The secret to creating a welcoming home is in the details. Most people take pride in having an organized home, especially the kitchen area. A handmade topiary is usually a creative way to give your home a fresh look. This post will take you through how to make artificial topiary trees without breaking the bank.
Supplies Required
- Boxwood balls or Faux greenery balls
- ¾ inch dowel rod
- Stain
- Long branches
- 2 pots or urns
- Floral wire
- Metalcraft bucket – a small bucket that can fit the pot or urn facing upside down
- Glue
- Hammer and large nail
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
Guide to Make a DIY Boxwood Topiary
Assembling the supplies required is a crucial step. Before making the topiary tree, ensure you have all the supplies ready. As for the urn, you don’t have to spend much to acquire this material. It should cost you less than $10, depending on where you get the urn. Use the serrated knife to trim the urn. The goal is to ensure the edges will fit nicely with the topiary trees.
You should also focus on preparing the boxwood balls. For this guide, we’ll use pre-made topiary balls since they are readily available and have a realistic look. Plus, collecting all the required supplies to make the balls will only cost as much as buying ready topiary balls.
Choosing the Right Size of Topiary Balls
Of course, you might be curious about the size of the topiary balls you’ll use to make your artificial tree. The ball size depends on the project you’re working on. If you’re making a big topiary tree, you’ll have to choose big balls.
Design Your Base
When choosing the pot for your topiary tree, consider its stability. A heavy urn or pot works best since it’s stable and won’t easily trip over. You can also use plastic urns since they are affordable. If you’re running on a tight budget, consider using these urns. However, add sand to the bottom of the container to make it more stable.
Prep the Stems
Next, use branches and a dowel rod. Alternatively, you can use ¼ inch dowel rods instead of branches. It’s all about being creative here to ensure you make the artificial topiary tree to suit your design. For instance, if you have large branches, you can trim them using a branch trimmer into smaller pieces used as branches. Keep the branches shorter to ensure they don’t extend to the pot.
You can use a floral wire to create a larger stem for larger stems. Instead of using a big dowel rod, fastening several branches together will look more realistic. So, it’s worth the try. Aim to ensure the wire isn’t visible. You can attach the wire where the balls will be positioned. It will prevent them from being visible.
Stain the Stem
Once the branches or dowel rods are tied together, stain them with gel or any other stain you want. Give it a few hours to dry.
Work on the Topiary Frame
While the stain dries off, take the aluminum bucket and turn it upside down inside the pot or urn. Apply glue to the edges and give it a day to dry.
After the glue dries off and the bucket is well positioned in the pot, it’s time to create a hole for the topiary trunk. Use a large nail to harmer the bucket. Expand the hole continuously until it’s large enough to fit the trunk. Ensure the hole isn’t too big. Aim to create a hole that will hold the trunk tightly in position.
Glue the Topiary Trunk
Now that the hole is ready, squeeze it to position and apply glue around it so it sticks tightly. Keep the trunk straight and give it a day for the glue to dry off. Consider using gorilla glue since it expands and will hold everything in position.
Cut Inside the Boxwood Balls
Cut some plastic in the boxwood balls to give room for the step. You may have to wire the box balls to prevent them from sliding down the step. In this case, use a floral wire to fasten the topiary balls to the stick.
Stick the remaining boxwood balls on the tree you created, depending on the design you have in mind. That’s how you make an artificial topiary tree. Remember to take some pictures you can refer to in case you want to create new designs.
Decorating your home has never been this easy. While the tree might be fake, it brings some freshness to the space where you will position the trees. If the topiary trees aren’t huge, you can put them on your kitchen tops or on top of your bookshelf. You have all the freedom to be creative here.
Expert DIY Tips and Tricks
Now that you know how to make artificial topiary trees, here are a few pointers to ensure you decorate your home and take advantage of the small spaces.
Use Decorative Pots
Consider using decorative pots to give your home some color. Blend the green with bright colors that will liven up your home.
Surround the Topiary Tree
The topiary tree doesn’t have to stand on its own. You can surround it with colorful flowers. For instance, if you have red and white roses planted in small vases, you can use them to surround the topiary tree.
Choose the Right Design
There are many types of topiary tree designs you can choose from. Whether you want to settle for palm tree designs or spiral boxwood designs, you need to match the designs with other topiary trees you have at home. It also depends on where you position them. For instance, the boxwood greenery plants are a good pick if you want to place the topiary trees on your kitchen counter.
If you’re a topiary tree fan, this guide will help you to make an artificial topiary free without spending a lot. Plus, you can always modify the tree to suit your design. Use the tips outline herein to give your home a fresh, greener look.
