When it comes to floral arrangements & centerpieces, manzanita branches are a fabulous tool for making a big impression and really getting creative with your designs! You can go for a natural wood, sand blasted, or spray-painted look, and you can adorn the branches with everything from hanging tea lights to crystals to flowers to butterflies.

The gorgeous designs pictured above are both by designer Michelle Rago.  I just love how striking and dramatic the top arrangement is with all the different types of white flowers adorning the substantial grouping of branches. In the 2nd design, the manzanita branches are spray painted black, which makes the light pink hyacinth that's draped over them stand out even more and creates a whimsical, yet contemporary vibe.

Pictured below is a truly fabulous design by Mints that utilizes the branches in a different way. Seriously, how fun is this?!

This time the manzanita is displayed inside of a tall glass vase and also on top of it in more of a horizontal fashion to act as a canvas for the artistic floral design and as a "hanger" for the fishing-wire-suspended butterflies.

Next, a few examples of simpler designs that are still absolutely stunning: a metallic silver "chandelier tree" and a zen-like cymbidium orchid & bamboo arrangement:

{Chandelier tree by Geoff Howell - image via from brides.com. Orchid/bamboo design by Chrysalis Flowers.}

Manzanita centerpieces can also be surprisingly easy to work with AND affordable if you go for a simple design and purchase the materials yourself. Of course, you also need to know where to shop for the branches, so if your local craft/floral supply doesn't carry them, here are a few great places to find manzanita online:

Blooms and Branches
Save-on-Crafts
Nettleton Hollow

Pictured below are 2 great DIY examples, both which come with helpful tips for recreating the designs home:

The left arrangement is from Blooms and Branches and comes with a wonderful step-by-step tutorial for how to create a sturdy base for heavy manzanita centerpieces using craft foam and plaster of paris.

The image on the right is a DIY centerpiece mockup from projectwedding.com. The bride did a great job putting this together and includes step by step instructions and shopping resources as well. The crystal strands are actually cut pieces of a "bead curtain" from shopwildthings.com, which makes them much more affordable than buying tons of individual strands - especially when you're creating several centerpieces for a big party or wedding. Click here for all the details.