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Decorating a home is an ongoing process. We try to make your home more comfortable and beautiful, to give individuality. This is important both on weekdays and on holidays. One way is to make a topiary. This craft will be an excellent interior decoration, a festive table, a bright, memorable gift.
What is topiary
In general, topiar is one of the types of garden art. Specifically, the art of giving decorative forms to shrubs and trees. But growing a bush or a tree takes years. Therefore, probably, artificial trees in pots appeared, which decorate the interior. They are made from natural materials (leaves, cones, coffee beans, nuts, acorns, seeds, grains, etc.), paper, artificial flowers, Christmas balls, ribbons, beads, candies … In general, from everything …
Consciously or not, the title has been changed a bit. Such crafts are called “topiary”. They have been very popular in recent years. The secret is simple. They have a decorative look, serve as an excellent decoration for both holiday decoration and interior decoration. The best part is that they are easy to make with your own hands. The technique for making topiary is simple, so even beginners will find it easy. Mastering the techniques is a matter of one, maximum two days. And then, changing the material, we get a different look, style, theme.
General rules for creating a topiary
To begin with, we will discuss the technical and technological aspects. What and how to do in terms of the “construction” of the topiary. We’ll look at the creative side later. In the meantime, let’s talk about how and from what to assemble the “skeleton” of the composition.
Although topiary trees look different, they all have a common structure. Like ordinary trees, they consist of a base, a trunk and a crown. Let’s figure out how and from what to do it all, how to connect.
Base for topiary
Most often, a flower pot serves as the basis for the manufacture of topiary. But it can also be a vase, a cup, a basket, a jar, any plastic or metal container, a piece of wood of a suitable size. In general, everything that can give stability to the composition.
When choosing a base, consider the estimated weight of the “crown”. The heavier or more voluminous the upper part, the more area and more weight the base should have. It is most convenient to work with containers into which mortar can be poured – a solid foundation will be provided.
ornamental tree trunk
The stem for the topiary can be anything. Most often it is a wand. Maybe broken off from a tree, maybe planed. And not always need a perfectly flat. If you make a topiary from natural materials, it will look better curved. You can also use a plastic or metal tube of small diameter, thick wire. There may be non-standard options, as in the photo below.
The length of the trunk is selected taking into account the fact that it must be fixed to the base and to the crown. The lower part is inserted into the base (at least 7-8 cm, but better – to the very bottom). The top sticks into the crown – about 1/2 the size of the ball.
Now about how high the trunk should be. The length of the visible part should be slightly larger than the size of the crown. Not a “bare” ball, but a finished crown. To be more precise, we take the length of the trunk of an artificial tree in the range from 1 to 1,5 crown sizes. Too long and thin or too short and thick trunk often spoils the whole impression. Several such compositions with errors in proportions are in the photo above and below.
In some cases, the topiary trunk may not be decorated. Then it is fixed in “natural form”. If decoration is supposed, first bring it to the desired look, dry it, and only then fix it. How to decorate the trunk of a topiary? Can be painted, wrapped with decorative paper, ribbons, matting, jute rope, etc. Another option is to coat with glue and roll in sparkles, beads. It all depends on the style of the composition as a whole.
Attaching the stem to the base
To stabilize and fix the trunk in the manufacture of topiary, a solution of alabaster or gypsum is usually used. They are sold in hardware stores in powder form. The powder is diluted to a state of thick sour cream, poured into a container, insert the barrel. Leave for several hours – until the solution hardens.
If a flower pot is chosen as the basis for the topiary, a hole in the bottom must be sealed before pouring the mixture. You can just stick it with tape from the inside of the pot.
Instead of alabaster and gypsum, it is permissible to use any powder building mixture. Whether putty or cement. Alabaster is good because it freezes quickly.
The use of hardening building mixtures is convenient, as it is easy to fix the trunk. It is fixed “forever”. It is also good that at the same time, the lower part becomes heavier, which gives stability to the entire composition. In general, small pebbles or sand can be poured into the base, floral foam can be laid to fix the plants. However, the stability of the trunk in this case is lower and a tree with a heavy crown may fall.
To fix the trunk without the use of building mixtures, it is glued to the bottom of the base. An all-purpose adhesive that can glue the materials to be joined is suitable. We must wait until it hardens (time is on the packaging of the glue). After that, you can fill up the material selected for filling. This option is suitable if a base with transparent walls is selected. Then you can add decorative backfill (colored pebbles, glass beads, tinsel, etc.).
What to make a crown
As we have already said, the topiary crown usually has a round shape. This is not a rule. It can be any other shape, but it is the majority of round topiaries. Therefore, the basis for the crown is often a ball. There are other, more original forms, but they are created individually.
Ball – where to get it and what to make
The easiest way is to use a foam ball. They are also called foamian (from the English foam (foam) foam). Foam balls can be found in craft stores or bought at one of the marketplaces such as Aliexpress or Amazon. They are sold in packs of several. There are various diameters. Don’t buy expensive ones that are made for growing moss. Unless, you decided to make a topiary from living moss.
What is the best ball of foam for topiary? It is easy to fix any details in it. You can, for example, just stick branches. Also, all the details are glued well. Well, its weight is small, which facilitates the task of stabilization. Also, foam balls have a small price, which is also important.
What balls can be used? Yes, any. You can crumple paper or foil, giving it the shape of a ball. Tighten the surface with some kind of mesh or paste over with a cloth. In general, a ball is any that can be attached to the trunk without any problems.
Styrofoam balls are also used for crafts. They are white or colored. The diameter is different. They fit no worse than foam. Only hollow ones are not very good, as they have thin walls. You can only glue decor to them. If there are no balls available, take foam Christmas toys. Usually they are already painted, which can set the tone for the future composition.
You can also use plastic Christmas balls, but you will need to glue the decor on them with a glue gun. The alternative is no better. You will need to think about how to attach this ball to the barrel. For example, remove the fasteners for hanging from the Christmas tree and insert the trunk into this hole, smearing the connection with glue. But you need to choose / adjust the diameter of the barrel to the size of the hole.
Original form: how and from what
You can make a topiary with a non-standard crown shape. The most “running” in this group is the cone. It is made from thick paper or half-cardboard. To such a base, the decorations will need to be glued.
You can fasten the plastic mesh, as shown in the photo below. For long-term compositions, you can make a base of wire mesh or flexible wire.
You can create any other form. For example, use a snag, wood cut, CD, etc. There is only one limitation – it will be necessary to figure out how to attach the crown to the trunk. Moreover, the composition must be stable.
How to attach the crown of the topiary to the trunk
With a foam ball, everything is simple. Take the barrel, put it on the ball, press down and start rotating back and forth. The foam is partially crushed, partially crumbled. It turns out the perfect size hole. Its depth is from 1/3 of the diameter to 1/2 of the diameter of the ball. When you make the crown, smear the hole with glue, plant it and leave everything to dry for a day or so.
If the barrel is straight, when making the hole, hold the barrel perpendicular to the center of the ball. So that the ball is planted symmetrically, and not on the side. For asymmetrical compositions, on the contrary, you can tilt in the right direction.
This is not the only way to make a hole in a Styrofoam ball. You can just pick it out by taking some small sharp object. If there are tools for woodcarving, you can use them. It will be easy and fast. You can use items from a manicure set, but even with the tip of a knife. Just in this case, follow the dimensions of the hole, not only in depth, but also in width.
Crowns of other forms usually have to be fixed in the process of their formation. And decorate the already attached base. Otherwise, it won’t work. Any fastening methods: with glue, wire, plastic ties, etc.
Assembly order
As you understand, there are simply no mandatory rules or an exact procedure for creating a topiary. You can do it in different ways. Everyone does as he pleases. For starters, you can try the recommended option. Then you may find the best one for you.
It is logical to immediately make all the required holes for attaching parts. But collecting everything at once is inconvenient. As a rule, the trunk and base are first decorated, dried if necessary. Then they are fastened in the chosen way.
After fixing the trunk, it will take time for the final setting / drying of the glue or building mixture. In the meantime, it will be possible to decorate the crown of the topiary. When it is ready, glue is applied to the hole made in advance and the crown “sits” in place.
The last stage is the final decoration. It’s just that when you finally assemble the topiary, changes may be required. For example, the decor of the trunk or pot will not be in harmony with the crown.
Master class: artificial flower topiary
The use of artificial flowers is practically a guarantee of a good result. They are available in a variety of sizes, at different prices. When selecting material and creating a composition, use the rule of the color triangle. In the case of color design, this rule recommends using only three colors (white, gray and black do not count, all others count). If you look at the photo below, that’s exactly how many colors (not shades), including green, you will see.
If we talk about the composition, then only one part can be the “leader”. The second and third should take up much less space, draw much less attention to themselves. In the case of a topiary, this means that the crown has the greatest “weight”, the second in terms of load is the pot / base, and the most insignificant and inconspicuous is the trunk.
Material preparation
You should not buy the cheapest artificial flowers for a topiary – they look accordingly. For starters, you can choose not too expensive, but which you like in appearance. It is most successful if the flowers are small in size. Large flowers are not easy to deal with. Need experience.
According to the color scheme, there are also some rules that will help you at first:
- Choose colors that are not contrasting, but similar shades.
- You will need more white flowers or the same shade, but pale. These paler ones can be several shades. And, as a rule, there are more of them in number than bright ones.
- In addition to the “primary” colors, “background” colors may be required. Background flowers are smaller ones, which are also used to fill the space when making bouquets.
- Need more greens. Partially, it is in artificial colors, but leaves, greens of a different form may be required.
It will be cheaper if you buy not single flowers, but ready-made compositions or bouquets. It is important that you like them. In this case, you will need to disassemble the compositions into separate fragments. If different colors are present, sort by color along the way.
There are two options for preparing flowers for creating a topiary. The first is to leave the longest legs so that you can then cut them off as needed. Take garden shears or nippers and bite off the stems close to where they join into a bush. The second option is to remove the flower heads to the first articulation. Then insert toothpicks into them (lubricate them with glue). This option is good if you plan to make a compact crown.
In most cases, artificial flowers come with leaves. You can leave them as they are, or you can remove them and use other greens. If you decide to leave the leaves, it is better to move them closer to the flower. The composition should be compact, with dense filling.
crown assembly
To begin with, it is best to paint the ball green. This is if there is a lot of greenery. Acrylic paint is suitable – it fits well and dries quickly. Can be applied with a brush or small sponge. After the paint has dried, you can start assembling.
If you want a natural looking topiary crown that looks like a living bouquet, start by filling in with greenery. This will make it easier to understand where and how many colors to add. Do not strive for all elements to be the same length. A small difference gives a special charm.
Insert the brightest flowers first, then add background and greenery. There are no rules, you know. Be guided by your ideas of beauty. If you don’t like the result, you can remove some or all of it and try again. This is what foam compositions are good for – they can be redone several times. Glue is more difficult.
For example, you see in the photo above two slightly different options. In one, only white was added to the main colors, in the second there are also blue small flowers. You can try adding pale pink or pale lilac. In general, experiment.
Autumn topiary from leaves and fruits
From artificial leaves, twigs with berries and fruits, you can make an autumn topiary. Artificial leaves can be found in the same stores that sell artificial flowers. You can look in stores for decorators. You can also find something in construction supermarkets. There, usually, there are departments of goods for home decoration.
The preparation of the material is similar. You cut something, you move something closer. The difference is that it is better to paint the ball brown. And so that it dries normally, put it on a skewer, and insert it into a piece of foam, for example. Don’t forget to make a hole for the barrel. And, when shaping the crown, keep it pointing down.
We begin to form a crown. Add red and yellow leaves, distribute them over the entire surface. Then comes the flowers. It can be any autumn flowers.
Then we add some greens, twigs with colored berries, cones. You can add acorns, nuts, sprigs of needles, arborvitae. In general, everything you see fit. It is important that you like the result. But do not overdo it with various details, as this makes you look at the composition for a long time, which interferes with perception.
Do-it-yourself dollar or money tree
If ordinary topiaries are called the tree of happiness, then crafts with banknotes are called the money tree. It is not known how much they help to get rich, but they can look good.
As in any other case, you can use a variety of banknotes or their analogues. The only difference from the previous options is that everything is glued. It is better to use a glue gun for this. Why? Everything is simple. It fixes instantly, but it is also easy to remove everything, remove the adhesive and stick it again.
When using a glue gun, the foam ball must be painted, otherwise it will melt. It is better to use acrylic paint – it fits well and dries quickly. It does not make sense to achieve a uniform color, but it is impossible to leave unpainted areas.
You can make such a tree from real coins. But the crown will turn out to be heavy, so you will definitely need to fill the base with cement. Not even alabaster or plaster, but cement, because it is heavier. To avoid weight problems, we can use chocolate coin wrappers. Outwardly similar, the weight is minimal.
A foam ball is better to paint. Color – in tone with the selected “currency”. In this case, yellow or gold is more suitable. We begin to glue coins on the ball from the top. One coin in the center, four more around it. Then – in layers, close, or, better, with a small entry of one coin onto another. In the form of scales. We leave the crown to dry, we begin to decorate the base.
Since the top turned out to be light, we can use a regular pot. This money tree is dated for St. Patrick’s Day, so we use the traditional green color. Add a sparkle, make a buckle out of a piece of paper with white sparkles. Using black electrical tape, draw a belt. Fast and easy. It remains to insert and fix the stick with glue and put a crown on it.
Topiary from natural materials
As already mentioned, topiary can be made from natural materials. For example, from acorns, nutshells, coffee beans, cones, and so on.
If using buds, keep them in a warm, dry place for a while until they open up. If desired, the cones can be painted, glittered, or decorated in any other way.
With all the beauty of natural materials, the composition looks too monotonous. Add a few colored elements to spice things up. It can be bright berries or a couple of Christmas decorations if the composition is New Year’s. Another option is to paint a few fragments with bright paint, add beads, sparkles, and so on.
The combination of coffee, cones and artificial flowers looks original. If you make a crown only from coffee, it will be too monotonous. Dilution with flowers and beads looks festive.
We start traditionally – by painting the ball. In this case, the barrel was immediately attached so as not to lose sight of the “front” part. Glue coffee beans row by row.
As a stand, you can use a glass, a jar or a piece of a plastic bottle. We put a ball on them during work – it is very inconvenient to keep it on weight and glue small elements.
Rotate the ball in the right direction, pointing the barrel down. On one side we glue a few leaves of white fabric. On top of them we will place small cones. Between them are small white flowers and pale pink roses. On the rest of the place we will place small white beads.
We fix the finished crown to the bottom of the pot. You can simply glue it in the center and fill it with small pebbles. Lay a circle of foam or thick paper or cardboard on top. Make a hole in it for the barrel. When everything is adjusted, glue the edges of the pot and the trunk with glue, put the circle in place. Let’s start decorating the bottom.
From artificial grass we form small “grass” balls. We post them. If you want, you can glue, but only if necessary. From above lay out cones, a couple of roses and beads. Everything, the topiary is ready.