New Year's Topiary with their own hands: home decoration for the holiday

On the eve of the New Year holidays, many begin to pick up a festive decor. Some are limited to a Christmas tree with balls and a wreath on the doors. For others, this is an excellent reason to embody their bold ideas and fantasies when creating jewelry with their own hands. Products that fall into the category of handmade, can be made exclusively "for themselves" and are suitable for the role of a present to friends and relatives. In recent years, classic Christmas trees (even artificial ones) are gradually becoming a thing of the past. They are replaced by all sorts of creative analogues, one of which was the New Year's Topiary. Let's get acquainted closer with this unusual element of decor and consider a series of step-by-step master classes for making unusual decorations.

Topiary: a gift and a bright decor

Topiary was called figure-cut trees. These plantings became genuine works of art, striking the perfection of the shape of the crowns. Trees and bushes were cut in antiquity. In those days, the beauty of the gardens of crowned persons and wealthy families was valued especially highly. Garden design is divided into two major areas.

• Floristry;
• Vegetable architecture.

The second direction gained particular popularity at the end of the XVI century. In Russia, this kind of garden art appeared late for a couple of centuries. The skillful hands of gardeners turned the bushes and treetops into bizarre figures of animals, birds, people. The most elegant and luxurious in terms of design are gardens and living labyrinths of France. In England, the art of cutting trees and bushes is also developed at a fairly high level, but here laconism and restraint are more valued. Even today, garden architecture is widespread in many countries. Initially, the word "topiary" meant a tree with a perfectly smooth trunk and a crown in the shape of a ball. It is very difficult to make such a configuration with stubborn branches, so the haircut was considered the height of the skill of the garden designer. Although the meaning of the word has not changed, now it is increasingly being used to refer to crafts - artificially created imitations of living vegetation, which are decorated with numerous trinkets, bows, ribbons, beads. Topiary can simultaneously replace indoor plants and flower bouquets. In comparison with the "live" analogue, the craft has several advantages:

• Suitable for those who are allergic to pollen.
• Topiary simply care. It does not require watering, transplantation, pruning.
• Topiary will be not only a stylish and creative decoration of the house, but also suitable as an original presentation for a holiday that you are not ashamed to give.

The only drawback of topiary can be considered the complexity of work on its creation. The craft can be divided into the following components:

• The foundation. For it is usually used lightweight material (foam), having the shape of a ball.
• Trunk. It is made of wire, which is subsequently decorated.
• Crown. It is created from all sorts of available materials: coffee beans, coins, threads, Christmas balls, artificial flowers, acorns, cones, dry twigs.
• Potty As a rule, it is cast in plaster, in which the barrel is placed before solidification. From above it is sprinkled with decorative materials: pebbles, cones, crushed wood bark. The pot ensures the stability of the whole structure.
• Additional decor. It is selected at the discretion of the master.

In the manufacture of Christmas topiary often depart from the classical standards and crafts give the traditional shape of a Christmas tree.

Experienced handmade craftsmen recommend not to put crafts near the window, as some materials may eventually burn out in the sun. It is difficult for the bleached topiary to return the color, so you have to make a new one.

Topiary Form

Although the classic form of topiary is considered to be a ball, an odd job can imitate a real Christmas tree. For the New Year, such a configuration will be symbolic and will eliminate the need to additionally dress up an artificial or natural green beauty to maintain the “holiday spirit”. Masters of their business sometimes make very complex shapes: numbers, hearts, stars, rings, houses, fruits, animals. Creating a topiary with a crown in the shape of an animal can be timed to the symbol of the coming year according to the eastern calendar.

Round

The following materials can be used as the basis for a round crown:

• Styrofoam. If there is no sheet of the required thickness, then the remnants from the packaging of household appliances are glued together. The finished base is cut with a stationery knife to give it the desired shape. The difficulty of the work lies in the fact that the foam crumbles heavily. You need to use only a special glue, as usual can corrode the surface of the material.
• Polyurethane foam. It is poured into a spherical container. After solidification of the composition of the finished base, if necessary, cut with a stationery knife to remove excess layers.
• Papier mache. You will need a balloon, PVA glue and old newspapers or toilet paper. Sheets are torn into small pieces. Then they are poured with glue and allowed to thoroughly soak. After that, the resulting mass is applied in layers on the ball. When the base hardens, the ball must be pierced with a needle. On a similar principle, you can work with threads. They are pre-moistened with glue and wrapped around the ball. By itself, such a framework is already serving as a stylish adornment.

Also suitable for the base of foam balls, game balls (tennis, volleyball), balls with yarn. Some even use wood.

Christmas tree shape

The basis in the form of a simplified Christmas tree is made of the same materials as for a spherical crown. It is more difficult to make such a configuration, since the original tree consists of several truncated and one full-fledged cone at the top, which are set on each other. Finding any object or container that coincides in form is practically impossible. Beginners should better resort to laconic ideas of minimalism and use a single cone, which will symbolize the Christmas tree. The form is easy to make from ordinary cardboard, which is subsequently wrapped with layers of paper dipped in adhesive composition. Also for such crafts fit holiday caps, which are usually put on the head of the birthday guests.

Required materials and tools

It is quite difficult to provide an exhaustive list of tools and materials for the manufacture of New Year's Topiary. The complexity of the task lies in the variety of techniques and original ideas that a master can use in the process of creating a composition. We give a list of tools and materials that can be considered "common" for all types of work.

Crown

For the manufacture of the crown will require the following materials and tools:

• The foundation. Depending on the manufacturing method, glue, paper, balloons, cardboard samples, a stationery knife or a blade can be attached to it.
• Exterior decor.

The main thing in topiary is its appearance. Decor based on fixed in three ways:

• With the help of needles and thread. This is a complex, time-consuming process.
• With the use of glue. The method is suitable for small decor that can not be pierced and planted on a string or wire. For example, glue secure coffee beans, acorns, coins.
• With the help of the wire, which is strung jewelry. She pierced the base. The option is more suitable for balls of foam or foam. Since the materials are quite dense and easily punctured, they are able to firmly hold the wire if it is “driven” deep enough.

As for the decor itself, its list is too extensive. Christmas balls, polymer clay flowers, small branches of spruce or pine, cones, tinsel, bells, and candy are more suitable for New Year's Topiary.

Trunk

For the manufacture of the trunk, you can use wire, subsequently wrapped with threads, tinsel, strips of cloth, ribbons. For her pruning need special scissors. If you want to bring the topiary as close as possible to the natural wood, then even a real thick knot will do. Wood also spreads a pleasant peculiar smell, which can be supplemented with the classic New Year scent of mandarin.

Base

For the manufacture of the base will require:

• Potty You can use a disposable container for flowers or seedlings, a cup, an old teapot, a baby bucket.
• Gypsum. Although you can fill the pot with any material that fits tightly enough and ensures the stability of topiary, we will consider the gypsum. It is the most reliable and is afraid only of moisture.
• The decor. You can paint the pot, cover it with glitter, wrap it with a bright cloth, glue it with jute or Christmas tinsel.

A set of tools for work can vary greatly depending on what kind of decor the master will use. The standard list includes:

• Scissors;
• Brush, glue;
• Paints;
• Needles and thread.

The most "lazy" masters simply wrap the pot with tinsel to cover its not festive surface.

Ideas for making New Year's trees

Decorative trees for the New Year can be made from any available materials. In the course will go trim fabric, pieces of paper, old tinsel, candy, real fruit, Christmas decorations, acorns, cones, crepe paper, satin ribbons, flowers made of polymer clay or foamirana. The list of materials can be continued indefinitely. Consider a few of the most popular workshops.

Christmas tree topiary

Work should begin with the manufacture of the base. We will use a foam ball. Since Christmas-tree decorations can have different forms and they cannot be drawn together tightly, it is necessary to drape the base. To do this, use tinsel, rain, foil or trim shiny fabric, paper for crafts. You can fix the material with glue. For rain suitable ordinary tape. Excess material is trimmed so that the base looks neat. From the variety of Christmas-tree decorations it is better to choose the cheapest plastic. Firstly, the glass balls are heavy, and additional loads for the topiary barrel are undesirable. Secondly, the decorations need to be cut so that different-sized toys do not stand out against the general background. To cut the plastic, only scissors are needed. For small balls, it is enough to remove only the “tail” to which the cap with a ribbon for hanging is attached. After the decorations are prepared, they are fixed on the base with glue.

Balls must be properly combined in the composition, so that large gaps do not form between them. For this and need toys of different sizes. So that the topiary does not look monotonous, it is additionally decorated with sprigs covered with glitter. Such "greens" can be purchased in specialized stores. As an option, these spruce spruce or thuja dip in glue and sprinkle with sparkles. After the crown of the topiary is formed, the glue must be given time to "grab". At the same time start to work on the barrel. For its manufacture will require two pieces of thick wire. At first they are wrapped in satin ribbons of different colors (the ends are fixed with glue). After this, the wire trimmers are wrapped around each other to form a beautiful weave, as in a DNA molecule. The excess ends are not cut, but folded and, in this form, are "planted" in a pot with plaster. The crown is placed on a wire stem and the topiary of Christmas tree ornaments is ready.

Topiary from natural materials

Topiary made of natural materials is an excellent addition to the interior, decorated according to the principles of eco style. For work they use cones, acorns, coffee beans and pumpkin seeds, small twigs, dry leaves, Physalis boxes, hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts, moss pieces, tangerine skins and pistachio shells. The most interesting is the use of the last two decorative elements. Fresh peel from tangerines or oranges are cut into strips, which are twisted in a spiral and fixed in such a way that they do not unfold. The detail of topiary should dry. As you know, the peel hardens after two or three days and the "spiral" will perfectly hold the shape. On the one hand, it is stabbed onto a wire, and then fixed on a foam base. The shell of pistachios is used to create the original "blooming buds." The halves are glued to each other at the bases in such a way as to imitate the petals of the cups.

Topiary made of natural materials is additionally decorated with sacking, jute and "balls" of yarn, which are made according to the same technology as the basis for the composition of yarn (using a balloon).

Tangerine tree

For crafts will need:

• Small tangerines.
• A ball of yarn (better than gray).
• Spruce twigs.
• Dry curved branch as a trunk.
• Salt or sugar as artificial snow.
• Glitter for decorating the pot.
• Old pot of flowers.
• A coil of fine wire or skewers.
• Piaflor Special floral sponge.

The foam can also be used as a base, but the mandarins are quite heavy, so not every ball will withstand such a load, and the floral sponge will cope with this task. First, a ball or a cone is cut out of piaflora, depending on the shape of the future tree. Then each mandarin wrapped in gray yarn. This is necessary in order to disguise the wire on which the details of the topiary will hold. Wire segments are also wrapped around the mandarins crosswise. The ponytails are twisted into one thick tip, which are later inserted into the base of piaflora. The gaps between the tangerines decorated with sprigs. They are moistened with stationery glue and sprinkled with large grains of salt or sugar to create an imitation of snow. A second piece of piaflora fitted in shape is placed in the pot. It is inserted into a dry branch, which will perform the role of the trunk.

The pot itself is smeared with glue and sprinkled with silver glitter. Piaflor under the barrel can be sprinkled with spirals of tangerine peel, the manufacture of which has already been mentioned above. So that the base of the tree does not look too bare, a couple of pine twigs are planted in it. If moistened with a floral sponge, they will stand for a long time.

Candy Topiary

For topiary it is better to choose round or cone-shaped candies. In the composition, they will look organically. The crown of sweets is supplemented with fresh fruits (apples, tangerines, lemons), if you need to focus on naturalness. In more gentle, romantic compositions, candies are decorated in such a way that they become the heart of flower buds. For the manufacture of petals using crepe-paper, foil, cloth. Fix sweets, as a rule, on skewers. For the composition it is better to use a foam base.

Coffee Grains Topiary

For topiariya from coffee beans take foam base, an ideal round shape. The decor on it is fixed with glue. The simplest composition is made from grains of natural brown color. For more complex varieties, the kernels are pre-sorted and each part is stained in several shades or coated with glitter of different colors. From such elements you can assemble an abstract crown or spend more time and lay out the original pattern.

Coffee beans are often complemented with coins, burlap leaves, satin ribbons and jute bows. The original variation of the money tree will be a topiary, in which part of the crown is covered with coffee beans, and the other half - with coins, peeking out of the "open" pocket. It is easy to make from the old zipper from the jacket or trousers, gluing it to the base.

Cloth Topiary

Topiary create either from dense fabric, which perfectly keeps the form (felt), or from thin, airy matter (organza, veil). Separately, it is worth noting sisal - fiber of plant origin, which is obtained from agave. It can not be attributed to the fabrics, but thick, dense threads are very often used in such handicrafts. Usually they are wound into neat balls of different sizes, which decorate the topiary. To make the decoration festive, sisal cover sequins. The crown can be decorated with fabric buds or decorated with scraps of organza or napkins. The material is cut into small squares, after which each of them is pinned to the base of the foam with the help of sewing pins. The edges of the trimmed fabric are pulled out to make them lush. Complement this delicate decor with large beads and bows of satin ribbons.

New Year Topiary from different materials

New Year's Topiary can be made from any materials that are somehow involved in the festive preparations. In the course can go any elements of small decor, which usually decorate the room and accent zones by the fireplace, near the Christmas tree, on the doors. Крону украшают миниатюрными подарками, обернутыми в яркую пленку, цветами из дождика и пушистой мишуры, фигурками зверей, колокольчиками с золотым и серебряным напылением, ярко-красными бутонами, которые так органично контрастируют с блестками, ниточками бус и атласными бантиками. Материалы можно органично комбинировать друг с другом.For example, a topiary made of natural details (cones, acorns, nuts) and an artificial Christmas tree decoration (balls, bells, floristic foliage) will look great. They can be divided by a conditional strip, held exactly in the middle of the crown, or intricately interfered, having received an unusual potpourri. To emphasize the festivity of the composition, it is advisable to stick a pair of real spruce twigs into the base of the ball or into a pot near the trunk. How to cover them with artificial snow has already been mentioned above. Although you can buy and ready-made composition, which is sold in cans and sprayed on the surface.

Topiary - a fir-tree from a tinsel and fur-tree toys

Topiary from Christmas-tree toys and tinsel in the shape of a Christmas tree is made using the same technology as the composition of similar materials with a round crown. The difference is only in the configuration of the base. To create a Christmas tree, a piece of cylindrical foam is needed. You can use a hollow inside cardboard base or papier-mâché. Balls attached to it with glue. The base must always be covered with tinsel or foil before decorating so that there are no gaps between the toys. Alternatively, the surface can be painted or coated with glitter.

Herringbone woolen yarn

To create a Christmas tree from yarn you will need the following tools and materials:

• Threads (green for classic Christmas tree);
• Sheet of thick cardboard for the base;
• Scissors, glue;
• Pins;
• Pot;
• The decor.

First you need to make a base in the form of a cone of cardboard sheet. Then they begin to thicken it with PVA glue and glue the yarn in even rows, starting from the top of the Christmas tree. The threads are tightly fitted to each other so that there are no gaps left. It is necessary to process consistently on one site. You can use a combination of yarn of different shades. When the glue grabs and the threads are fixed on the base, the tree begins to decorate. To do this, use tiny balls of yarn of a different color, large beads, bright bows, buttons, miniature ceramic angels, tinsel, pompons and figurines of felt. From the same material it is easy to cut a small top-star. You can make a creative Christmas tree and after gluing the yarn to separate it from the base. It will turn out a translucent tree, which is illuminated with a garland from the inside.

Conclusion

Topiary is perfect for cramped apartments, where there is simply no room even for a small real or artificial Christmas tree. The composition in a pot on a window, in the center of a festive table or on a mantel will look beautiful. The same option is suitable for New Year's design office. You can make a small tree the size of a cactus and put it on your desktop. Just one touch will give a sense of anticipation of the holiday and everyday life will not seem so gray and monotonous, as usual. Topiary made of sweets or mandarin is a wonderful gift for the New Year, especially for sweet teeth. If you use the base in the form of a ring, then using the same technology you can make a festive wreath on the door. This western tradition of decorating the entrance is increasingly spreading in our country. The materials used are the same: tinsel, cones, spruce twigs, red satin bows, threads with golden beads.