DIY New Year's topiary - step-by-step photos for beginners

Materials for creating the New Year's topiary “First Snow”

Gypsum or alabaster for pouring.
Thermal gun, 5 silicone sticks, 20 cm, d=11.2 mm.
Scissors, brushes.
Paint: acrylic white and bronze.
Crushed stone - to the bottom of the pot.
Any pot - 500 ml.
Ice cream sticks (curly or straight) - 20 pcs.
Foam ball, d=15 cm, fabric for wrapping the ball.
Trunk branch, length 30 cm, plasticine.
Dried chestnuts.
Walnuts - whole and halved.
Acorns with and without caps.
A bunch of acorns.
Peach pits.
Chocolate-colored sisal into balls.
Italian pasta, dark
Satin ribbons: chocolate 2 pcs., bronze 1 pc. - 10 cm each.
White organza - 20 cm.
Narrow white satin ribbon (to wrap around cinnamon sticks) - 10 cm.
Half beads - 10 pcs.
1 bunch of white and 2 bunches of burgundy berries - 20 berries per bunch.
Rattan balls, d=3 cm - 4 pcs.

Topiary - herringbone

As mentioned earlier, topiary does not always have the classic pattern in the form of a spherical crown. This tree is made in the shape of a festive Christmas tree and is decorated with sweet candies in colorful wrappers.

To make this version of topiary you will need:

Styrofoam;
a coil of thick wire;
large candies in wrappers;
corrugated paper;
decorative rope;
cable with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm;
textile and plastic tapes;
small cones, balls and other decorations to your taste.

First, you should prepare a tourniquet that will serve as a connecting link. To do this, the cable is wrapped with tape; you can use calico or satin. The edges are fixed with hot glue. In general, the harness can be given any shape at your discretion.

Next, you need to prepare a bell that will decorate the top of the topiary. It is worth noting that it can be seen as a small Christmas ball or large bead. The edge of a long piece of wire is secured to the bell. To compact it a little, the wire is covered with paper.

After this, they begin to work with a foam cone, the basis for the Christmas tree. You can purchase a ready-made cone at the store or carefully cut it yourself. A rope is glued to the base and they begin to gradually wrap the figure with it. It is worth noting that sisal, a synthetic fiber, is also perfect for this.

Before completely covering the cone with rope, you should insert a wire with a bell into its top. Photo 29 shows the recommended length that should be left. After the rope covers the figure, they continue to wrap it around the wire until the very base of the bell. The end is fixed with hot glue.

Then the bottom of the cone is covered with candies. They are glued by the tails, pressing the sweets tightly against each other so that as many as possible fit. In photo 31 you can see the result. You can also fill the remaining space with pine cones and balls.

The next step is to create a base for the topiary. In this case, diamond-shaped foam is used for it. It is covered with paper, ribbons and rhinestones to taste.

At the end, the tree is attached to the stand and the last decorative elements are added: various bows made of ribbons, flowers made of corrugated paper, multi-colored beads, etc.

Topiaries made according to this principle have many different designs. The photos below show options for decorating these holiday trees.

Step-by-step master class with photos - DIY New Year's topiary

Restoration of a pot

Stage 1. Gluing ice cream sticks. Any container is suitable for restoration - the main thing is that it is free of cracks and chips. Glue a plastic cover or similar product to the bottom: close the drainage holes so that the plaster does not spill out when pouring. We cover the pot with ice cream sticks: if the height does not match, we cut the sticks.

Stage 2. Painting the pots. Using white acrylic or gouache with PVA glue, paint the entire pot for the New Year's topiary in 2 layers. In this case, be sure to paint the second layer with a soft brush to cover the pot evenly, without smears.

An alternative to liquid paint is acrylic in a spray can for whitewashing a pot to look like a tree of happiness for the New Year.

Bronzing of the barrel and decor

Stage 3. Painting the decor. Using acrylic paint - antique bronze or medium gold - we paint dried chestnuts, walnut halves, acorns and caps.

Heavily dried (wrinkled) chestnuts can be partially painted, even sponging is allowed: the result is a very interesting texture!

Stage 4. Painting the barrel. We bronze the trunk of the New Year's tree of happiness in the same color as the decor. We paint all elements evenly, in 1 layer.

Formation and decoration of the crown of the New Year's tree of happiness

Stage 5. Preparing the ball. The foam ball melts from hot silicone, especially with heavy decor. Wrapping with fabric, twine or knitting threads will solve this problem.

Instead of a commercial foam ball, you can use alternative solutions. Learn how to make a topiary ball with your own hands almost free and very easy!

Stage 6. Crown decor. The secret to the color of New Year's topiary is a variety of decor made from natural materials combined with artificial elements. Over the entire surface of the ball, in a heap, without gaps, we glue the decor, alternating painted and unpainted elements:

Chestnuts, walnuts, acorns.
Single and paired acorn caps.
Rattan balls.
Sisal balls. Step-by-step instructions on how to make sisal balls.
Cut cinnamon sticks.
Peach pits.
Star anise.
Foam berries of white and burgundy color (viburnum).
Italian pasta is dark brown.

First, we glue the large decor, then use small elements to close all the gaps on the crown of the New Year’s topiary craft.

We recommend treating the crown of natural material with any hairspray to avoid insect damage. It is important to do this before gluing snowflakes and garlands with beads so that the plastic elements do not become deformed.

Stage 7. New Year's decor. We wrap the finished crown in different directions with a garland - beads on a fishing line, and fix the large beads with glue. We glue plastic snowflakes over the surface, covering bald spots, if any remain on the New Year's tree of happiness.

Flowerpot decor

Stage 8. Satin bow. You can use a ready-made brown polka dot bow or make your own triple bow from satin ribbons, as shown in the video. We glue white organza loops crosswise under the bow, and a snowflake and a bead on top.

Stage 9. Decorating the pots. Glue plastic snowflakes and half beads on each side, except for the one where the satin ribbon bow flaunts.

Pouring and filling the flowerpot of the tree of happiness

Stage 10. Filling with plaster. The New Year's topiary “First Snow” turned out to be heavy: for stability, we put a layer of crushed stone on the bottom of the pot. We attach the trunk to plasticine and fill it with plaster (alabaster) to 2/3 of the volume of the pot. We dilute the solution thick, the gypsum/water ratio is 2:1.

After pouring, the tree of happiness must be fixed in the desired position and left until completely dry - 18-24 hours.

Last stage 11. Filling the pot. We cover the gypsum surface in 2 layers with padding polyester and carefully glue it. This is a snow-covered clearing where we will form a composition at the base of the New Year's topiary. We use all the elements that were used to decorate the crown: chestnut, a ball of sisal and rattan, an acorn, a nut, 2 tied cinnamon sticks, a star anise. We randomly scatter several viburnum berries in the clearing.

A complete collection of topiary ideas from Alena Tikhonova!

Topiary made from natural materials

DIY New Year's topiaries for 2020 may lack a spherical base and consist of large pine cones and twigs, as well as New Year's toys. Such a tree can easily replace a live Christmas tree in the house; in addition, the materials for its creation are inexpensive.

For production you will need:

Pine cones;
pine or spruce branches;
small Christmas balls;
flower pot;
wooden skewers for the trunk;
twine or twine for decoration;
gypsum mortar;
a small piece of burlap;
a coil of thick wire;
glue gun

First of all, you should attach a small piece of wire to each cone. It must be secured at its base and tightened several times for reliability. The length of the remaining tail is approximately 7-10 cm. To form a ball, you will need about 10 such cone blanks.

Then, one by one, the cones are connected together using the remaining length of wire. Distributing them evenly in different directions, it is necessary to form a base for the ball. It is also important to leave some space for the pine branches, which will give the topiary its final shape.

Next, you need to make a base that will serve as a trunk for the tree. To do this, you should take several skewers and process their ends with a glue gun so that they stick together better and do not fall apart. The end of the wire is inserted between the skewers and securely fixed with silicone glue.

After this, dilute the plaster to the consistency of thick sour cream and lay it out in a previously prepared pot. Place a stick in the center and hold it a little until the material hardens completely.

To make the trunk look more attractive, it is wrapped with twine or twine. The ends of the rope can be secured with a glue gun.

Then the pot must be covered with a small piece of burlap, giving it the shape of a decorative bag. The edges should be folded alternately and fixed with hot glue. Next, the pot is tied with a bright satin ribbon. It is worth considering that when creating topiary, you can use other decorative products.

At the next stage, the crown of the tree is supplemented with pine branches. They are inserted between the cones and secured with a glue gun. To give them a snowy look, they are coated with regular glue and dipped in crushed foam. Some branches can be decorated with Christmas balls.

Photo - presentation of the New Year's tree of happiness “First Snow”

See all the photos of topiaries from Alena Tikhonova in the general selection!

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