Wooden Lantern Tree

Also:  Hanging Wood Lanterns

Since our living room decor is inspired by the idea of an Abstract Forest, it seemed fitting to create Ana White's coat tree.  However, we have little need of hanging coats in Hawai'i, but I thought it would be neat to hang lanterns from the coat tree instead.  Hence, the birth of a wooden lantern tree that will hopefully replace the need for a standing lamp.

Our wooden lantern tree currently serves as a battery operated standing lamp.  I love how it suits our needs and goes with our "theme."

Materials:

2 - 2"x2"x 4 ft. Douglas Fir $3.70

1 - 1"x1"x 2 ft. Pine Already owned (scrap)

1 - 3/4"x1"x 4 ft. parting bead Already owned (scrap)

Miter saw, wood glue (Titebond III), drill with Kreg Jig and pocket hole screws  Already owned

The amount I paid is based on pricing in Hawai'i. 
My wooden lantern tree cost $3.70 to build with 1x1 and 3/4x1 scraps, but would cost under $10 if I purchased all the wood.

Current living room budget breakdown:

• Purchased Papasan chair:  $223
• Hand-painted floor cloth:  $40
• Curtain rods and curtains:  $32
• 2 - Small end tables: $5
• Hanging Wood Lanterns: $25
• Wooden Lantern Tree: $3.70

Still $172.30 left to spend to make a coffee table, sofa slipcovers, pillows, and decor.  The coffee table would be the next build item, except my husband hasn't approved any of the coffee tables photos he's seen online.  He feels that if we're custom building our furniture, we should make it unique and wholly reflective of what we like.  I agree, but my "likes" seem much broader than his concerning this.  =D  Looks like we'll be coffee table-less for a little while.

Process:

The Douglas Fir 2x2s were rough and needed a fair sanding.  However, I chose to keep the wood rustic and didn't worry about the texture too much, including a piece of board that had a hole from a knot that was removed.

The 2x2s were cut to Ana White's plans, the 1x1 and 3/4x1s were cut based on how many pieces I could make, not exceeding 6.5" inches.

At the plan height, the wooden lantern tree would have been too short to act as our standing lamp.

So, I got hold of a "throw-away" piece of 2x2 with a hole from a removed knot, made 2 pocket holes and attached it to the previous piece.  Since I had cut the legs from this piece, the top was at a 30 degree angle, but I like the look, so I kept it that way.

A shot of our simple lantern tree in the corner of our living room behind my husband's Papasan chair.  I love it so far, but I am looking forward to making it pop a little more.  There are branches on the back and in the front for decoration and I hope to add more when I have 1x1 or 3/4x1 scraps again.  :)