DIY a Gondola Palm Tree

Woven palm leaf totes hang on a gondola palm tree
display for our Maui general store.

       I discovered a strange plastic palm tree with fairy lights inside of it at the local dollar store. Although it looked like something any child would love, I decided to alter it anyway for the Maui General Store. This is a method anyone can use to upcycle inexpensive items into things that can look a bit more sophisticated when refinished for your doll interiors.

        This palm tree will be used to display hanging merchandise like woven palm totes or perhaps even bagged foods in the future like macadamia snacks or even Hawaiian themed key chains or poco shell necklaces. Many things would look cute hanging from the skewer style hooks.

Left, the gondola palm display from above. Right, the display without tote bags.

Supply List:

• tall, narrow plastic container for the trunk of the palm tree
• flimsy cardboard for the palm leaves (if you need to make these)
• masking tape
• wooden skewers 
• tiny beads that fit onto the ends of the skewers (optional)
• a nail to make holes in the plastic trunk form
• gravel to weight the bottom of the container
• acrylic browns and greens to paint the gondola
• Mod Podge
• white school glue
• brown paper bags

Left is the masking tape covered palm trunk. Center now the plastic palm branches have been
covered with masking tape too. The palm shape as seen from above.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Before masking the forms, remove all of the fairy lights. 
2. Then fill the bottom of the tube approximately 2 to 3 inches up with gravel to weight the gondola and keep it steady once things are displayed on its 'hooks.' 
3. Use a nail and pressure to make holes into the plastic for skewers to be pushed through. See photos below. Put the holes where ever necessary to display merchandise.
4. Use small pliers to clip off the skewers to a predetermined length once these have been secured inside of the bottle. 
5. Now mask the palm trunk and also secure the skewers in place with the tape as you work your way around the trunk.
6. Glue on the beads to each skewer's end using white glue to attach in place. Let dry.
7. Attach the palm branches at the top using tape.
8. With glue and brown paper bags cover most of the tree gondola about 90 percent. 
9. Fill in and cover the trunk with brown paint. Then dry brush the surface using a lighter shade of brown paint.
10. Cover the palms with a dark green paint. Dry brush a second layer with a lighter shade of green.
11. Mod Podge for a finishing coat. Let dry.

Before masking the forms, remove all of the fairy lights. Then fill the bottom of the tube approx.
2 to 3 inches up with gravel to weight the gondola and keep it steady once things are displayed
on its 'hooks.' Use a nail and pressure to make holes into the plastic for skewers to be pushed
through.