you can walk into any thrift store and pick up a candle stick or two for just a few bucks!

Salvage

This is a great way to create a one-of-a-kind tree base because rarely are there ever two pieces of salvage that are exactly the same. And this could be anything from old spools from a mill to a salvaged piece from a lamp base. As long as it has a bit of a hollow center so the tree can sit in nicely and not fall – then it should work.

Door Knob/Cabinet Pull

Just like a spool, these have the perfect little opening for a tree to stick in. I love using antique and old door knobs. The bottle brush trees really do look perfect sitting in there.

Mini Antique Glass Bottles

This is my favorite and I especially like to use mini antique bottles that are embossed and that have lots of character. These bottles are usually pretty easy to find as well. Just shop your local antique malls to source a few.

The Sky’s the Limit

Honestly, there are so many options. You can put these trees in all sorts of things – smaller crocks, silver plated sugar dishes and creamers, old coffee cups, old spice tins, weathered terra cotta pots …. we could go on and on! As long as you can secure the tree so that it doesn’t tip over – then you are good to go in my opinion!

Need Some Trees?

If you are in need of some trees to play around with, here are a few NEW ones from around the web. All you have to do is click the image to find out more information about each one.

Feeling Inspired?

If you liked this post about bottle brush trees then you may also like to how to make your own trees here. You may also like to read up on how to die your own trees here.

Check Out Online Options

If you really like these ideas but you are not into crafting or do not have the time, here are a few online options you may like.

Wrap Up

I hope you enjoyed this post and while you may have already seen a few of these ideas before, I hope that this got your ‘creative juices flowing’ as we spring into the holiday season. Changing out these little bottle brush tree bases is an easy way to elevate those little trees that you can easily find here and there. And, after all, isn’t that what we all need this time of year – easy and quick little tips and tricks! Cheers to each and every dolled up tree that will come out to deck the halls this holiday season!

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