Making fruit topiary

Fruit topiary has recently gained popularity among needlewomen. Its characteristic feature is the combination of artificial details with real natural elements.

Fruit topiary is considered to be a symbol of good luck and family well-being, and therefore such a decorative element is an ideal gift for any occasion. To create a miniature tree, both artificial and real fruits are suitable. Fruits, vegetables and berries made of polystyrene are ideally combined with fabric buds, dried chestnuts, snail shells and small figures.

Fruit topiary may be a tree whose crown is decorated with plastic apples and red peppers surrounded by multi-colored decorative spikelets, often used in floristry, and artificial flowers. It is also possible that the same artificial apples are combined with nuts painted with silver paint, cones and cinnamon sticks. Such a tree, by the way, will be a great gift for the New Year or Christmas. Topiary from fresh berries, usually strawberries, supplemented with small marshmallows and chocolates are very popular. Still quite often, edible trees are made up of tangerines, mini-bananas, lychees or feijoa.

To create an original fruit topiary will work out if you step by step master a simple master class for beginners, and then just change the components and come up with new compositions.

Fruit topiary, like any other, is formed from the same elements. As a support, either a vase, or a flower pot, or a jar, or a cup is used - in general, any vessel that ensures composition stability. Its size is determined depending on the dimensions of the tree, and any unsuccessful shape is perfectly masked by additional decor. The only condition for choosing a tank is wide neck. As a trunk, a wooden stick or a peeled branch with a beautiful bend is most often used.

In some cases, thick aluminum wire or even a piece of reinforcement is more appropriate. The material selected for the barrel must have the strength and ability to withstand a heavy crown. As for the latter, it is usually made of polystyrene. The classical form of the base is spherical, but there are topiaries with a “cap” in the form of a heart, cube, rectangle, cone and other figures. In principle, the basis can be created from a bundle of ordinary newspapers, which are first wrapped in foil, and then wrapped in several layers either with masking tape or with a simple thread for sewing.

The fruit tree is mainly decorated with fresh, dried or artificial fruits, as well as miniature themed figurines, such as insects. Ribbons, beads, beads, buttons, fabric buds and leaves are used as additional decor. Fruit models can be made in several ways. For example, an ordinary newspaper is taken for this, which is crumpled into the required shape and fixed using foil and adhesive tape. Next, on top of the base, you need to form several paper layers impregnated with glue.

Another method requires the use of a foam frame over which layers of colored paper and PVA glue are alternately applied. Some vegetables used for topiary can simply be dried. For example, pumpkin and squash are suitable for this purpose. Well-washed fruits are dried in the sun, and they need to be rotated once a day. After about a couple of weeks, the dummy should be ready.

When creating a topiary, certain steps should be taken sequentially.

• Since fruits, especially real ones, are heavy, the topiary stand needs to be further strengthened. Before pouring cement or gypsum mortar into the container, it is recommended to put any metal parts on the bottom of the container - for example, nails, nuts or old keys.
• Then the vessel is filled with building gypsum or putty. As soon as the mixture begins to harden, inside it will be necessary to insert the barrel strictly in the center. Until the solution is completely dry, it is not recommended to continue work.
• It is most convenient to design a crown from foam cut out in the shape of a ball. So that the white color does not shine through, before fixing the main decor, the surface of the ball should be painted, upholstered with fabric or pieces of artificial moss. The crown will look interesting, first smeared with glue, and then boned in ground coffee or small gulls.
• By combining the ball and the stem with hot glue, you can go to the fastening of artificial fruits and berries. Each model is mounted on a toothpick, each of which is smeared with glue and stuck in a foam ball. For better fastening, you can use scotch tape, but then the gaps between the fruits will need to be masked with nuts, berries or flower buds.
• It is customary to fasten the decor, starting from the top and reaching the bottom strictly vertically or in a spiral. The barrel of the finished topiary is formed using a tape or cord, and the surface of the pot is masked with yarn, shells, granite chips or other small particles.
• In the case when the topiary is created from natural fruits, it will be necessary to use a more reliable capacity and a powerful trunk. Instead of toothpicks, the use of disinfected wire fragments is recommended.

• Edible topiary with fruits and berries will decorate any table. Moreover, with the help of such a tree it will be much more convenient to offer guests snacks. Crohn topiary is made using grapes, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, figuratively cut pieces of kiwi and pineapple, as well as citrus slices. Since such a design weighs a lot, it is very important to balance it by properly filling the pot stand. The topiary trunk is decorated using a tightly wound green satin ribbon. The surface of the "earth" is covered with grapes, strawberries and berries of physalis.

• A very attractive topiary will turn out if you buy a ready-made set of artificial fruits of small size. In addition to fruits, artificial leaves and flowers are located on the crown. The surface of the "earth" is framed using a material that imitates green grass, and the trunk is painted in a natural brown shade. As a pot, a bright mug with cartoony three-dimensional figures was chosen. An interesting addition is the decorative staircase, installed in such a way that it was possible to "climb" on top of the tree and collect the fruits.

See how to make fruit topiary with your own hands in the next video.