Trimming your Tree Branches for Rustic-style Décor

When you move into a house with an established garden, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with what you have to maximize the landscaping around your new yard. Some of your new trees and shrubs may need attention. Pruning and shaping shrubs will make your yard and garden look sharp and tidy. However, do not be so quick to toss the trimmings away. Take a cue from the Adirondack style and put the woody stems to use. With the PowerGear2 tools, your new décor will be finished in less than an hour.

Making Hooks From Limbs

1. Find and trim branching stems that have a hook–shaped piece. Don't limit yourself to the small branches. The PowerGear2™ Loppers is designed to cut woody stems up to two inches in diameter, without straining or sticking. The geared design makes it easy – powering through those branches with ease.

2. Trim the small twigs with the PowerGear2™ Pruner. With the comfortable rotating finger grip of these pruning shears, you can make lots of cuts without tiring out your hand.

3. Drill two holes in each of your hooks and hang them where they will be most useful. Don't limit yourself to just inside the house by the door. Consider placing these decorative hooks on a fence or posts in the garden.

4. Lastly, finish the look by hanging your hat, your jacket, or your Fiskars tools on your new homemade hooks.

Garden Labels With Small Trimmings

1. Use the Big Grip Knife to peel off the bark on one side, to make a flat face. The knife's blade is sharp enough to scrape off the bark, and the big handle lets you keep a firm grip as you work.

2. Scrape off just enough bark to make a place to write the name of your plant.

3. Fill in the names of the plants with a felt-tip marker. These labels look great in your herb garden.

Trimmings from trees and shrubs can also be used to make trellises, plant stakes, and edging, all depending on the size and character of the cuttings. The better you get to know your shrubs, the more ideas you will come up with. When you use sharp tools to prune, you'll never leave ragged edges that make plants vulnerable to insects and diseases. Enjoy using your Fiskars tools in your new garden.