Three-dimensional branching structures and methods for making and using same

A method for making a three dimensional representation of a tree for use in memorializing events and fundraising, including the steps of:

• (a) forming sheets of deformable material into a plurality of tree-shaped sections depicting outlines of a branching tree, each branching section including at least a portion of a trunk segment having a reference edge and multiple branching segments extending from the trunk segment;
• (b) affixing studs at distributed connection points on said branching segments to receive leaf-shaped attachments;
• (c) securing said tree-shaped sections together in a generally radial orientation with respect to the reference edges on their respective trunk segments;
• (d) shaping selected portions of the branching segments by bending and twisting those portions out of the initial plane of the sheet used to form the corresponding branching section.

A method for making a three dimensional representation of a tree for use in memorializing events and fundraising, including the steps of:

• (a) forming from sheets of metal a plurality of generally planar branching sections, each section being representative of a portion of a tree including multiple branching segments suitable for receiving leaf attachments at distributed connection points;
• (b) securing first connector elements at each of said connection points;
• (c) connecting each of said branching sections in a three-dimensional spatial relationship to one another;
• (d) shaping selected portions of the branching segments by bending those portions out of the original plane of the corresponding metal sheet;
• (e) forming a plurality of leaf attachments to represent the events to be memorialized;
• (f) providing each of said leaf attachments with a second connector element adapted to be joined to any one of said first connector elements;
• and,
• (g) joining selected pairs of first and second connector elements to secure leaf attachments at distributed connection points on said branching segments.