Topiary for beginners: master classes and ideas using improvised materials at home

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Good morning!

Topiary or, as it is also called, the “tree of happiness” is a composition that imitates a neatly trimmed small tree. You can make such a craft with your own hands from literally anything that may be nearby.

Such a thing can become a wonderful interior decoration or serve as an excellent gift for almost any occasion. Moreover, it is suitable for giving to both a loved one and a complete stranger.

A universal thing, isn't it? In this article, I have collected 9 instructions for you showing how to make topiary at home. Both the simplest and more complex options are presented here. So not only beginners, but also those who already have experience will be able to learn something new for themselves.

And if you have been making decorative trees for a long time and I’m unlikely to be able to teach you anything, just enjoy viewing the illustrative material. There is more than enough of it here. And at the same time, maybe you’ll come up with your next idea. Or check out my other articles).

Topiary for March 8th from napkins for beginners

Many people mistakenly believe that in order to make a beautiful topiary, you must buy expensive materials. In fact, you can get by with completely improvised means - for example, such as ordinary napkins. Let's see what beauty can be made from a seemingly ordinary thing.

We will need:

• Stapler;
• The basis for the topiary is a foam ball;
• Wooden stick;
• Napkins (any color);
• Pot;
• Beads for decoration;
• Wire;
• Glue gun;
• Scissors.

Subsequence:

Take a napkin and fold it to make a square. Pierce it in the middle with a stapler.

After this, use scissors to cut a circle out of the napkin. We will make it multi-layered.

Each circle needs to be slightly crumpled so that you get a voluminous flower. If you look at the photo, you will understand how this is done. You will need several such blanks to cover the entire surface of the base.

Instead of a foam ball, you can make a ball from papier-mâché or using another technology.

The main thing is that it is strong enough and has a round shape.

Using a glue gun, we plant our flowers on the base. We can fill the gaps between them with leaves made from green napkins using the same principle.

Finally, we add beads for decoration - they imitate drops of dew on delicate flower petals.

Thus, just by choosing the color of the napkins, you can make many variations of the same tree. We plant the resulting craft in a pot. If you wish, you can attach it to a wooden stick. Or you can leave it like that.

Let's see what else can be made from ordinary napkins. How do you like this option?

Very gentle, don't you agree?

Topiary, by the way, does not necessarily have to have a stem. The main thing is the foundation. You can simply plant it in a pot, as, for example, the author of this work did:

This is also a very nice tree.

As you can see, everyone makes flowers differently. You can come up with your own completely new way.

Beautiful topiary made from coffee beans

Another common topiary option is a candy bean tree. In addition to the fact that such a craft looks very impressive, it also has an indescribable aroma. This will definitely appeal to a coffee lover, to whom such interior decoration can be safely gifted.

Necessary materials:

• Coffee beans - they should be fairly even, large and smell good;
• Satin ribbon;
• Double sided tape;
• Glue gun;
• Scissors;
• Plastic tube 25 cm long and 1.2 in diameter (or approximately);
• Plastic plant pot;
• Ball for the base with a diameter of about 8 cm;
• Alabaster and a container where it can be diluted;
• Nylon tape.

Subsequence:

We take our base and glue coffee beans over its entire surface.

We glue them with the convex side up. It will turn out more beautiful.

The result will look something like this:

Now we apply the second layer, on the contrary, gluing the grains with a strip up.

Then we wrap our tube (the future trunk) with double-sided tape, leaving 3 cm at both ends.

And we put a satin ribbon on the tape.

Next, pour water into the pots in such an amount that it does not reach the edge of about 3 cm.

We again pour this water into the container for diluting the alabaster (in the step above we measured the amount we needed in this way) and, in fact, dilute it.

Pour the resulting mass into the pot and, before it hardens, insert the tube.

We are waiting for it to dry completely. It is important!

We paste the frozen solution with grains in two layers in the same way as we did with the ball.

Now we lubricate the free end of the barrel with glue.

And we attach our ball to it. Make sure everything is level. We decorate our tree with a bow made of translucent ribbon.

You can decorate such a tree in completely different ways.

Look, for example, what an interesting topiary is made from coffee beans with coins!

Even the combination of colors is beautiful in itself.

The crown of the tree does not have to be spherical. It could be anything. For example, the heart. By the way, coffee’s constant companion is cinnamon. And this is also used here.

Artificial flowers also look nice.

And here’s a video, by the way, catch it. But it is not simple, coffee-colored and with fabric flowers.

Beads and beads

You can also make a charming topiary from beads.
It’s easier to understand how to make a tree from beads with your hands, so watch the video below on how to make a topiary from beads. By the way, a craftsman can make absolutely anything from beads - including decor, for example, berries that can be used to decorate a money tree made of beads. Now you know how to make an artificial tree with your own hands step by step. I admit honestly, every topiary made by yourself is something special, and you will understand what it will be like only when you start decorating it. Try making festive trees and ordinary modest trees for the interior - those that are laid out with pine cones and coffee beans can not only decorate the room, but also scent it (you can add a couple of drops of essential oil).

And my sister makes money topiaries with her own hands, which attract money into the house; I will publish a tutorial next time - for now I can only show from photographs what such products look like. Try making your own topiaries and surprise your loved ones with unusual gifts!

New Year's topiary made of corrugated paper

This topiary looks a little unusual - it does not have a trunk, as we are used to. But this is explained by the fact that we will be making a Christmas tree, and not an “ordinary” tree of happiness. If you wish, you can find a wooden stick and a flower pot and bring the craft to the “standard”. In previous lessons we have already looked at how this is done.

We will need the following materials:

• Scissors;
• Beads;
• Compass;
• Scotch;
• Green corrugated paper;
• PVA glue and Moment;
• Green gouache;
• Cardboard – 1 sheet;
• Gold ribbon.

Subsequence:

Take a sheet of paper and roll it into a cone. To prevent it from moving apart, we secure everything with tape.

We cover the cone with green gouache so that the white areas of the base do not show through the decor later.

Let's start creating “needles”. To do this, we fold the existing sheet of corrugated paper into several layers and, using a compass or stencil, draw circles on it.

We cut out each circle and fasten its layers in the center with a stapler. And then we begin to carefully crumple each layer so that we get a voluminous piece.

We paste the resulting “roses” over the entire cone.

We completely get rid of open areas and let the tree dry.

We decorate the craft with beads and gold ribbon.

This is what will happen if you put such a Christmas tree on a leg.

New Year's topiaries can be very different. Let's look at a few options.

Beautiful, don't you agree?

Preview:

Master class topic:

"Topiary. Weaving a stand from newspaper tubes.”

Master class objectives:

— introduce the art of “Topiary”

- teach how to twist tubes correctly;

— introduce the technique of weaving tubes “in a spiral”

— to cultivate hard work, accuracy, perseverance, aesthetic taste, and the desire to make a gift with your own hands.

Materials: newspaper and magazine sheets, multi-colored napkins, corrugated paper, spool threads, beads.

Tools: knitting needles with a diameter of 2.5 mm, scissors, hot glue with a gun, PVA glue, a can of paint with a spray gun, a wide glue brush, a jar for glue.

What is topiary? You ask.

Topiary, or as it is also called the “Tree of Happiness,” is a decorative artificial tree that can be used to decorate the interior. Depending on its size and design, it can be installed either on a bookshelf or on the floor; both in the kitchen and in the living room.

Topiary is a very original composition that always attracts attention. Its main part is round in shape and in the process of decorating the ball you can show your ideas using various materials and color palettes.

Today I want to invite you to make it with me for the upcoming holiday of March 8th. Check out several topiary designs.

Organization of the workplace, distribution of materials and tools.

To make tubes you will need:

1. magazine strips - width 6 cm
2. knitting needle - diameter 2.5 mm
3. glue stick

Making newspaper tubes:

1. We cut the magazine along the wide side into 4 parts, we get stripes.
2. We take a knitting needle and begin to twist the strip onto it. We twist it from an angle of 45 degrees and wind it away from us onto the knitting needle.
3. Approaching the opposite corner, apply glue and twist.
4. Carefully remove the knitting needle - the tube is ready.

1. We form a lump from the newspaper, wrap it diagonally like in a diaper, and so on until the desired size.
2. Wrap it with thread.
3. We glue the ball using the “popye-moshe” technique
4. Leave until completely dry.

Demonstration of labor technique:

1. We lay 4 tubes vertically, and 4 more horizontally on them in the middle.
2. We take an additional tube, bend it in half and twist it each time, braiding 4 tubes in 2 circles, 2 tubes in 3 circles, 1 tube each up to a diameter of 12 cm.
3. We tuck the ends of the working tubes into the weaving.

1. Turn the bottom over if the edges curl up.
2. We put extra tubes in the center: 2 were bent, 1 was left. 6 tubes left.
3. We thread an additional tube next to one of the 6 workers.
4. We extend the working tubes by inserting a wide edge into a narrow one and vice versa.
5. We begin to weave upward in a spiral, placing one tube on top of another in 2 rows, carefully placing the knots.
6. We narrow the weave towards the center, laying the tubes 1cm from the knot.
7. In the narrowed weaving we place cardboard of the desired diameter rolled into a tube for the stability of the structure. We continue weaving along the cardboard tube.
8. Having reached the top, we begin to expand, placing the tubes in parallel and wrapping the first and second from bottom to top. We will place a paper ball in it.
9. We tuck the last working tube into the weave, and leave the rest sticking out.

1. We cover the finished weaving with thick PVA glue, coating the knots well.
2. Leave until completely dry.
3. We cut off the ends of the tubes.
4. We apply paint from bologna.

Making flowers from napkins and corrugated paper:

1. Fold the napkin in three layers along its long side.
2. Form the edge: bend the corner inward twice and turn the bottom edge back; wrap it once and fold the bottom edge back like a wrapper.
3. We roll the workpiece inward in a spiral.
4. We wrap the ends with thread.

We decorate the ball with flowers, beads, twigs.

Place the decorations on hot glue.

I hope you liked my lesson, and you will definitely try to repeat it at home.

Tree in the form of a topiary made of satin ribbons

In the next tutorial, as you may have guessed from the title, we will make topiary from satin ribbons. We experiment with materials. The result, as always, will be very delicate and beautiful.

Necessary materials:

• Water;
• Gypsum;
• Glue gun;
• Tube or branch for the trunk;
• Penoplex;
• Raspberry, white and pink satin ribbons. Optimal width – 2.5 cm;
• Satin ribbon 1 cm wide;
• Newspaper sheets;
• Decor (beads, sisal, etc. to your liking);
• Flower pot.

Subsequence:

The first stage is the longest and most boring. We will need to make about 50 roses from satin ribbons, which will then form the basis of our topiary.

To make one rose you need a ribbon 50 cm long.

We twist the ribbon around the small curl at its end, bending it away from us every 2 cm.

It is necessary that all the roses are almost identical.

We make all the preparations in this way.

Now you can do the base. We roll up a ball from newspaper sheets and wrap it with threads for strength. The shape of the base should be close to spherical.

Remove the bark from the branch (if you are using a branch) and prepare the rest of the items.

We attach our ball to the future trunk, having previously made a small hole in it.

Wrap the barrel with tape.

Cut a piece of polystyrene foam and place it inside the pot.

Stick the barrel into it.

Now fill it with gypsum solution and wait until it hardens completely.

Let's start decorating our tree with roses. To do this, apply a drop of glue to each workpiece.

Cover the entire surface of the ball with flowers.

In order to cover all areas, roses may have to be glued in several layers.

It’s still not possible to get rid of all the gaps. Therefore, we resort to a trick: we cover them with beads, which we place on glue.

It turns out a little unevenly, but that's not a big deal.

We decorate the base of the tree: we make grass from sisal. We plant a couple of flowers on the pot. The author of the master class even found a small ladybug - it’s wonderful if you have one too.

You can also decorate the trunk.

Topiary made from satin ribbons is ready!

You can also make a lot of interesting things out of satin ribbons. Don't underestimate this material!

Look how tender it is!

A very original option. Is not it? Does the crown match the color of the mug or vice versa?

Here is a very cute baby tree. Would you do this?

Let's just enjoy the beauty.

As you can see, there are just a lot of options!

How to make topiary from artificial flowers

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time making decor to decorate the crown, you can use ready-made artificial flowers. This guide tells you exactly how to do it. We skipped the process of making the base for the tree because you already know how to make it and focused directly on the decoration itself.

For work we will need:

• Artificial flowers;
• Artificial greenery;
• Glue gun;
• Base for topiary (you can make it using the method described in any of the master classes we reviewed earlier);
• Satin ribbons for decoration;
• Sisal.

Subsequence:

We glue sisal at the base of the tree. Let's use a hot gun for this.

We begin to decorate the crown of the tree with artificial flowers.

You can alternate flowers of different shades - it will be even more interesting.

We continue working until the entire surface of the base is covered with flowers.

Now for the finishing touches. We make a bow from a satin ribbon.

We do not tie, but glue the ribbons to each other.

And we decorate the trunk of our topiary.

At this point, the tree of happiness can be considered ready.

What you get depends on what materials you use.

As you can see, the options can be very different.

Newspaper vine: how to make blanks for weaving

The seemingly complex and incredibly difficult weaving process is quite simple, provided that all stages of the work are reproduced. After choosing an interesting and liked idea for making a craft, you need to prepare and prepare a lot of newspaper tubes necessary for weaving the product.

You can prepare newspaper tubes for handicrafts in your free time; the blanks will not lose their shape and configuration for a long time if you strictly adhere to the technology:

• the whole newspaper is cut into separate sheets, they are drawn into strips of 5-7 cm (thin strips are suitable for creating soft blanks, if the stripes are wider, the finished tubes will be too dense);
• A thin metal knitting needle is placed on the edge of the strip (a bamboo skewer is allowed) and a newspaper is wound onto it, the end of the newspaper strip is fixed with PVA glue.

By adjusting the angle of laying the knitting needle or skewer, you can achieve different heights of the tubes, but you should not chase the maximum length of the workpiece. The newspaper needs to be cut carefully; a stationery knife is best suited for this purpose, which will make the edges of the blanks even and smooth, and the finished products will turn out neat. Some craftsmen prefer not to use glue to fix the ends of the workpiece; in this case, the edges of the tubes are carefully folded to maintain the shape.

After preparing a large number of tubes, they can be pre-painted in different colors and shades in accordance with the sketch and your own wishes. One craft can combine different colors, the finished product can be painted, and to give it strength, the workpiece is varnished at the decorating stage.

Heart made from scrap materials at home for Valentine's Day (February 14)

Topiary can be an excellent gift not only for the New Year or birthday, but also for Valentine's Day, if it is designed correctly. In the following step-by-step tutorial, we'll look at how to make a heart-shaped topiary. Intrigued? Then go ahead!

Materials:

• Foam heart;
• Red napkins;
• Scissors;
• Glue gun;
• Satin ribbons;
• Flower pots;
• Alabaster;
• 2 kebab skewers;
• Decor.

Stages:

We break each skewer into 2 parts and glue the 3 halves together. We put the fourth one aside - we will need it later.

We insert the resulting trunk into the pot and fill it with gypsum solution. We wait for it to dry completely and decorate everything with ribbons to your liking.

We attach our foam base to the trunk.

And let's start decorating it. To decorate such a small heart you will need about 15 napkins. Cut each of them into small squares with a side of 3 cm.

We will work using the cutting technique. Take the remaining half of the skewer and wind one square onto its blunt end.

After this, dip the skewer into PVA glue and place the workpiece on our base.

In this way we cover the entire surface of the heart.

Ready. Add decor at your discretion and the craft is complete.

How to decorate your tree is up to you to decide.

But of course, if a tree is presented as a gift on February 14, you should take into account the taste of your other half.

Some even use candy for decoration. A very original move!

Beautiful, don't you agree?

Would you be happy if someone gave you something like this? I think it's a very beautiful tree.

Tube extension. Important points

Growing a paper vine is an important stage of work. After all, even if you twist it from whatman paper, this length will still not be enough to weave even a small candy bowl.

To ensure that the finished craft is neat, try to make neat, inconspicuous extensions. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• a) flatten the end of one tube where there is a “corner” twist or b) cut it at an acute angle; a) b)
• Apply glue to the cut end, we recommend using PVA or polymer glue Titan, Dragon;
• Insert the first tube of glue, cut side down, into the wide end of the second.

We recommend watching a video about the invisible extension of working tubes during weaving. After this, your weaving will be flawless on both the front and back sides.

If you need to increase your stand, be sure to check out the detailed video tutorial on how to solve this problem:

Craft in the shape of a topiary made from shells

A great way to preserve your memories of a hot summer holiday at sea is to make topiary from shells brought from the resort! Do you have a few of these lying around? Great! Then let's get to work.

We will need the following materials:

• Scissors;
• White and beige sisal;
• Clay pot;
• Foam base (ball);
• Foam cylinder;
• Shells;
• Glue gun;
• Paper;
• Cardboard;
• Wire;
• Thread or twine of the same color as the sisal;
• Fishing line;
• Satin ribbon;
• Beads.

Subsequence:

Let's start with making the crown. To do this, cover the surface of the foam ball with glue and attach sisal to it.

Now we decorate the base with shells, leaving small gaps between them.

While the crown dries, let's work on the trunk. We wrap the thick wire with threads and twist it around the cylinder to give it a curved shape.

Glue a foam cylinder inside the pot. Let's make a hole in it first. Where will the barrel be attached?

We attach the free end of the trunk to the crown, having previously made a recess of the required diameter in the ball.

We will have several trunks intertwined with each other to make the craft more interesting. But you can leave one.

We stick the trunks into the foam and coat them thoroughly with hot glue to make the structure durable. Place a cardboard circle on top of the pot.

And we put sisal on it.

Decorate with shells. The author makes these complex shells with pearls. You can design your topiary differently.

Finally, let's complete the overall picture with satin ribbons.

Let's decorate the crown of our tree with pearls.

To do this, string the beads onto a fishing line, as shown in the photo instructions.

These are the light, delicate beads you get.

We wrap our tree with them.

Don't forget about the potty.

We make bows from thin ribbons and also attach them to the base.

This is such a wonderful interior decoration we have created.

By the way, we always produce very interesting works on a marine theme.

Look how great it is!

What can you say about this?

This is also a very original, in my opinion, option. The pot is decorated with denim fabric in a very interesting way.

You can even do this!

Very beautiful and gentle. Personally, I would definitely be delighted with such a gift.

Master class on how to make topiary from banknotes

Topiaries are often made not only to attract happiness or luck into the house, but also money. The materials used to make such trees are appropriate - coins and artificial banknotes. Let's see what this looks like in practice.

To make flowers we will need souvenir 100 dollar bills.

We again skip the process of creating a base for wood, since here you can use the options proposed in the ones we discussed earlier in the article.

Such wood is usually painted gold and green, like banknotes.

In order to make a flower, take a square of paper (consider an example on a regular piece of paper) and fold it in half diagonally.

Raise one end of it to the upper (obtuse) corner.

And so does the second one.

We unfold our workpiece and bend each of the corners again along the resulting line.

We straighten out what we got and make these diamonds:

They fold easily along the resulting fold lines.

And we bend the corners extending beyond the edge of the workpiece.

And now we fold the resulting triangles on the sides towards the inside.

We fold the resulting blank in half and secure it with glue. The first petal is ready.

Each flower requires five of these petals. Now we do the same thing, only from banknotes.

We combine every 5 petals into a flower and then plant it on our base using a glue gun.

We do this until we fill the entire ball. Glue a coin into the center of each flower.

The tree is ready. The dollar at the trunk can be made from wire wrapped with masking tape and twine on top. Everything is covered in gold paint.

Well, as always, we can’t do without examples of what else can be done.

A bit similar to our version.

Well, I already showed you something like this.

And such a tree, by the way, can be made if you want to give someone real money.

Suitable instead of bills and coins.

Rectangular bottom

To do this, you need to intertwine the tubes in the same way as threads are intertwined in a simple (for example, linen) fabric. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Place 10 tubes vertically.
2. For convenience, you can place the press on their lower ends or secure them with masking tape.
3. Take another tube and place it horizontally between the vertical ones so that they alternate. For example, the first will be on top, the second on the bottom, the third on top again, and so on.
4. Place the next tube horizontally in the same way, but change the alternation. Now place the first from below, the second from above, the third from below and then in the same sequence.
5. Place the third horizontal tube in the same way as the first.
6. The fourth - similar to the second and further to the 10th.

When the number of vertical and horizontal tubes is the same, weaving the bottom is complete. Next, work continues in the vertical plane, lifting (and expanding if necessary) the base tubes.

How to make a topiary Tree of Happiness (step-by-step instructions for beginners)

Topiary is always very beautiful. Properly made, it can be both a wonderful addition to a gift and the main present. And considering that the second name of topiary is “tree of happiness,” the hero of the occasion will definitely be pleased to receive it.

Necessary materials:

• Threads;
• Scissors;
• Super glue;
• A wooden stick, branch or something else for the trunk (pencils are used here);
• Sheets of newspaper or paper;
• Crepe paper;
• Flower pots;
• Sand or small stones;
• Styrofoam;
• A piece of fabric;
• Decor according to your taste.

Subsequence:

We start by creating the base for the topiary. We make a small ball from a sheet of paper or newspaper and wrap it with thread so that it holds its shape firmly.

We take two simple pencils and connect them to each other with glue. This is the future trunk.

We cover it with a piece of paper, as shown below.

We attach our ball to the trunk, having first made a hole in the first one with scissors.

We pour a weighting agent into the pots: in this case, sand is used.

And put a piece of foam on top.

We insert our barrel into the foam. Check that the structure is strong.

We decorate the tree leg with translucent mesh fabric.

Now let's start forming the flowers. We twist small neat roses from corrugated paper according to the pattern presented below:

We will need a lot of such blanks to cover the entire surface of the crown of our tree.

When everything is ready, we begin to decorate the ball. We tear the tails obtained from the flowers when twisting them in half:

We grease each half with glue and, slightly spreading the ends of the base of the rose, plant it on our topiary. We repeat this until the entire surface of the ball is covered with flowers.

We make leaves from green corrugated paper. To do this, cut out 2x2 cm squares and wrap them around the blunt end of a stick. And then, dipping a stick with a piece of paper in glue, we plant our resulting leaf on the tree in the gaps between the flowers. This technique is called trimming.

We repeat the same at the base of the trunk. The tree of happiness is almost ready. We decorate the craft with decor to your liking. It turns out very beautiful. How do you like it?

Look what beauty can be made using the same principle.

You need to have a great sense of taste to make something like this.

New topiary ideas 2022 made from money and artificial grass

Let's look a little more at what types of topiary there are. Maybe you will now get excited about the idea and run to create. I propose to pay attention once again to the so-called “money trees”. Just look at how many options for crafts you can come up with on this topic!

You don't have to use banknotes - coins are fine too. Or you can combine both in one topiary.

As soon as you add up the money differently, the tree takes on a completely different look.

We looked at how to make such flowers. It turns out very tender, doesn’t it?

If you have time and desire, create a composition from several topiaries. They will attract twice as much money.

Sisal is perfect for decoration, as well as figurines of birds, insects, beads, etc. In general, everything you like.

This is where the bird took refuge.

You don’t have to cover the entire base with money flowers, but use them only as an additional element, as in the work below.

In general, as you can see, you can do anything. Creativity is wonderful because no one limits the flow of your imagination. What you succeed depends only on yourself. Be sure to write in the comments under this article whether you liked my selection, and which of the ones discussed above you would like to implement. Good luck to everyone and have a nice day!

Making the bottom

The simplest method of forming the bottom of a craft is a cardboard base to which rod stands are attached. When making a square or rectangular bottom, two posts must be secured in the corners.

In addition, it is not difficult to make a cross in four rows consisting of an equal number of straws. To create a flat bottom, the “cross” is rolled with a rolling pin. Then this middle is braided according to a flat weave pattern, bringing the bottom diameter to the desired size.

With this scheme, the number of straws taken at the first stage to make the bottom depends on the volume of the future product.