Ask Design Mom Week: Displaying Cherished Bits of Nature

Question:
I'm a 23-year old graduate student who is being confronted with some items from her past...mainly some branches from the cottonwood trees planted by Laura Ingalls Wilder's father way back in the day (the Little House on the Prairie books). Do you have any ideas on how to display these in a non-cheesy way that somehow references that they mean something special? My copies of the books were well-loved and dog-eared, and I'd like to have some sort of memento for my future daughter that goes beyond some sticks in a vase. Any ideas? Thanks so much - love the site! — Bridget



Answer:
Bridget, what a great idea to preserve those branches! The first idea that comes to mind is to use a framed, shallow shadow box to display the branches and include some text about the history — similar to the family history displays that use real branches (like the one pictured above). I'd also look for inspiration in the work of Janet Beck Clark. She does an amazing job framing pressed bits of nature. Her work is gorgeous.

What about you, Dear Readers? How would you preserve branches from a cottonwood tree?

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