Thrift Flip: Turning Faux Fruit into Rustic Autumn Decor!
Next up in this thrifted decor series is my DIY pear tree! The mood board I created for my fall decor inspiration included some branches with pears hanging from them sitting in a beautiful white vase. So, when I saw two bags of assorted fruit (including pears!) at the thrift store for less than $10, I knew I had to have a go.
I sorted through my grab bag of faux fruit and found enough pears to make this work. The only problem? They were not the right colour. The pears in my inspiration photo were much darker and more subtle. These had that fake-fruit look.
Tools and Materials List
Faux pears
Windsor and Newton Galeria Acrylic (Yellow Ochre) CDN and USD
Windsor and Newton Galeria Acrylic (Burnt Sienna) CDN and USD
Medium craft paint brush
Tree branches (real or faux)
Garden shears
Vase or jug
Floral foam
Super glue and accelerator kit CDN and USD
Natural touches (curly wood, grasses, etc. Whatever you can find or have on hand)
Watch All of my Budget Thrift Flip Decor Ideas for Fall
Transforming the Pears
So, first up: changing the colour of the pears to be more in line with the rustic, modern cottage-y look I was going for. I decided to just paint them!
First, I applied a layer of Windsor and Newton Galeria Acrylic in Yellow Ochre with a small paint brush.
Next, I put on another layer of paint. I used the same brand but this time in Burnt Sienna, which added a deep burnt orange color to the ochre.
The Branches
Next it was time to find some branches to attach the pears to. The tree right outside my house was perfect for this! I used my garden shears to clip some to the right length. I also cut off all the green leaves for the fall look I was going for.
Putting it all Together
Now that I had my pears and my branches all ready to go, it was time to put it all together!
I used a white oversized milk jug as the base (following my inspiration pic as much as possible).
I filled it with floral foam to provide stability for the branches.
I dug the branches into the foam and played a bit with their arrangement until it pleased me, moving them around and even cutting a few more pieces off.
I then used my super glue and accelerator kit to attach the pears to some small twigs.
I attached these small twigs to the larger branches with the same glue products.
Then, I added a few natural touches using a package of wood decor accents I had on hand. I dug some of the thin, curly wood pieces into the floral foam and attached some to the branches as well.
I separated some individual faux grapes from the bunch that came in the bag and glued them to strategic points on the branches for texture and interest. They don’t look like grapes in this context and I think they add a lot of beauty to the arrangement.
Once everything was glued to the branches, I did a few touch ups with a small paint brush.
That’s it! I’m so happy with how my DIY Pear Tree turned out. It’s so much like my inspiration pic but at the same time, it’s all Danie!
