Winter weather can be tough on the maple tree in your backyard or the oak tree in the front. Strong winds and torrent rains  challenge even the sturdiest branches. Plus, ice and snow can add up to 30 times the normal weight a tree typically bears! The result: wayward wood in your yard, on your roof, and sometimes crashing into your window. But, there's a bright side. For less than a $1 a cut, you can turn a fallen branch into a crafty creation.

     Photo: CarriageOakCottage | Etsy

Fallen branches aren’t just unsightly; they can be potential fire hazards and pest infested. So, it’s important to remove them from your property as soon as possible.

You can purchase tree trimmers for about $40 at your local hardware store. Take a stroll through your yard during a storm-free afternoon and remove branches that are too close for comfort to your property, weak or sickly, or close to power lines. If the branches are thin and low-hanging, go ahead and trim them. Pay special attention to the branches that overhang your house and driveway. If a branch falls, you want to know it won’t hit anything important or expensive to replace.

Instead of throwing old branches in a compost pile, or watching them dragged off by the contractor to some sort of tree-branch limbo, re-use them. Your old branch has endless upcycling possibilities, from simple children’s toys to intricately designed jewelry. If you don’t feel comfortable cutting the branch yourself, bring it into your local Home Depot. They’ll cut any piece of wood into any shape (as long as it fits in their saw) for $0.50 per cut.

Try one of these great upcycling ideas, or invent your own:

- Evergreen Moms

- Style Files

- Houzz

- LiKeGJewelry | Etsy

- Share Crafts

- Inhabitots

- Etsy

- Design Squish

- Craft Foxes