For a number of years we had a thin sheet of birch bark in our office. It first existed as a vase wrap, and then was used to hide a plain plastic pot that housed an azalea. People always commented on the bark, never on the azalea.
The December issue of Martha Stewart Living had this as one of their holiday ideas that lets you use even a drinking glass as a vase and brings a 'sylvan' feel to your tabletop arrangement...
Martha must know the power she wields and imagined people getting ideas on how to get their hands on sheets of bark: the short article warns against taking bark from live trees and to only purchase from vendors that take theirs from fallen trunks.
The source they list is in New York City, a store called Dry Nature Designs that sells it for $9 per aquare ft. Bark also does come up on eBay auctions from time to time.
I waited a week to post this because I hoped Martha Stewart might refesh their content to include their current issue. They did.
matt at apartment therapy dot com
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
What do you mean by " a 'sylvan' feel..."?
view theambershow's profile
It's an adjective that means 'pertaining to the woods' - I have to admit I almost never hear it (my wife knew it right away because of some childhood toys she had). But MSL used it in the title of their article for this tip, 'Sylvan Reverie'. They may have had their nose in the thesaurus for that one...
view mattplantguy's profile
Let me guess -- your wife had these toys.
view wende in phoenix's profile
Yup :)
view mattplantguy's profile
Say what you will about Martha, but the girl* can decorate for the holidays.
*and team of stylists, designers, and photographers.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
FYI:
"Birch Bark Wrapped Candles Recalled by Roost Due to Fire Hazard"
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08083.html
view Jon_B's profile
WOW! I have never seen more birch bark in my life than what was used on those candles. They definitely look like fire starters...
view mattplantguy's profile
Despite loving the design and wondering where to get that bark, Sylvanian Families was the first thing I thought of, too! Damn, the 80s really had a hold on us. Thanks for that link, wende - it made my day.
view firecracker's profile
I think it HYSTERICAL that candles are being recalled as a fire hazard.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile