So listen here, man.
I’ve got the two blackest of the black thumbs there ever were, and it seems that I can even send succulents to an early demise once in my possession and care. SUCCULENTS. Gah!!! Sigh. π Since I have basically accepted my black thumb fate, I’ve turned my attention to using faux florals and greens over the years, and it’s amazing what you can recreate with some very realistic product out on the market these days! Today I’ll show you how I created this faux topiary using inexpensive materials from my local craft store!
Supplies needed:
-premade topiary forms
-clay pots or container to hold topiary
-artificial greenery stems/bush (note: I used three bushes per topiary)
-dried moss
-wire clippers
-black thumbs (not required)
Step One:
Using your wire clippers, snip off sections of your greenery stems/bushes into varying lengths depending on the desired look of your topiary. I wanted more of a wispy, rosemary or lemongrass look, so I clipped my greenery sprigs anywhere from 2-5 inches long. Bend the end of the sprigs into a curve for more natural movement once placed onto the topiary form.
Step Two:
Place the topiary form into the clay pot and begin assembling the greenery. Working from the bottom up and starting with the shorter greenery sprigs, begin inserting them into the styrofoam ball on top. (Don’t worry if yours begins to resemble a severely balding man’s head…we’ll give your topiary a few more “hair plugs” as we move upward. π) Stagger the placement of the sprigs around the topiary form being careful to fill in any “bald spots” as you go. Once you reach the upper part of the form, you’ll begin to use your longer greenery sprigs in order to create that wispy, natural look at the top. You can also use hot glue to attach smaller pieces if you’d like. Hot glue strings make me stabby, so I just jammed them into the styrofoam with my brute strength.
Step Three:
Once your greenery sprigs have been inserted, place a few handfuls of faux moss around the base of the topiary inside the clay pot. This will finish off the look and also help stabilize the topiary form. If you spy any leftover empty spots on the topiary, now’s the time to poke in a few more bits of green! Be sure to sort of look up under the topiary…that’s where I spotted a few spots I hadn’t spotted before. π You can also use hot glue to attach smaller pieces if you’d like. Hot glue strings make me stabby, so I just jammed them into the styrofoam with my brute strength. πͺπ»
There you have it! A faux-yet-natural looking topiary in three steps! It took me about an hour to assemble mine, so really, not too bad for a quick DIY project. ππ» Plus, if you’re black-thumbed like me, this bad boy will last a lot longer than his real live counterparts EVER would…HA!! π
Check out a few more places I’ve put faux florals to use over on Instagram, and stop by and say howdy on Pinterest, too!
So cute!
Thanks, Bree!
Go girl! You slayed it! I love how easy and realistic these are. And sometimes you just gotta go faux, right?
xoxo
Loi
Tone on Tone
Loi, teach me your ways!! I’m a fast learner, promise! π
I love how these turned out so much! Love your DIY posts! I think it’s super fun to see other peoples ideas and how they make their own decor!
Thank you for the feedback on this, Micaela! Appreciate you taking a sec to write!
I love that you are not only an amazing decorator but you also DIY and have time for familyπΈπ»π€ you’re puttin Martha Stewart to shame! I enjoy your Insta as well as the feeds tooπΏ -Lori @thespottedfrenchie
Ha!! Loved this. π Thanks so much, Lori!
They ‘re beautiful & I love your sense of humor! You make me laugh, and you’re a great writer, too! βΊοΈπΏπ
Well, you are so kind, Laura–thank you!! Appreciate you reading along!
I love these!!! I so am adding these to my to do list!! Thanks for the great post!
Oh yay! I wanna see when you’re done!!
Stabby πππππ Your Killin me smalls.
Please don’t break up with me just yet. π¬π³π
I must do this DIY ~ I’m in love!!!! And even more so because one looks malificentastic π
~Stacie
The Cottage On Maple
Right?!? She’s my favorite one. π
Do you mind sharing where your materials came from? I’ve never seen a topiary form before! And I love the stems you used. These are gorgeous!!!
This all came from Hobby Lobby!
Very pretty! How much does this come out to approximately, cost wise?
So excited to attempt to make these tonight with my cousin.
[…] that looks a little wild is good because it has a more natural appearance. You can learn here how to do fake topiary to decorate your home. It will look lovely in a chamber of white and […]