I have to agree wow! how georgous, I bet it really sparkles in the sun.

Reminds me of one of those gumball trees! I've always loved those--- they look so yummy--- like Candyland! :-)

Stunning! Is it where passersby can see it? I bet kids think it's a candy tree!

I just love that tree!!!!You glued the 2 half marble together and then how did you put them on the tree?
I have lots of half marbles ,I am going to do this.Thank you .

Well what a clever idea that was. Looks beautiful too. I thought they were some kind of glass oranaments at first--they looked so large.

I'd love to have just a small one for my patio. Did you tie the fishing line on after you glued the half marbles together, or did you put it in the middle of them?

Okay, I don't have any trees--need to find a nicely shaped branch somewhere. Thanks for sharing such a pretty idea.

Luvs

Well this just totally blew me away. I definitely am going to have to try this. I've had a small dead tree I scrounged from DD's yard, in hopes of doing a blue bottle tree with it. But I might play around and try doing both things as some of the branches might be too thin to support bottles. Thank you for a GREAT idea. Just totally amazes me how creative some folks are.

Karen

Thank you all so very much for the kind words!

Rebel One, heres a picture of a pane of glass (in an old window frame) that I used 3 different size marbles on:

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Large/Cobalt, Medium/Turquoise & Green, Small/Light Blue. I used medium and small on the tree. I got them at Hobby Lobby during a half-off sale but Ive seen all 3 sizes at Michaels, Big Lots & Wal-Mart too. At Wal-Mart, theyre in the craft/floral dept and the tag reads Mainstays Decorative Gems.

Goldenpond & Purplemoon,
Bottle trees are still my absolute favorite! ;)
My Blue Bottle Cedar Tree:

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RuthinOnt and Luvstocraft,
Yes, I glued the marbles together first, then cut short lengths of fishing line and tied a piece on each marble (kinda like a yo-yo), then onto the tree limbs/branches.
Hope yall can see in this picture:

{{gwi:153523}}



Again, thank you all for the kind compliments,
Aggie

That's got to be the biggest and most beautiful bottle tree I've seen yet. How on earth did you get those bottles up that high? LOL.

glad you explained marbles and fishing line better. I thought you'd glued the line between the two halves, now see it's tied around them. Thank you for directions.

Karen

WOW!

It looks so... magical! I would think every child in the neighborhood would be in wide-eyed awe of it. It's like it belongs in a storybook.

What I love about things like the marble tree, bottle bushes and other trash-to-treasure items is how quirky and surprising they are. The imagination involved is phenomenal.

Va va va VOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!! that is so absolutely gorgeous!!! You have me on the look-out for a dead tree! It's just amazing! Thanks for the inspiration!
Cait

Most beautiful thing I have ever seen! Great job and great idea!

Love that tree and the bottle tree is fabulous!!!! Thanks for doing such a good job on the photos and directions. there will be marble trees all over the country now, thanks to you.

WOW WOW WOW on EVERYTHING!!!! I'm sooo glad you found us, you are very inspirational!!!! Luv Luv Luv it all!!!

Your marble tree is just beautful. Glad you posted it.

Great ideas! That marble tree is just the cutest!

I just love your marble tree, bet it would sparkle with small white christmas lights in the tree. You blue bottle tree is the best one I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing your work.

I love your trees, Aggie!

They show inspiration!

Janie

It's all been said but "THAT'S AWSOME"...... Very pretty "Bling" for your gardens. I would love to see the rest of the window as well!!!

I made a bunch of gems like that last year and hung in my curly willow tree. But I used wire and have a big hook of wire at the top so it will rock on the limb. I also hung some of them in groups pouring out of my blue bottles to look like liquid dripping out. Yes, you did a lot of hard work on that for sure and yes it looks like a candy tree from the distance. Beautiful.

Miss Aggie.....You are just absolutely awesome....

You've got more talent in your little finger than my whole fat body ever thought of having...and everybody tells me I'm talented....

I say...Huh uh...you should see what my friend Aggie can do.

I show everybody my beautiful chimes...

Now if you could just figure out how to box up that tree...LOL

I Love it to pieces.

I want one...

And that is another blue bottle tree isn't it...And I have been saving bottles for about 8 years now and still only have a bush...

Those look like smaller bottles...

Beautiful...Just Beautiful.

patti

That was so sweet of you to give us a close up picture of how to tie those. Thank you.

I noticed that you tied them tied to the limbs or wires, not dangly. They look so BIG in your picture. Can't believe they are just the medium and small half marbles.

Your bottle tree is awesome too. That cedar tree is just the perfect shape. I agree with all the above comments and then some! ;o)

Luvs

Both the marble tree and the bottle tree are wonderful!
Very inspiring!

Soon there will be a tree like yours in Holland.What a clever and inspiring idea!! Hope you don't mind that I copy it.
Jel

WOW! Beautiful!

That is just so darn cool!! It looks wonderful!
Your bottle tree is absolutely magnificant!

Your "Sparkle Tree" is just georgous!! That looks like a good project to stay in the cool to do these hot summer days!! Thanks for sharing!!
Jlily

That is a beautiful tree. Well actually I mean both trees are beautiful.

Who would have thought to do something like this? I should have been in this forum much sooner!!

Okay so now I have questions. I think you painted the marble tree first. what kind of paint did you use? if the branch is dead will it hold up or will it eventually break down? what kind of glue did you use? I love them both!

Oh no...how cute!! I love it!! I have to have one!!

Where oh were to find the perfect frame for it?!!

Thanks...it's wonderful!

~Sandy~

saywhatagnes- (LOVE that name) I missed this tree in June, must have been when my pc was down for a while, so glad msjay2u brought it back up, I love it! WOW so colorful.

Don't those old crepe myrtle branches make nice things, I have one I saved that is shaped like that. They dry so hard they weather really well.

I have glued those half round marbles back to back like that before and I can testify that they last a Long time outdoors. I glued (siliconed) mine right on to heavy fishing line (alternating with some mirror squares back to back) to make some sparkly danglies and they have held up for probably 6 years now.

Love the blue bottle tree also. They do look like smaller bottles. My son gave me some blue plastic bottles left from stuff he adds to his fish tank that are about that size. A nice cobalt blue color.

I think there may be one of these trees springing up in FL, too. The more I look at it the more I like it!

Agnes, I hope you're reading this...and will come back and say hello and possibly show us some other things you have created.
I love that marble tree... whatever paint you used makes it look like a one-of-a-kind sculpture... and your yard is beyond pretty.

Moving this up...there are some ladies who want to see it...

No branches available? I was thinking you could make some with pvc pipe. They could be glued a bit of an angle and then use some type of waterproof caulk to smooth over the outside of the joints and also to make some knubs of limbs. Paint it any color and hang the bottles or marbles from it. I think we all have old pieces of pvc and or see it on curb and could do that. If I had time right now I would put one together and post a pic...but busy with sick DH. So someone try please.

What a neat idea. I bet it really sparkles in the sun. Geez I get so many wonderful ideas from all you talented people. Thanks.
Donna

Coppertop, you are just tooooo cute!!!!! Love the little bird.

Saywhatagnes, I'm waiting to see your glass cherry tree. That sounds totally awesome. We just had a bunch of trees cleaned out of our pasture land and I think there might be one or two small ones that I can do something similar to in my garden. I just love what you did.

Ms. Faith

very beautiful, and cool!

Hello, hello Garden Junkers!
Thanks to my sweet friend Pattico for letting me know I should come check in. I am so sorry I didnt get back sooner but I am happy to report the Marble Tree is holding up to the cold, wet days of winter.
If youll indulge me now, Id like to answer some questions, add some comments, and share some more pictures.

Re the Blue Bottle Tree:
"How on earth did you get those bottles up that high?"

My nutty DH backed his PU truck up to it and set up a ladder in the bed. I held my breath until he was back down on the ground! I dont know if you can tell in the pic but that tree is set in concrete. Crazy, crazy, wonderful man that one is.

Re the Marble Tree:
"Is it where passersby can see it?"

Yes and no. My house is set off the road a bit so its not really noticeable when you drive by but I put it at the end of our front porch so you can see it as you walk down to the front door. If the sun is hitting it just right, it grabs your attention big time.

"What kind of paint did you use? What kind of glue?"

I used Krylon spray paint. If I recall correctly, the color name was Italian Olive. I used clear GE Silicone II Windows & Doors indoor/outdoor, 100% silicone caulk. I love this stuff!!!

"Don't those old crepe myrtle branches make nice things, I have one I saved that is shaped like that. They dry so hard they weather really well."

Yes, yes, yes!! I love this wood!!!!! I do precious little trimming on my own Myrtles but I have family members who really cut theirs back every year about this time so I always have some drying out somewhere on the property for projects. I just love it. And the more gnarly and knotted the limbs, the better.

"If the branch is dead will it hold up or will it eventually break down?"

Yes, I imagine my branch will eventually break down since its out in the elements 24/7/12 but Im hoping the hit & miss paint job I did on it will slow the deterioration down and I wont have to worry about it for a few years.

"No branches available? I was thinking you could make some with pvc pipe."

PVC is a fantastic idea! I was toying with the notion of trying to make a small tree for a flower pot using an old broom stick or a piece of wooden closet pole but PVC may be just the ticket!

"I'm waiting to see your glass cherry tree."

Sadly, I used all my red glass marbles on other projects. I thought Id found some really pretty, deep red half marbles recently but they turned out to be color-coated instead of true colored glass so my project is on hold for the time being. Ill sure post a picture though if I ever get it completed.

"I would love to see the rest of the window as well!"

Gladly. This was my first ever window project. Its actually 2 windows. I had all good intentions of grouting them but I chickened out and left them as is and hung them on my porch.
Up Close:


{{gwi:153524}}

Hanging:
(Marble Tree in background)


{{gwi:153525}}

I did do two more windows after I saw some ideas & read how-to information over on another awesome GardenWeb site, the Stained Glass & Mosaic Forum. Nice people and talented, oh my gosh!
Marble, glass, Caulk:


{{gwi:153526}}

{{gwi:153527}}

Im still not brave enough to try grout but I did learn to use a wheeled glass nipper for the first time ever. This was also a fun project with a big satisfaction pay-off. (That means I didnt really know what I was doing but it turned out okay anyway. LOL!)

Again, thank you and my best to all.
Happy New Year,
Aggie
(PS- Hi Patti!)

Love the marble and also the bottle tree. I am wondering if a person could make a smaller version of a tree branch out of copper and then add the marbles. I have never done a thing with copper before but have some purchased garden ornaments made of copper that have marbles as part of their design.

http://www.megaglass.com/c/transparent-glass-flats.html
Are these good prices for half glass marbles?

I LOVE your trees, bottle and marble! Would love to add some of these to my mom's bottle tree for a little extra UMPH...

Oh My Aggie:
Those are some great pics... with
super dupppppper ideas....
I simply adore your front porch and all the
lovely ideas....
It is as pretty as any Martha Stewart Magazine !!!!!
You Go Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank for the Ideas!!
and thanks for sharing !!!
Wonderful to see what all you have been doing !!!
Keep sending those pics!
God Bless !
SusieSunShine

I found a different way to glue them together-- rather than tying the line around them.
Take the pop tab off of a soda can and glue the flat side of the marble to each side of the tab. If you leave one loop accessable, it gives you a place to tie a string/fishing line/wire/stake on it to attach it to things.
I find it works well, and have a bunch ready to add to my new hummingbird garden... that's IF winter ever leaves.
Oh, and its a great way to use up extra marbles from BB projects. lol
I even took some, with the tab attached, wired the tab to a plant stake and added some needed color to my potted plants.

Aggie,

What beautiful things you've made.Love the marble tree,and the bottle tree,and those windows aren't too shabby either.Guess i'll have to replenish my marble supply.dollar tree,here i come.

I'd love to come sit on your porch,it's always been my dream to have a porch like that,but at this stage of my life i don't see that happening anytime soon,but i can dream!!!

TFS all your wonderful things,it's all very impressive.
Kathi

The trees are awesome!

I can't believe I never weighed in on this post even though I saved your marble tree to my clips! Love the marble and bottle tree as well as the stained glass windows. I wanted to do something similar with old windows to hang as a screen between my patio and the one next to it. Yours are very pretty.

Thanks for sharing!

I love your trees i might there that.

Beautiful marble tree. And I will have one. What a nice idea esp when gardens are blah. And a nice way to bling em up when in full bloom. The bottle tree is amazing. I think the best by far. The windows always have been a fav. Thanks so much for sharing.

Kathy

it's been 4 years since this post...I thought I'd send it to the top ....there might be a lot of people who have never seen it and enjoy seeing what beautiful things miss Aggie could do.

Wish I knew how she is doing...I've tried everything I know trying to find her again.

I have some beautiful glass chimes she made for me....I think about her often.

patti

Renewing my acquaintance with this project, I thought I should bring the post back to the top.

So glad to see this again! I had saved copies of the beautiful pictures she posted as my inspiration! My neighbor did a few of the windows using these as a guide.

I hope all is well with Aggie.