With some time and effort, you can learn how to make topiary trees yourself for a fraction of the price of what they would cost to buy. Making your own also allows you to customize them to your space. Placing a topiary tree on each end of your fireplace mantel frames what you place in-between while adding height and color to your display. From modern to traditional, winter to summer, you can make topiary trees to suite every style and season.
Things you will need:
- Floral foam
- Styrofoam balls
- Dowel rods
- Wood stain or paint
- Raffia (optional)
- Faux greenery/flowers
- Pots
- Floral moss
- Floral-arranging wire (low-gauge so it can be bent easily)
- Wire cutters
- Hot glue gun
- Utility knife
- Felt marker
When it comes to choosing your greenery/flowers, smaller pieces tend to work better, although the smaller the sprigs, the longer they will take to apply as you will need more to cover the ball. Try and choose some varying elements for visual interest. Flowers, leaves, ivy, and curly sprigs look great mixed together. Think of where they will be displayed and match your chosen sprigs to colors in the room.
Steps for Making Topiary Trees (Scroll to bottom for pictures and click to enlarge)
- Decide the size of your topiary trees and shop accordingly. The larger the styrofoam balls are, the larger the base and dowel rod will have to be to support the weight.
- Once you have your styrofoam balls and greenery/flowers, with your wire cutters, start cutting small sections of your greenery/flowers. The size of the sprigs will depend on how far you want them to stick out from the ball and what you have chosen. Experiment with a few pieces by holding them up to the ball.
- Using your wire cutters, cut small sections of wire, an inch or less long.
- Bend the wire pieces into upside-down 'V' shapes.
- With your felt marker, draw a circle on the ball's bottom to mark where the dowel rod will be inserted.
- Then hold your sprig where you want to attach it onto the styrofoam ball. Push the wire into the ball over the sprig's end tightly so it will hold it in place. Start at the top and work your way around and down.
- Repeat the above steps until the ball is covered and the styrofoam is no longer visible. Leave a small space at the bottom to insert the dowel rod into your mark.
- Stain or paint your dowel rod whatever color you like and leave to dry.
- When fully dry, press the dowel rod up into the bottom of the topiary ball until the ball is supported and set aside.
- With your floral foam and utility knife, cut a section of the foam to tightly fill your chosen pot or container. You may need to cut a large piece, insert into container, and then cut smaller pieces to push down the sides so there is no movement and the foam is tight to all sides of the container.
- Push your dowel rod with topiary ball on top into the floral foam straight down to the bottom of the container and then remove.
- With your hot glue gun, squeeze glue down into your dowel hole - enough so the rod will be glued all the way up.
- Very quickly, before the glue dries, insert your dowel rod with topiary and hold still while the glue sets.
- If you would like to apply the raffia criss-cross pattern on the rod, cut a long piece of raffia. Knot the middle of the piece around the bottom of the rod. With each end, criss-cross them up the rod and tie a bow at the top under the ball.
- With your hot glue gun or regular craft glue, apply glue onto the floral foam and cover the foam with moss.
- Display your topiary trees and enjoy!
Use your topiary trees to decorate your fireplace mantel or brighten up any space in your home. Once you are confident with your skills, you can branch out and make topiaries to suite every season and style.
Lara Smith - is a freelance writer with a Bachelor of Arts in English, History and Religious Studies.
