Gift Idea: Broach Tree
A
friend of mine was getting married and loves wearing broaches – the more
antique-y the better.
Three times a year our town gets infested with
flees – the kind that flock to our area for the Brimfield Flee Market in
Brimfield, MA. It is known for its miles of antiques and hidden treasures.
When the Brimfield
Market came to town this past summer, I took the opportunity to scout out some collectible gems. As I combed from costume jewelry to out-of-my-price-range sparklers; I couldn't decide. As I had a few broaches in my hands - they looked like buds petals. Then, the idea of a “broach tree” came. I went to my local TJ Maxx to find a jewelry tree to display them on. Then, headed through the crowds and combed through the fair looking for unique
bobbles and treasures that would fit her personality and fit different
occasions. Each broach with its own story, now understated and unappreciated sitting in a box...and now were beautifully decorated on a jewelry-tree; sparkling with pride.
I couldn't help but grab a few for me to compliment my fall outfits. I have been dressing up drab shirts and reinventing them with a pop of color from the broaches. Even dawning them on hats and scarves. My favorite is a small, simple butterfly (broaches don’t have to be huge) where I place on random spots such as on my cuff or collar.
I topped off this gift with a few antique hair combs to finish it out. I added some fabric bows to fill in the branches and a little tissue paper to dress up the base like a tree still in a burlap bag waiting to be planted. I save a piece of the environment by using second hand jewelry that just needed a new home and no box or wrapping paper to recycle. Plain and simple can be much more then all the bells and whistles that go with giving a gift.
My friend appreciated the thought and it inspired many others to rethink their way of giving gifts. There is so much "stuff" already out there that we need to get creative and feel good about reusing instead of making more "stuff." Imagine the stories that come with something that is regifted - one of her broaches could have told tales of traveling around the world.
