When I remember my life in Japan I think of romance, love, beauty, silence and calm … There is beauty to be found even in the smallest of things. In almost every shrine you can find wishing trees, which is a tree or a wooden structure where you can write a though or a wish on a piece of paper and tie it around a branch. The overall effect when hundreds of people tie rolled up paper is stunning: it looks like a blossoming cherry tree!

When we got married, we knew we wanted a tree like that, rather than the common guestbook, like with everything I show you, it was easier than easiest to make 🙂 Instead of throwing away the tree after the wedding, we keep it at home as the house-guestbook where we let our guests wish for something or write whatever they feel like. We have been trying to find a good storage for it over the years and now it’s permanently hanging tied up from the ceiling of our staircase, looking as gorgeous as ever.

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You’ll need:

* a branch that looks like a tree

* a pot full of rocks (to hold the branch standing)

* silk paper (can be stored in a basket hanging from the tree)

* red pens (make the paper shift in pink-red and white when folded)

Write dreams, thoughts or wish for good luck, roll the paper flat and make a neat knot around the branch, make everyone else do it too and your tree will soon be full of pretty “leaves”.