Once, some 6 years ago, they were cutting down a huge, old elder tree in town. I was heartbroken, didn't understand why they were cutting it down, it was enormous, not in the way of anything or anyone.
I put as much of the branches an part of its trunk in my car. Think my ex thought I was nuts when I came home with a car full up with elder branches and half a trunk, haha.
But I couldn't let this poor tree get treated like that, least I could do was salvage much of the remains and use it indoors for season decoration (Samhain i.e.). I put the trunk in my crystal & meditation room. Did some energy work on it as well, to heal it.
When I moved to my current home, I wanted it in the living room, but my cats felt it was really nice to scratch, grrr!! So now it's upstairs in my (new) crystal & meditation room. Got a fake crow sitting on it and my Aboriginal necklaces dangling off of it
I always got another part (part of a thicker branch) on a cupboard with decoration on and around it, little cutes gnomes, my Welsh dragon figurine etc.
I got a wand and a larger (thin) branch stripped of its bark, it's such lovely wood! Pale, soft, just wonderful!
Don't ever burn elder wood! You will have to deal with Frau Holle's if you do, not pleasant (Yes, elder is connected to the fairy tale Frau Holle. She's a mythical character, Norse and/or German tradition. The fairy tale is based on that)
It's really cool to feel the energies of trees! I always feel that elder is one you don't approach just like that. It has a solemn feel to it, kinda like a aristocratic snobby old lady. Doesn't go for every elder tree, but some older ones really do have that vibe.
I like hawthorn as well, connected to The Faery. If you plant one, you may never ever dig it up to plant it elsewhere. Bad things will happen as you will upset the Faery. There's this story that the Delorian car factory (as in the car from Back to the Future) had a hawthorn tree moved. Shortly after that, business went down the hill and they went bust.
Not sure if anyone knows whether this is a true story, but I ain't got hawthorn in my garden, haha. I wouldn't mind, but I do tend to move plants when I change plans and I would seriously never ever move a hawthorn. So best not to plant one to begin with :p