The art of topiary came to us from Ancient Egypt. In those days, the talent to give plants unusual geometric shapes. An example of this is such a wonder of the world as the Gardens of Babylon.
Today, topiary is a small tree made from natural and artificial materials. We will share decor ideas with you and tell you what you can use 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, or anniversary. The product sizes are different, depending on your preferences and range from 15 to 50 cm.
Important! Topiary has a purely 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 from shells.
The simplest available 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 as a gift using small bills. It symbolizes wealth, luck and business success. Suitable for placement in the kitchen or any other room.
Usually money tree manufactured in mini versions for installation on window sills. Also, such a gift can be in a small pot on the floor, which is placed near a coffee table or sofa in the living room.
How to make topiary with your own hands
If you decide to decorate the house yourself, then before making the composition, consider the design of the main components:
- bases for topiary;
- crowns;
- trunk;
- stands.
Suitable bases include paper, old newspapers, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, and a children's ball. What to make it from is up to you.
Advice! Experienced craftswomen use foam plastic for shapes in the form of letters, numbers, and hearts.
You can simply make a trunk from strong wire, branches, and plastic tubes. When choosing what to make a topiary trunk from, consider the size of the future product. If it 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 attention the most. Suitable materials include paper, polymer clay, beads, buttons, and shells.
Depending on the size of the product and the idea, an ordinary flower pot, a toy bucket, or a flat wooden board will serve as a stand. Decorate it with fabric, lace, decoupage or paint it. How to do it is up to you.
Advice! An ordinary cup that 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, carefully think through the idea of the future tree and prepare everything necessary materials for trunk, crown and stand.
When creating your topiary, follow this sequence:
- prepare the crown. To make it, use scrap materials or specially stored shells, beads, and seed beads. For a non-standard crown shaped like a number or letter, cut out the required shape from foam plastic. Be sure to make a hole for the barrel;
- prepare the barrel. Depending on the idea, use branches, sushi sticks, or plastic straws. If you are planning to make a large outdoor topiary, which you will place in the garden or outside in a private house, use wooden sticks wrapped with twine or varnished desired color. Place the crown on the trunk;
Advice! If the crown is round, you just need to put the base on the trunk. If your topiary has a non-standard appearance, additionally secure it with glue.
- stand. Use pots or planters. First place polystyrene foam in the pot and fill it with weak cement mortar or alabaster, level it and dry it. This will serve as a reliable frame for the craft.
Advice! Since novice craftswomen do not always guess 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.
like this interesting craft You can easily make them with children to decorate the garden or any room in the house.
Simple topiary master classes
Wonderful trees can be bought in souvenir shops, or you can make them yourself. A common topiary model is created from foamiran. Watch the video for a master class on how to make an unusual tree
Delicate original topiary from foamiran.
Make your own topiary from beads. The master class includes the following steps:
- preparation of materials. Buy beads, ribbons, twine, wire for the trunk, pot, plaster, glue. Use tweezers to easily glue the beads to the base;
Advice! Use a regular ball as the basis for the crown or cut out another shape, such as a heart, from foam. Such a topiary will become a great gift for Valentine's Day.
- glue the beads to the base;
- for the trunk, take a wire, wrap it with twine or tape, bend it as desired;
- insert the crown into the trunk and secure with glue;
- place the second end of the barrel in a pre-prepared pot with pieces of foam plastic;
- fill with plaster and leave to dry;
- decorate the stand.
The product is ready. This MK is used by many beginning craftswomen.
Tulle topiary looks beautiful. Watch the master class on video. They will tell you step by step how to make a craft with your own hands.
A few more interesting ideas tulle topiary.
Interesting do-it-yourself topiary from cotton pads. Step by step wizard The class is presented in the video:
For advanced needlewomen, it is interesting to make a topiary from beads with your own hands. With this choice, various wood weaving techniques are used: knotted, French circular, tight oblique, American braid. Detailed wizard class offered in video:
Below are two more works of art - beaded trees.
The easiest option is to make your own pasta topiary. After all, every kitchen has pasta in the shape of shells, horns, and spirals. You can decorate the pasta glued to the base with various paints or cover it with an aerosol. The master class is similar in manufacturing principle to a tree made of beads.
Advice! Crafts made from pine 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 as follows:
- hearts;
- flying cups;
- bicycles;
- Christmas trees;
- bird nests;
- ships;
- birdhouses;
- sunshine;
- apple trees;
- umbrellas;
- shoes;
- roosters;
- fairy houses with nests.
A craft made from beads in the shape of a glued nest with birds looks beautiful. For lovers of non-standard solutions, a floating cup will look great in any room or office.
Idea for a flying cup
A heart-shaped design or a tree with dollars are suitable as a gift. For a spring mood, make a fruit tree. For memorable events, build a product in the shape 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 and flowers. Interesting option- vintage burlap topiary, decorated with a real small clock. Marshmallow topiary looks festive. If you don't have enough in your house indoor plants, make a craft from lagurus.
Coffee tree
Do-it-yourself topiary is becoming increasingly popular among decorators, interior designers and simple needlewomen.
Initially, topiary was a garden with decorative trimmed plants and sculptures created from artistically trimmed trees. The art of topiary has a long history. Thus, even in Ancient Egypt and Persia, the ability to give geometric shapes to bushes and trees was valued. And the most famous example of a topiary garden is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon - one of the seven wonders of the world.
And now topiary (or European tree) is the name for small original trees, for the production of which natural and artificial materials are used. Topiary is decorative in nature, and what it will be made of depends only on the author’s imagination. And the size of topiary can be from 10-15 centimeters to half a meter.
Small topiary made of paper flowers
Large topiary made of artificial flowers (Author - Anna Assonova)
Topiary can be a wonderful gift for a wedding or housewarming.
What is topiary made from?
So, if you decide to make a topiary with your own hands, then you should know that the tree consists of several elements:
- warp
- trunk
- crown
- pot or stand
Moreover, for each of these elements there are different forms and materials.
Topiary base
The basis may be different shapes. Most often, a ball is used when making topiary.
Ball-shaped topiary
But there are topiaries in the shape of a heart, as well as in the form of various figures. Experienced needlewomen create blanks in the form of numbers (if the tree is intended as a gift for a birthday or memorable date), as well as in the form of letters.
Topiary - heart
You can use it as a base for a ball or heart. foam blank, polyurethane foam or papier-mâché ball. Figured bases are thick wire, polystyrene foam or cardboard.
Base for topiary - foam ball
topiary trunk
The trunk can be a thick wire wrapped in twine, floral tape or covered with plastic.
You can also use an ordinary wooden branch (to be safe, it is better to peel it from the bark and cover it with stain and varnish).
A short, straight trunk is made from several sushi sticks or wooden skewers joined together.
Topiary crown
The topiary crown is a huge space for imagination. You can use absolutely anything: paper ( paper napkins, cut out flowers, crepe paper, quilling paper or folded origami - kusudama), cold porcelain flowers or polymer clay, satin and nylon ribbons, felt or cotton, buttons and beads, coffee, shells, dried leaves and other natural materials, and much, much more.
Topiary using the Kanzashi technique from fabric scraps (author - Tatyana Babikova)
Topiary from corrugated paper And natural materials
Topiary made of corrugated paper and organza (author - Tatyana Kovaleva)
Topiary made from natural materials (leaves, apples, acorns)
Topiary of flowers (origami - kusudama)
Topiary stand
Depending on the idea and size of the tree, the stand can be an ordinary flower pot, an iron bucket (painted or decorated using the decoupage technique), a beautiful flat stone or a shell. You can decorate the stand with fabric or lace. Or maybe it will be a cute cup? It's up to you to decide.
Shell topiary stand
The topiary stand is decorated with fabric and cinnamon sticks
Topiary stands (from left to right): flower pot, crocheted jar, fabric covered bowl
Ceramic mug topiary stand
Preparing the necessary materials
Before you start working on your topiary, carefully consider the idea and all the materials you will use. The idea will depend on the purpose of the tree and the hobbies of its future owner. Gather materials. Attach the crown elements to the workpiece. Decide what decorative elements you will take.
Beads of different sizes and decorative dragonflies were used as topiary decor.
Beads, braid, sisal and a decorative watering can were used as topiary decor.
Making a trunk
The next step will be preparing the barrel. As already mentioned, depending on the material, it must be wrapped with twine or varnished.
We attach the base of the tree to one end of the trunk. The ball can simply be inserted, and it is better to secure some kind of shaped base with glue.
The other end of the barrel is inserted into the prepared vessel. It is usually secured with polystyrene foam, which is then filled with alabaster or cement.
The topiary trunk is glued to the foam
At first it will be difficult to guess the consistency: if the solution is too liquid, it will take a very long time to dry. And if you make it thick, it will not fill all the empty space between the pot and the foam.
Experienced needlewomen advise achieving the consistency of store-bought sour cream: not very liquid, but sliding off a spoon and easily changing shape.
Pour the solution into the prepared mold, level the top and leave until completely dry.
Decorating the crown
While the base dries, you can make crown elements: leaves, flowers.
Let me remind you once again that they must be fastened after the base has completely dried.
Depending on the base material, flowers can be attached with hot glue, or they can be stuck in using small skewers or wire.
Topiary originates from the ancient times of the Roman nobility. This word comes from the Latin "topia", which means "decorative place". The Romans were distinguished by their love of aesthetics, they were famous for their experienced craftsmen landscape design, “masters of topos,” as they were called then.
Topiary these days is an original composition that is an imitation of a neatly trimmed tree. An exquisite decorative item will fit perfectly into any home interior, be it a simple topiary made of paper or multi-textured compositions of feathers, flowers, coins, rhinestones.
Secrets of the tree of happiness
The floristic tree carries a very important meaning. It is a symbol of fertility, wealth and health. An amazing decoration has a beneficial effect on the energy of the house, because topiary not only attracts good luck, but also generates powerful energy of happiness.
Advice! If the interior of the house is designed in classic colors grayish tones, it can be emphasized by topiary made from ribbons in cool shades (blue, light blue). In “warm climates” where there are many sunny shades, choose darker colors for the tree.
An original DIY topiary will be a great gift for any occasion. Such a miracle can be created from paper, artificial flowers, fabric, grains, feathers, shells, pine cones, coins, beads - everything that can be found in the home of needlewomen. Topiary will be appropriate in any situation:
- New Year. Ideal gift or decorative element for the winter holiday. A sisal topiary decorated with cones, small spruce legs and shiny balls will look especially original. And if you add glitter, Lurex, tinsel and gold decorations, the snowy tree of happiness can be an excellent substitute for a Christmas tree.
Advice! Silver and gold go perfectly with contrasting shades (blue, green, red). Shiny elements optimally set off light, pastel colors.
- Romance of Saint Valentine. A love tree or topiary heart, decorated in red and white colors and decorated with satin or paper roses, valentines, fluffy feathers, will be a real romantic gift.
- A colleague's party. Give it to your colleague coffee topiary. Decorated in the colors of coffee pleasure, decorated with fragrant beans, this tree will perfectly decorate the office and fill it with a sensual aroma.
- Mystical Halloween. For fans of the Celtic holiday, a topiary designed in the shape of a pumpkin is suitable. Decorate it with canvas, place a figurine of a witch on top, and the spirit of mysterious celebration will burst into your home.
- Gift for a friend. For the birthday of a close friend, you can create a delicate topiary of roses. To make flowers, take ribbons, napkins, fabric or corrugated paper. Small artificial flowers are also suitable.
Advice! It is better to plant a flower tree in containers of white, light, pastel colors. Glass figured vases would also be ideal. You can write a memorable greeting on them.
- Wedding. Romantic wedding topiary will be a real highlight among gifts for newlyweds. Decorated with satin, lace, pearl beads, sisal, a flower topiary will remind young people of a wonderful day for a long time.
- New settlers. Our ancestors, when laying the first log for the construction of a new hut, put a handful of grain under it so that prosperity would reign in the house. The best gift for a housewarming party there will be a modern topiary made from grains. You can take any large grains (sunflower, pumpkin, beans, peas). For decoration, use canvas, twine, and buttons.
Topiary in the interior
It’s not for nothing that topiary is called the “Tree of Happiness.” Advantageously located in the interior of the house, it acquires magical powers and brings good luck and fulfillment of desires:
- Kitchen. The owner of the most important room in the house will be a coffee topiary with decorative elements made from natural materials (straw, canvas, twine). A topiary made from napkins would also fit well into the kitchen.
- Children's room. Make baby trees for your kids using funny souvenirs. For girls, create a fabulous topiary from corrugated paper, and for boys, design a tree in the shape of a soccer ball.
- Bedroom. Organza topiary, made in pastel colors and decorated with lace, ribbons and beads, will help preserve the love and fidelity of a married couple.
- Living room. A bright, elegant topiary made of satin ribbons, made in the general style of the room, will create an original style for the living room.
The most powerful impact is exerted by interior trees created with my own hands. This science is not complicated, we will be happy to tell you how to make topiary.
How to create a homemade topiary with your own hands
To begin with, it is better to try to create a simple topiary for beginners.
Orange tree. For a juicy orange tree you only need 3-4 hours. What you need:
- Sintepon.
- Brown threads.
- Gel pen refill.
- A small pot for the base.
- Orange beads for decoration.
- Green corrugated paper.
- Large Christmas ball made of plastic (any).
- Wooden sticks with pointed tips.
Tools you will need are a glue gun, scissors, and a stationery knife. Manufacturing stages:
Step 1. Trunk. Let's take one stick and tie two threads to it (on both sides). We tie another stick next door. We continue to knit them until the end, leaving long tails of thread. We will get some semblance of a wooden rug. We put a narrow strip of glue on it in the middle and wind the sticks into a tube. We wrap the entire structure with thread tails and secure it with a knot. For reliability, they can be glued together.
Step 2. Carefully insert the resulting trunk with the sharp edges of the sticks into the hole on the ball and place it on the glue. You can first pour cereal inside the ball to make the tree “talking”.
Step 3. Glue the blank to the bottom of the pot.
Step 4. Painting a tree trunk brown. It is better to paint the ball itself green to create additional volume for the leaves.
Step 5. Leaves. We cut the paper into small squares. Take one square and place it in the center of the rod from the handle. We crush the paper or roll it with our fingers in a circle. Apply a drop of glue to the center of the paper square and use the shaft of a pen to glue it to the ball.
The tools we need are a glue gun, scissors and double-sided tape. Stages of work:
Step 1. Pot. We decorate the pot with red fabric, which we secure with tape. We lay a floral oasis or polystyrene inside.
Step 2. Trunk. In the center of the pot we fix the trunk of the future tree. If there is no branch, you can install a cardboard tube, pre-wrapped with yellow satin ribbon. We decorate the junction of the trunk with sisal or tinsel.
Step 3. The upper part of the trunk is placed on a ball of polystyrene foam or a floral oasis (we first give it the shape of a circle). We tie the attachment point with a satin ribbon.
Step 4. TO Christmas balls glue the toothpicks and place them in the base ball.
Step 5. Decor. Using toothpicks, insert pine cones, small Christmas tree decorations, toys, beads, and tinsel into the free spaces between the balls. For reliability, we glue them together.
The New Year's magic tree is ready! Make a wish in New Year's Eve wish, and topiary will certainly fulfill it.
Topiary is especially popular today. fashion trend decorating festive halls or home interiors is gaining more and more momentum. A relevant element of inspiration such contemporary art is floristry. Yes, yes, you heard right. Moreover, it is possible to create a unique composition with your own hands and according to your individual taste. Topiary means “tree of happiness.” And happiness made with your own hands doubles the comfort of home and delights those around you.
The process involves:
- First, you should trim the prepared flowers from the stem so that the tails are no more than one cm long.
- Make a shallow notch up to 2 cm in the ball.
- Start shaping the ball. You should carefully pierce the holes with an awl and quickly coat the tails of the flowers with glue in order to insert them into the finished holes. You need to imagine the finished composition in your head and, accordingly, distribute the flowers according to the color scheme. It is not necessary to place the flowers very close to each other. It will be enough to completely cover the sphere without showing through the base.
- The trunk should be glued to the decorated ball and left to dry.
- Prepare plaster, mix it with water until thick. Pour into the pot. Wait a little and insert the barrel into the middle.
- Hold the tree until the plaster hardens well.
- You can hide unattractive plaster with the remains of small twigs and leaves.
The simplest topiaries are made quickly, but financially they are more expensive.
You can make the flowers and the ball yourself, in which case the tree of happiness will cost much less.
We make cheap and simple topiaries ourselves
Simple topiaries are made quickly. For beginners, try your hand and learn the technique on simple topiary. The most budget-friendly way to make topiary is to make it from scrap materials that are stored in every home.
Several of the most simple ideas are described below.
Topiary made from napkins
A fairly simple and cheap type of topiary. You can make flowers from napkins not only in white, but also in bright colors. This option is quite nice.
The material on creating topiary from artificial flowers will also be useful:
Tree of happiness made from cotton pads
At first glance, such a solution may seem irrelevant, but ultimately, this composition is not inferior to its other analogues. Cotton pads are often decorated with purple or soft cream large beads and openwork ribbons. Topiary in this design looks very gentle and romantic.
Such products, in turn, test the performer’s perseverance and meticulousness well.
A simple idea for decorating a topiary can be ordinary flowers made from colored paper.
Interesting ideas for topiary: options for beginners
When making topiary, you don’t need to be afraid to experiment. It is possible to apply the most unusual, new and daring ideas. In this case, the tree will be purely individual, without its own kind.
Interesting ideas for topiary:
- It is interesting to use a real tree branch in pine cone topiary. You can decorate it with a small bird.
- Cones or coffee beans can be painted with acrylic paint, or steel-colored spray paint will look impressive. In this case, the tree of happiness will sparkle with completely new colors, both in the literal and figurative sense of the word.
- You can use small flowers with beads or coffee beans as a stream from the topiary " ".
- TO New Year's holidays the tree of happiness can be decorated with a small garland. This topiary can be used as a night light.
- For children's topiaries, a transparent glass container will serve as an interesting stand. It’s interesting to fill these shapes with round, small-sized candies or sweet peanuts. Such a tree will be doubly appetizing.
- The stand can be a glass or a voluminous transparent vase like an aquarium.
- Topiaries in the form of various fancy shapes, letters or numbers look impressive.
- For financial well-being, you can place a coin at the bottom of the stand or attach a banknote in a visible area.
- For grandiose holidays, you can make large topiary from fruits. The base will be a cone decorated with edible rings of exotic fruits.
- To make a composition luxurious means to decorate it with fresh flowers. Even the most unromantic person will appreciate such topiary.
An important feature in making topiary is the color scheme. You shouldn't overdo it with bright colors. In this case, the tree of happiness will lose its charm and attractiveness.
The product should harmoniously combine decorative elements.
Creating a masterpiece: beautiful topiary with your own hands
Examples of unusual topiary:
- Music paper flowers. Such flowers will look very original and unusual. The classic black and white color scheme looks a little strict, but quite interesting.
- From grains. Moreover, these can be completely different grains, from corn to coffee beans. Of course, many would consider such a tree to be very simple, but the process of making such a topiary will take a lot of time and patience.
- From yarn. Wool threads look very unusual. This product brings coziness and comfort to any home.
- From pasta. Today, pasta producers can pamper us with products of various shapes and colors. Flour products can be left in their original form, or they can be painted with multi-colored paints.
The base, the trunk, and the stand can be unusual in topiary. It's important not to be afraid to experiment.
Thin copper wire in the form of a spiral can serve as an unusual decoration.
Learning to make creative topiary at home
Creating creative topiaries is typical for creative people whose thinking and ideas are limitless.
Some examples of creative topiary:
- From Christmas balls. In this case, it is better to use small balls made of plastic or plastic of the same color. The void in this case can be filled with tinsel.
- Topiary - floating cup. The stream of drink from an inverted cup is the frame.
- Made from burlap, beads and lace. Such topiaries are often used as interior decoration at banquets. Making this tree will take a sufficient amount of time and effort, but the effectiveness will justify all efforts. The tree of happiness in this design is very impressive.
- From umbrellas. Cocktail umbrellas are a fun and easy option for a creative tree.
- From fresh berries. The base in this case is made in the form of a cone. Decorative elements can be strawberries, cherries, cherries. Such a delicious topiary will be relevant at any time of the year and an excellent gift for any occasion.
Trees of happiness in a monochromatic design will look very impressive. Moreover, the emphasis should be on rich, bright colors: purple, green, blue, red, turquoise, etc.
A topiary with a photo inside is considered quite creative. The base, in a way, serves as a frame for framing a photo of a person dear and valuable to your life.
We make expensive topiaries with our own hands
Expensive topiary immediately implies the use of materials that are quite expensive financially. Such products require special care and caution, because the material can easily be damaged.
Expensive topiary products can be:
- or . In this case, the high cost of the product depends on individual well-being. Moreover, the color of the banknotes can be completely different. This decision will not spoil the overall impression. In fact, such a composition is a real tree of happiness. Often, souvenir bills are used as banknotes, which can be purchased at any craft store.
- Made of pearls. This topiary will be a rich and fashionable decoration for any home. A tree made of pearls can be presented as a gift for a wedding or other significant event.
The tree stand can be decorated with coins or with pictures depicting Feng Shui signs.
Make a product from expensive materials You can do it yourself, but first it’s better to familiarize yourself with the process in order to avoid unexpected additional costs.
Topiary in eco-style: master class (video)
If you are interested in the process of creating topiary and have a great desire to try and not be afraid to bring your ideas to life, then do not rush to buy most of the elements for the creative process in the store. Absolutely all components can be made by hand. Moreover, such an activity is no less interesting than decorating one crown. Indeed, during the process interesting and original ideas appear.
DIY creative topiary (photo examples)
Topiary of “Charm” flowers is designed in violet-lilac tones, the massive crown is in harmony with the square pot white. Prefabricated flowers are made from cardboard egg trays, scraps of material are used to form a ball. The trunk is reinforced with crushed stone and painted in one layer of white acrylic.
Used homemade ball from scraps of cardboard and old newspapers. A ready-made foam ball would also work great. diameter 15 cm.
The total height of the flower topiary is 47 cm, crown diameter with decor - 23 cm. To make a topiary of this size you need 5-7 hours: You will need to paint shells and sea creatures in advance.
Materials for topiary from flowers “Charm”
- Cardboard egg trays (for creating flowers) - 6 pcs.
- Foamiran roses - 3 pcs.
- Glue half beads - 10 pcs.
- Organza - 2 sheets of A4.
- A ball made from scraps of cardboard trays or a foam blank.
- Wide tape.
- Gauze or cloth to cover the ball.
- Glue sticks for a hot-melt gun (use diameter 11 mm, length 25 cm) - 3 pcs.
- Wooden stick for the trunk - 1 pc.
- Sisal or padding polyester.
- Gouache is white and purple (an alternative is acrylic or water-based paint).
- Crushed stone for a pot.
- Shell - 1 pc.
- Plastic flower pot - 1 pc.
Decorative materials for the flower topiary “Charm” (marked with numbers in the photo):
- Sheet of purple felt A4 - 3 pcs.
- Purple roses from foamiran - 3 pcs.
- White and purple beads - 20 pcs.
- Satin ribbons: 3 shades of lilac - 1 m each.
- Organza sheet A4 - 2 pcs.
- White lace - 50 cm.
Video master class - purple topiary made of paper flowers
In order to convey each stage of the master class as best as possible, we have prepared a video for you in excellent 1080p quality - step by step instructions DIY topiary made from “Charm” flowers. MK actually duplicates and in some places complements the text version. Watch, get inspired, get inspired fresh ideas and share with friends on social networks!
How to make topiary from flowers with your own hands - MK in 1 picture
Did you like the format of the master class in 1 picture? Watch everything from Alena Tikhonova!
Step-by-step master class with photos - topiary made from artificial flowers
Making flowers
Stage 1. Cutting flowers. We cut out strips from cardboard trays so that there are whole recesses left for the eggs - it is from them that the flowers are formed. We cut the strip into separate cells, cut off all excess from above (do not throw away the waste: we use it to make a ball for the purple topiary).
From cardboard blanks, cut out symmetrical round flowers crosswise into 4 petals (daisy-shaped):
Each bud will need 5 flowers: calculate and prepare immediately the required amount, taking into account the diameter of the crown of the flower topiary.
Stage 2. Painting flowers. Having previously prepared the painting area (taking into account the large number of blanks), we proceed to painting the inside of the buds white.
Mix white and purple paint to get 2-3 shades of lilac, paint the rest of the flowers for the topiary.
The bud is formed from 3 white and 2 lilac flowers. Calculate the required number of cardboard blanks of each color before painting.
Stage 3. Formation of finished buds. We glue 3 white flowers together, add 2 lilac flowers inside and a bead in the very heart of the bud.
We make leaves - we cut out the standard shape of a fish of different sizes from felt. For each bud you will need 3 leaves, which we decorate about half of the flowers.
We decorate the remaining buds with organza or tulle.
Formation of buds 
Felt leaves 
Organza edging
To make topiary from flowers with a crown diameter of 12 cm, you will need 32 collected buds. The quantity varies depending on the size of the ball, we recommend doing it with a reserve so as not to return to this step later.
An identical technique for making flowers was also used for. With the exception of the backing: instead of felt, organza and tulle, artificial green leaves were used.
Making a ball and decorating the crown
Stage 4. Ball. Did you save the scraps from the egg trays? Great, it is from these that we will compress the ball for the flower topiary, and with tape we will give it the correct round shape and secure it firmly. A final wrap of gauze or fabric will ensure better adhesion of the ball surface to the glue.
Using scissors, cut a deep hole in the ball, slightly smaller in diameter than the barrel.
Stage 5. Crown formation. We seal the surface of the ball tightly with buds, trying not to leave any gaps. Evenly, especially where there are visible gaps between the buds, glue pre-prepared felt leaves and satin ribbons bent in half to the ball.
Preparing pots for topiary
Stage 6. External design of the flowerpot. Approximately in the center of the flowerpot we glue the lace and immediately on top - a lilac satin ribbon. In a chaotic manner, distribute all the glue half-beads over the surface - 20 pcs. On one of the planes of the flowerpot we glue a bow from satin ribbon and a foamiran rose.
That rare case when, when making a tree of happiness It is not advisable to use a hot glue gun: Silicone dries very quickly and does not smudge. That's why we can use any polymer glue and a disposable cotton swab.
It is no coincidence that a white square pot was chosen for the lilac topiary made of flowers and sisal “Charm”: it fits perfectly with the crown - both in shape and color.
When choosing a pot, keep in mind the key rule: the overall diameter of the crown should be at least 2 times larger than the diameter of the flowerpot.
Stage 7. Attaching the barrel. We place crushed stone tightly on the bottom of the flowerpot, coat the lower end of the trunk with glue and fasten it to the stone; We continue filling the pots until about half full. We glue each layer of crushed stone generously so that the flower tree stands motionless.
Stage 8. Designing the base of the tree of happiness. Cover the crushed stone or filling with white sisal so as to completely hide the filling. Instead of sisal, you can take padding polyester, tow or similar material.
Sisal 
Sintepon
At the base of the tree of happiness we create a composition from various decorative elements. On the proposed topiary made of flowers and sisal, 2 foamiran roses, a shell, beads, and pebbles are glued. Use materials that are available and compatible with each other..
Wood assembly
We generously coat the free end of the barrel with silicone from a heat gun to the full depth, strengthen the crown, hold the ball in the correct position for 2-3 minutes for secure fixation.
The final touch in making a lilac flower topiary with your own hands: approximately in the middle of the trunk, glue 2 large and 2 small felt leaves, complement the composition with a white bead.
