Need to do a cake with some twigs sticking out of it, do you use real twigs cleaned or make them? If so, how? 

no don't put real twigs onto food

one way is make them out of fondant that you colored and shaped into twigs --

You can make twigs by coating shaped wires with modeling chocolate or gumpaste or fondant.

I kinda figured I didn't want to use real, but you never know. Thank you for the replies.