Transforming your wedding reception with artificial topiary
You can certainly use real topiary for your wedding decorations, but you can save a significant amount of money by making your artificial plants and flowers instead. The beauty of using artificial topiary is that it allows you to experiment with a wide range of colors and arrangements before deciding on a final design.
Furthermore, you can create your arrangement well in advance of the wedding which gives you less to worry about as the big day draws closer.
Supplies you’ll need to make your topiary
The following instructions are for creating your silk flower topiary. The supplies you need are as follows:
- Green wooden dowel
- Glue gun
- Small pot
- Green Styrofoam shape
- Scissors
- Wire cutters
- Silk flowers
- Green leaves
- Accent ribbons
- Paint
Everyone will have a different vision for their centerpiece so the type and quantity of supplies you’ll need will vary case by case. One way you can go about it is to glue ribbons around the pot that will hold the silk flowers. You can also paint the pot; the choice is up to you.
As a beginner, it may be easier for you to design one type of flower. However, if you feel confident with the process and have a firm handle on what you’re doing, then you may want to increase the types of flower designs that you use.
Steps to make artificial topiary
Making silk topiary flowers is surprisingly simple. Follow these steps in order, and you’ll be making your silk flower topiary in no time!
Step one: Decorate your pot in any way you desire whether it be with ribbons or paint. Wait for any glue or paint to dry before proceeding to the next step.
Step two: Take your moss and place it into your pot until full while the wooden dowel is inside. Now set it aside as you proceed to the next step.
Step three: Take your silk flowers and cut them from the stem while you have them in small clusters. Now glue them to the Styrofoam until it’s covered completely.
Step four: Place the Styrofoam display onto the wooden dowel and add leaves or a bow to finish the job.
What about Live Topiary?
While artificial topiary is an excellent choice for those who enjoy “DIY” projects, that does not mean you can’t use live topiary, including outdoor topiary, for your wedding reception. It can take some time for live topiary to fill their frames (up to six months in some instances), so you’ll need to plan well in advance before your wedding.
When it comes to growing your own live topiary two frames are typically used – two and three dimensional. When three-dimensional frames are used, the enclosure is filled with sphagnum moss, and climbing vine is placed through and around it. With a two dimensional frame, the same process is performed. However, the climbing vine is just wrapped around it.
How to make 2-dimensional topiary artforms
Take your climbing vine (such as ivy) and place it into a pot and place your frame into the middle. Now, wrap the climbing vine around the wire until satisfied. Be mindful if the vine has any leaves on it you should cut them as you wrap it around the frame. Also, you should only wrap the frame in a single direction.
How to make 3-dimensional topiary art forms
The very first thing you should do with a 3-dimensional topiary display is ensure that the frame has been seated securely within a pot. Moss can cause the entire display to topple over due to its weight (especially when it’s wet).
To proceed, saturate sphagnum moss with water and proceed to place it within the frame. Once you’ve filled the frame, you can either use a small dowel or your finger to poke a few holes where you will place the roots of the climbing vine within. Proceed to wrap the frame with the vines.
Properly caring for topiary
Caring for artificial topiary is simple though it takes attention to detail to ensure they remain pristine until your wedding day. Cover your artificial topiary or store them somewhere where they will not accumulate dust.
As you pack your artificial topiary together, you’ll need to figure out how to packthem loosely enough so the flowers aren’t smashed together, but tight enough that the bases don’t move.
When it comes to caring for living topiaries, you’ll need a bit of a green thumb to keep them alive and healthy until your wedding day. As with any plant, your live topiary will need plenty of sunlight and water to thrive.
Different types of plants often have different needs in order to thrive. Do your research on the type of plant you decide to use so you can care for it properly.
Using topiary for your big day
Topiaries have always been a popular centerpiece for modern-day wedding receptions. Whether artificial or living, there are a variety of ways you can go about decorating your wedding reception the right way. If you’re looking for ideas, supplies, and topiary of all shapes and sizes visit Topiary Tree today.
