Another way to make a "tree"

So, I made a cute tree for Thanksgiving with spray painted branches and had people hang notes saying what they were thankful for. I thought I would replicate the idea for my cousin's bridal shower (except the notes would be advice for marriage). But someone threw away my branches in November! Sad, I know. I don't really want to buy more and I think my dad would be mad if I started hacking away at his landscaping, so...

Anyone have other ideas on how to make this idea work without buying more branches?

Well you could make them out of wire and twist/shape it with pliers. I would personally cave in and get branches from a craft store but not too many so it stays under $10. You could also try going to a greenhouse and buying a real tree or maybe a flowering shrub, then your cousin can take it home to keep forever! If its a tree she needs to be able to plant it asap, if she is renting I would opt for a flowering shrub which can live in a large container for years until they buy a home.

Check out the cuttings in your neighbor's yard waste or ask around...somebody somewhere has a branch or two!

There are probably tons of branches lying around nature trails, especially after all the rain we've had.