rustic cupboard and drawer handles

[Huggles]

 :-/ I really new here but I actually did something like you're wanting to do for a rustic jewelry box. I cut and dried my branches after removing the bark. I then got some copper tubing and one of those flaring tools that flares the tubing ends. I covered the copper (or you could leave it plain I guess so it will turn green over time) with really thin wood laminate using contact cement. I flared the ends and drilled countersunk holes in my branches on the top and bottom so the flared end of the tubing acts as a washer. I filled the top screw holes with stainable wood putty sanded that down stained the whole thing and clear sealed it after. They looked really nice and it wasn't that hard...It was easier than the dowel thing. ( I tried that first too and cussed a lot as well) hope this helps ya out.