Topiary training. Do-it-yourself topiary for beginners. Step by step photo of the process. Photo - examples of filling flowerpots for decorative wood

From time immemorial, people have tried to decorate their homes - it does not matter if it is a cave of a primitive man or a modern apartment. They always tried to decorate everyday life with stucco molding, drawings, and painting. In almost all drawings and murals, a person put a sacred, magical meaning.

People tried to decorate not only housing, but also the area around. The custom of decorating trees (such decorations include giving a certain shape to the crown of a tree) has become a kind of cult.

Since ancient times, there have been holidays that were dedicated to nature, life cycles. At such holidays, trees played a major role.

Ritual actions with trees moved smoothly into garden architecture in the days of Ancient Rome. Topiary or topiary is a garden in which trees grow, more like garden sculptures. Skilled gardeners cut the branches and crown so beautifully, intertwined branches that trees and shrubs took on intricate shapes.

Topiary in the modern world

Today we can make a topiary on our own. In today's world, it is not at all necessary to have your own garden in order to have a topiary. Today it is a small original tree, which is also called the tree of happiness or money. Making it yourself at home is not difficult at all.

In order for you to get a tree of happiness at home, you only need a few things:

A small pot or stand. A very important nuance is that the pot or stand should not be larger than the diameter of the base of the tree.

A small stick that will serve as a trunk. Tree base. There are quite a few forms of the base, but the most common is the shape of the ball.

Tree crown. For a more beautiful crown for decoration, you can use a variety of improvised means that can always be found in any person’s house: coffee beans, pistachios, bizarre-shaped pasta, acorns, buttons, beads and others.

The base can be purchased ready-made (ready-made foam blanks are sold in needlework stores) or made independently from improvised means.


The trunk can be made of thick wire, a pencil or a dried twig, which is pre-wrapped with twine or tape.

In order to make a crown, take plain paper, corrugated paper or multilayer napkins. A ball can be formed from a newspaper, wrapped with thread or twine. For strong fixation - cover with a small layer of PVA glue.

Once the glue dries, cover the ball with paint or varnish. Next, you can stick the selected flowers, moss or other decorative elements.

To decorate the crown, you can use any available materials - leaves, coffee beans, satin or silk ribbons, acorns and others. The finished design can also be supplemented with colored pasta of intricate shapes, buttons, pistachios.

Topiary on your own - step by step instructions

If you decide to put such a tree at home, we will teach you how to make a topiary with your own hands from improvised means.

Prepare everything you need in advance:

  • finished round billet;
  • nice bowl;
  • not real flowers;
  • a pencil or a wooden stick of a suitable color and length;
  • a ball of the same diameter as a mug;
  • artificial grass or moss.


The first step - a pencil or stick is best decorated with a ribbon. Place in bowl and secure in bowl with mounting foam.

The next step is to place artificial flowers on the workpiece. Note that it looks nice when there are no empty spaces. Now you can string the finished top of the tree onto the trunk.

You can decorate the edges of the mug with decorative moss or grass. To make a beautiful topiary, you can plant a butterfly (artificial).

Do-it-yourself boxwood topiary

In order to make a boxwood tree of happiness you will need:

  • natural or artificial boxwood branches;
  • nice bowl;
  • flowers made of paper, felt and other substitutes;
  • gravel as a filler;
  • round blank of expanded polystyrene;
  • fishing line or thin wire.

If you take branches instead of a pencil or a stick for the trunk, pull them off after using the wire. After the work done, the spherical blank must be mounted on the trunk.

Place the trunk with a crown in a container into which gravel was previously poured. Lay moss or artificial grass on top. The crown can be decorated with small flowers, which are placed between boxwood branches.


If you are still in doubt and cannot decide which tree you want to make yourself, we recommend that you look at a photo of a do-it-yourself topiary. Such photos can be found on sites for needlework.

DIY topiary photo

You can easily update the interior of the room, bring notes of dreaminess and tenderness into it - by making a do-it-yourself topiary for beginners from natural or decorative materials. You will have to work a little on the tree of happiness, but the result is definitely worth it. The craft will perfectly decorate any room, it will be a good holiday gift for a friend or relative. For newlyweds, you can make a Bird's Nest topiary - a real tree of happiness, symbolizing a cozy family nest. It is not necessary to act on a grand scale and make a large topiary - small topiaries look no less decorative, and will fit on any shelf or desktop.

You can easily update the interior of the room, add notes of dreaminess and tenderness to it - by making a do-it-yourself topiary

Initially, figuratively trimmed trees and green shrubs in the yards of wealthy people were called topiaries. Over time, this art has changed. Now everyone can decorate their home with such cute decor. The size of a tree often does not exceed half a meter, and the variety of its shapes, colors and materials used to make it is almost limitless - at home they are made step by step from fabric and banknotes, coins and coffee beans, autumn leaves and dried flowers, even sweets and chocolates - everything do not list. See examples of topiary in the gallery below.

To create this craft, modern needlewomen use almost everything.

Here is just a small list of the most popular items for decoration:

  • Artificial flowers from foamiram, satin and rapeseed ribbons, salt dough, plastic, napkins, organza and so on.
  • Decorative berries, twigs, leaves.
  • Large and small beads, beads, buttons.
  • Coins of various denominations.
  • Souvenir paper money.
  • Old gears, bolts, scissors and other small tools.
  • Thread pom-poms.
  • Balls for decorating Christmas trees.
  • Paper squares and more.

Synthetic little things, of course, make it possible to make topiaries of delightful beauty that do not lose their appearance for a long time, retaining their attractiveness for many years. But no less interesting are products made from natural, natural materials, such as:

  • Cones, chestnuts, nuts, pistachio shells, acorns.
  • Sea pebbles, shells, sand.
  • Dried slices of citrus fruits, roses made from their peels.
  • Rowan berries, physalis inflorescences, yellow leaves of any trees.
  • Coffee beans, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and other herbs.

The choice remains only with the needlewoman and her imagination. In each craft, no matter what it is made of, there is a special sincerity and warmth that fills the interior with harmony.

Gallery: do-it-yourself topiary (25 photos)













Classic tree of happiness: master class (video)

How to make the easiest do-it-yourself bead topiary: instructions

Of the many options, the wish tree made of beads or imitation pearls is undoubtedly the easiest to execute. Consider a detailed master class on its creation.

It turns out very nice

What you need to have:

  • Foam base ball.
  • A bunch of beads, pearls of one or more colors. In needlework stores, you can buy several low beads at once, so as not to glue them one by one.
  • Two pieces of strong steel wire of the desired length, to which the depth of the pot and half the diameter of the ball are added, since the stem of the tree will enter the base by half, and into the pot - to the very bottom.
  • Satin ribbons, preferably thin, matching the main colors.
  • Satin roses, a little felt to decorate the bottom of the pot.
  • Corrugated paper, organza, satin or rapeseed ribbon of medium thickness.
  • Quick dry glue or glue gun.
  • Stones for filling the pot, gypsum for pouring.
  • Paint and pebbles for decorating the ground.
  • Plastic pot.

Let's start making the simplest wish tree

  1. We start by making holes in the ball for attaching steel wires, trying them on. We wrap the flight wire so that at the top it is close to the ball, and at the bottom - 5 cm below the expected ground height. Put aside.
  2. Then we take a low bead and carefully, starting from the very top exactly above the holes for the trunk, fasten the first bead. Then we apply transparent glue in stages and immediately fix the beads without removing them from the thread. When only a couple of three turns remain before the holes, we insert the wires for the barrel, preliminarily lubricating them with plenty of glue, and finish the winding, tightly closing the entire ball.
  3. Let's start working on the pot. We wrap it with corrugated paper, cover it with organza on top and grab it with tape. We glue the joints. At the bottom we glue a circle of felt.
  4. Now planting a tree. First, put the stem in the pot. We fall asleep pebbles and immediately fill it with prepared gypsum. Please note that gypsum expands when it dries, so do not fill it to the very top, leave some space. It will dry out within a few minutes.
  5. It remains only to decorate at your own discretion the ball itself, its bottom and the surface of the gypsum in the pot. It's so simple, beauty is created with your own hands.

Options may vary

Tip for a beginner: when making, it is most convenient to use a heat gun. The glue in it is always transparent, dries very quickly and holds securely.

Topiary from natural materials: a step-by-step master class

Beginning needlewomen can also easily cope with working on a tree made of cones, acorns, chestnuts, walnuts or hazelnuts. This is a great idea for a lesson with a child, allowing you to teach your little one to see beauty even in the most ordinary and simple things. In addition, many children love to collect such things while walking on the street. For the stem, you can even take an ordinary twig, which will give even more naturalness, environmental friendliness.

Beginning needlewomen can also easily cope with working on a tree of cones, acorns, chestnuts, walnuts or hazelnuts.

What you need:

  • Styrofoam ball for the base.
  • Cones, chestnuts or other nuts.
  • Wire or strong twig for the trunk.
  • A container in which we will plant a tree.
  • Stones and plaster.
  • Glue gun or dragon type glue.
  • Acrylic colorless varnish, available in hardware stores.
  • Decorations on request.

How to make a topiary from cones

As in the previous MK, first of all we pierce a hole under the barrel, try it on and decorate it. If you took a simple branch, then you can leave it unchanged.

  1. We take the base and glue the selected nuts or cones on it, tightly attaching them next to each other.
  2. Shortly before the end of the work, we insert the barrel into the hole and finish the ball. If you cover pine cones with artificial snow, then a wonderful New Year's option will come out.
  3. Chestnuts and acorns are perfectly complemented by autumn leaves. And walnuts and hazelnuts look better if they are combined together and decorated with bright rowan berries.
  4. The last step is planting a tree in a prepared container, for example, a brown flower pot would be very appropriate here.

Tip for a beginner: for durability, finished walnut crafts should be coated with acrylic varnish or paint. Best suited gold and silver colors.

Memories of the sea or what to do with shells brought from vacation

The craft made of shells and burlap with elements of twine looks very aesthetically pleasing. She will embody the dreams of a new trip to the endless sea. Reminds me of a good time. And the collected gifts of the deep sea will not lie idle.

For marine topiary you need:

  • Foam base: balloon or heart.
  • Porcelain white or transparent cup, vase, glass.
  • Steel wire.
  • Thermal gun.
  • Shells, sea pebbles.
  • Pearls are artificial.
  • Burlap, twine.
  • Gypsum or pebbles to fill the container.

A craft made of shells and burlap with twine elements looks very aesthetically pleasing.

Detailed instructions for creating a simple and straightforward:

  1. We determine the center of the base and make the usual hole for the trunk. We try on the wire, decorate it with twine, put it aside for a while.
  2. We carefully and accurately glue the foam base with shells, pebbles and pearls in random order. We make flowers, simple or lush bows from twine. We cling them between the main details. We insert the finished trunk into place and draw up the bottom of the base.
  3. We place the craft in a cup or a vase, fill it with plaster. We sprinkle the gypsum that has not yet hardened with sea or decorative sand. We decorate the container with several turns of twine. Another option is to wrap it completely with burlap and fasten it with a satin ribbon in pastel, light colors.
  4. If there is no desire to use gypsum, and the topiary itself is small in size and weight, it is preferable to plant it in a transparent glass or cup, filling it with the remaining pebbles and shells. Thus, a delicate decorative element is obtained, which at any time will remind you of summer holidays, charge you with positive and energy.

Initially, a beautifully trimmed bush or tree was called a topiary. Gradually, the concept began to be applied to decorative, beautifully designed trees that serve to decorate the interior. There is an opinion that the presence of a topiary in the house brings joy and good luck, and if it is decorated with coins or banknotes, then well-being. Therefore, it is often called the "tree of happiness."

Topiaries as a decorative element have gained popularity. Almost every housewife wants to get such a tree for the house. This desire is feasible, and for its fulfillment you do not need to go to the store, since everyone can make a topiary with their own hands.

You can create "trees of happiness" from different materials. Their crowns can be decorated with artificial flowers made of paper, organza or ribbons, coffee beans, pebbles, shells, dried flowers and sweets. Topiary can look like a real plant or take on bizarre shapes. The appearance of the tree will depend only on your tastes and imagination.

Topiary making

The topiary consists of three elements, on the basis of which different types of trees are created - this is the crown, trunk and pot.

Crown

More often, the crown for the topiary is made round, but it can also be of other shapes, for example, in the form of a heart, a cone and an oval. For its manufacture, you can use different methods, we will introduce you to the most popular:

  • The basis of the crown from newspapers. You will need a lot of old newspapers. First, take one, unfold and crumple. Then take the second, wrap it around the first, crumple again, then take the third. Keep doing this until you get a tight ball of the required diameter. Now you need to fix the base. Cover it with a sock, stocking or any other fabric, sew the base, and cut off the excess. You can use another method. Wrap the newspaper tightly with cling film, forming a ball, then wrap it on top with thread and cover with PVA.
  • Crown base made of polyurethane foam. Using this method, the crown can be given different shapes and sizes, for example, a heart topiary. Squeeze out the required amount of mounting foam into a tight bag. Let her dry. Then get rid of the polyethylene. You will end up with a shapeless piece of foam. Using a clerical knife, start to cut off all the excess little by little, giving the base the desired shape. Such a blank is convenient for work, decorative elements will be glued to it and you can easily stick pins or skewers into it.
  • Foam core base. With such a basis for the topiary, as with the previous one, it is convenient to work. You will need an appropriately sized piece of Styrofoam with which to pack the appliances. It is necessary to cut off all unnecessary from it and give it the desired shape.
  • Papier-mâché base. You can create a perfectly round ball for a topiary using the papier-mâché technique. You will need a balloon, toilet or other paper and PVA glue. Inflate the balloon to the desired diameter and tie off. Pour PVA into any container, then, tearing off pieces of paper (it is not recommended to use scissors), stick layer by layer on the ball. To make the base strong, the layer of paper should be about 1 cm. After the glue has dried, you can pierce and pull the balloon through the hole in the base of the crown.
  • Other basics. As a basis for the crown, you can use ready-made balls sold in stores, foam or plastic balls and Christmas toys.

Pot

Any container can be used as a topiary pot. Suitable, for example, flower pots, cups, small vases, jars and glasses. The main thing is that the diameter of the pot should not be larger than the diameter of the crown, but its color and decor may be different.

Decorating and assembling the topiary

In order for the topiary to be stable, it is necessary to fill the pot with filler. For this, alabaster, polyurethane foam, gypsum, cement or liquid silicone are suitable. You can use foam, foam rubber, cereals and sand.

To assemble the topiary, fill the pot to the middle with filler, stick the prepared decorated trunk into it and put the crown base on it, securely fixing it with glue. After that, you can start decorating the topiary. To attach the elements to the crown, use a special glue gun, if you don’t have one, use super glue or PVA. At the final stage, place decorative elements, such as pebbles, beads or shells, in a pot on top of the filler.

Of course, you know that feeling when you are trying to find a nice “house” for your topiary, but, as if on purpose, you come across mostly plain plastic pots in nondescript colors, without patterns and decor. Of course, you can’t put a topiary in such a colorless pot, so I want to offer you several ways to decorate a pot or planter for a topiary.

I think you will need the ability to decorate pots not only to complete the composition with the topiary, but also for ordinary indoor flowers. Decorating planters and pots by hand is a very interesting pastime that allows you to turn boring, inconspicuous clay and plastic pots into delightful decor nuances.

For the unusual design of pots and flowerpots, all handmade options are suitable - this is painting, and mosaic, and decoupage, and such an amazing technique as crackle.
Believe me, your boundless imagination, perseverance and skill can make the most wonderful dreams come true! Now turn on your favorite music, get paints, glue, napkins, beads, ribbons and other decor available in the house, do not forget about the actual plastic pots - and create, attracting March!



Topiary pot decoration with mosaic

For laying out the mosaic, we will need colored pebbles, glass or pebbles, hot melt glue or PVA glue, tile grout, colorless varnish.

  1. Draw the intended drawing on paper, then mark the pot and only then lay out the drawing with pebbles.
  2. Lay out the main picture first, and then the background.
  3. When the pebbles grab, apply grout for the tiles. After 10-15 minutes, gently wipe the bloopers from the mosaic with cotton swabs or a rag.
  4. After about 24 hours, the grout will dry out. Sometimes the mixture dries out a lot and gaps form between it and the decor, in which case it is necessary to apply an additional layer and wait another day.
  5. The finished pot will only need to be varnished.

If you decide to completely cover the pot with pebbles, then you do not need to use grout. A wonderful mosaic will come out of pieces of ceramics, broken dishes, Christmas decorations, shells, seeds and other similar decor.

Decorating a decoupage topiary pot

Beautiful pictures on the decorated object will help to create interesting plots taken and cut out of napkins. For coating we use acrylic paint, it is better to have a solid color, then the napkin motifs will look most vivid.

It is necessary to decompose the napkin into separate layers and cut out the area of ​​interest. We only need the topmost layer with our image. We apply a dry drawing to the dry surface of the pot, straighten all the wrinkles and carefully cover with PVA glue diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio, heading from the center to the periphery so that wrinkles and tightness do not form.



When the glue dries, it remains to cover the pot with a colorless varnish. The top edge can be decorated with beads, lace, satin ribbon or decorative straw.

In decoupage, not only napkins are used, but also any printing, including fabrics, lace and other decor.

Sisal decoration

Colored sisal can be a charming decoration for a pot.

Treat the surface with construction glue and carefully wrap with sisal threads. An applique of artificial grass and felt flowers will look great on such a pot.

A few more ways to decorate pots

Consider the most, probably, affordable way to ennoble a pot or planter for a topiary - this is to depict something on it with paints. To do this, you can use gouache, acrylic or oil paint. Treat the surface with sandpaper if the paint does not adhere well to it.

Use your rich imagination or borrow an idea from children's coloring pages. You will be surprised how much they will fit on your pot, because they are so simple and bright. Varnish a finished and already dried drawing, this will give it shine and durability.

You can also decorate the pot with colored threads. Carefully wind the threads on the pot glued with double-sided tape using different colors. You can also bypass pebbles or shells glued in advance with threads - we will get beautiful waves. This pattern will look most attractive if you use threads of different textures and colors, but similar shades.

From multi-colored threads, you can knit a “wrapper” for a pot in the form of a pipe or a hat. This will be especially easy for crocheting craftswomen. The finished “sock” for the pot can be decorated with anything: beads, shells, appliqués, dried flowers and other decor.



Be fabulously brave, let new beautiful things be born in your house!

The art of topiary came to us from Ancient Egypt. In those days, the talent to give plants unusual geometric shapes was highly valued. An example of this is such a wonder of the world as the Gardens of Babylon.

Today, the topiary is a small tree made of natural and artificial materials. We will share decor ideas with you and tell you how to make a beautiful tree yourself.

Secrets for beginners

Having created a tree of happiness, you can both decorate your own home with it and present it as a gift for a wedding, housewarming, anniversary. The dimensions of the product are different, depending on your preferences and range from 15 to 50 cm.

Important! Topiary has an exclusively decorative function. And it depends on your imagination whether you will make a small original tree in the shape of a heart, or unusual models of shells.

The simplest improvised materials for making topiary are as follows:

  • pasta;
  • money;
  • branches;
  • coffee beans;
  • napkins;
  • candies;
  • cotton pads.

Advice! A popular option is a money tree. It is made for a gift using small bills. It symbolizes wealth, luck and success in business. Suitable for placement in the kitchen or any other room.

Typically, the money tree is made in mini versions for installation on window sills. Also, such a present can be in a small outdoor pot, which is placed near a coffee table or sofa in the living room.

How to make a do-it-yourself topiary

If you decide to decorate the house yourself, then before you make a composition, consider the design of the main components:

  • bases for topiary;
  • crowns;
  • trunk;
  • stands.

Paper, old newspapers, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, a children's ball are suitable as a basis. What to do, you decide.

Advice! Experienced craftswomen use foam plastic for figures in the form of letters, numbers, hearts.

To make a trunk simply from strong wire, branches, plastic tubes. When choosing what to make a trunk for a topiary, consider the size of the future product. If this is a small model, use a simple pencil, if it is a floor model, use one even thick branch.

The crown is the part of the craft that will attract the most attention. Suitable paper, polymer clay, beads, buttons, shells.

Depending on the size of the product and the idea, an ordinary flower pot, a toy bucket, a flat wooden board will serve as a stand. Decorate it with fabric, lace, decoupage or paint it with paints. How to do it is up to you.

Advice! An ordinary cup, which you no longer use in everyday life, is perfect for a stand.

Step by step instructions for crafts

For those who are carried away by this wonderful idea, we will tell you how to make a beautiful topiary step by step. Before you start crafting, think carefully about the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future tree and prepare all the necessary materials for the trunk, crown and stand.

When creating your topiary, follow the following sequence:

  • prepare the crown. For manufacturing, use improvised materials or specially stocked shells, beads, beads. For a non-standard crown shaped like a number or letter, cut out the desired shape from the foam. Be sure to make a hole for the barrel;
  • prepare the stem. Depending on the idea, use branches, sushi sticks, plastic straws. If you plan to make a large floor topiary that you will place in the garden or on the street in a private house, use wooden sticks wrapped with twine or varnished in the desired color. Install the crown on the trunk;

Advice! If the crown is round, just put the base on the trunk. If your topiary has a non-standard look, additionally fix it with glue.

  • stand. Use pots or planters. Pre-place the foam in the pot and fill it with a weak cement mortar or alabaster, level and dry. This will serve as a reliable frame for crafts.


Advice! Since novice craftswomen do not always guess with the proportions of the solution, experienced needlewomen advise using the consistency of liquid sour cream - too thick a mass will not fill the space between the pot and the foam.

Such an interesting craft can be easily made with children to decorate the garden or any room in the house.

Simple master classes of topiary

Wonderful trees can be bought in souvenir shops, as well as made by hand. A common topiary model is created from foamiran. Master class on how to make an unusual tree, see the video

Gentle original foamiran topiary.

Make your own bead topiary. The master class includes the following steps:

  • preparation of materials. Buy beads, ribbons, twine, barrel wire, pot, plaster, glue. Use tweezers to easily stick the beads to the base;

Advice! Use a regular ball as the basis for the crown, or cut out another shape from the foam, for example, a heart. Such a topiary will be an excellent gift for St. Valentine's Day.

  • glue the beads to the base;
  • for the trunk, take the wire, wrap it with twine or ribbon, bend it as desired;
  • insert the crown into the trunk and secure with glue;
  • install the second end of the barrel in a previously prepared pot with pieces of foam;
  • fill with plaster and leave to dry;
  • decorate the stand.

The product is ready. This MK is used by many novice craftswomen.



The tulle topiary looks beautiful. Watch the video master class. You will be told step by step how to make a craft with your own hands.

A few more interesting ideas for tulle topiary.

Interesting do-it-yourself topiary from cotton pads. A step-by-step master class is presented in the video:


For advanced needlewomen, it is interesting to make a beaded topiary with your own hands. With this choice, various wood weaving techniques are used: knotted, French circular, dense oblique, American tourniquet. A detailed master class is offered in the video:

Below are two more works of art - beaded trees.

The easiest option is do-it-yourself pasta topiary. Indeed, in every kitchen there is pasta in the form of shells, horns, spirals. You can decorate the glued pasta on the base with various paints or spray it. The master class, according to the manufacturing principle, is similar to a tree made of beads.

Advice! Crafts from cones, buttons and threads look interesting and creative.

Which crown to choose

Among the common types of crowns, you can choose the option that suits you best. So, the shape of the crown of your topiary can be in the form of:

  • hearts;
  • flying cups;
  • bicycles;
  • Christmas trees;
  • bird nests;
  • ships;
  • birdhouses;
  • sun;
  • apple trees;
  • umbrellas;
  • shoes;
  • roosters;
  • fairy houses with nests.

The craft made of beads in the form of a glued nest with birds looks beautiful. For lovers of non-standard solutions in any room or office, a floating cup will look great.

Flying cup idea

A heart-shaped design or a tree with dollars are suitable as a gift. For spring mood, make a fruit tree. For memorable events, build a product in the form of letters or numbers.


Marine crafts decorated with shells, sand and other natural materials look great. Craftswomen like to additionally decorate the crown with a nest of branches, flowers. An interesting option is a vintage burlap topiary decorated with a real small clock. Marshmallow topiary looks festive. If you don’t have enough indoor plants in your house, make a lagurus craft.

coffee tree

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