Coffee Tree Topiary May Become an unusual gift, an interesting decoration of the festive table and a stylish complement to the interior. Such decor is distinguished by exceptional ease of manufacture, environmental safety, non-standard appearance and a deep pleasant aroma. Those people who prefer hand-made and love non-trivial souvenirs will probably be interested to learn how to create a topiary tree from coffee beans with your own hands. To create this craft will require very little zeal and artistic inspiration.
What it is?
Topiary are hand-made decorative trees that are made from natural materials or any improvised means. It is generally accepted that this technique is rooted in the era of Ancient Rome, when trees were trimmed in a special way in the gardens of noble patricians. In those days, crowns were given an unconventional shape to resemble statues or some other decorative objects. Later, smaller copies of the topiary began to be made from improvised means, masters in the monasteries, as well as Dutch and English specialists worked on their creation. Today, the dwarf decorative tree has become one of the most popular gift options.
Topiary can be made from paper, dried flowers and fruits, but the coffee tree is considered to be the simplest and most stylish craft. It attracts due to its unusual appearance and delicate aroma - even after processing, coffee beans emit a strong odor, fill the home with an atmosphere of comfort, tranquility and home warmth.
In most cases, coffee topiary is made in a round form, while the crown is decorated with ladybirds, bows, flowers, funny butterflies and other animals.
The trunk is wrapped with jute rope or satin ribbon, and the pots for planting such a small tree are trimmed with cord, leather, beads or decorative braid. Decoration of the surface of the pot made of sea pebbles or sisal is very popular, lovers of natural materials prefer dried moss.
Typically, these trees decorate the premises country style, provence, vintage, shabby chic, the craft is popular with lovers eco-directions in design.
History of occurrence
As we already mentioned, initially the art of creating topiary appeared in landscape design and assumed a curly cut of crowns. The ancient Romans even had special slaves who maintained the decorative site in good condition. They were called masters of topos or, in other words, topiary, and this is how the name of this direction of creativity appeared.
In the landscape, the process of creating unusual crowns is a long and rather technologically complex process, which requires tireless attention to living plants and care for them. Therefore, over time, people began to look for alternatives - and so began to create topiary from improvised means. They are a small composition in the form of a small tree with an unusual crown of a certain geometric shape.
Typically, such crafts are made from natural materials, they are actively used in room decor, they become a bright accent in any interior.
Interest in topiary made from coffee beans arose after an unusual monument was erected in the Brazilian city of São Paulo in the Central Square in the form of a Bronze coffee tree, symbolizing the country's wealth. Since then, in the craft workshops they began to create its reduced copies with a height of 15-20 cm, they were actively bought up by tourists. Over time, the fashion for such floristic compositions penetrated Western countries; Europeans are sure that such a “tree of happiness” gives its owner monetary prosperity, attracts good luck and brings warmth and tranquility to life.
What are they?
If you plan to make your own coffee topiary - do not be afraid of bold experiments and let your imagination run wild. There are many interesting varieties of topiary, here are the most popular ideas.
So, the following varieties of coffee trees are distinguished.
- Classical. The crown of such a topiary usually has a rounded shape, most often this craft is performed in restrained colors using coffee beans and other natural materials. There are no intricate decorations, the option is characterized by simplicity and exceptional elegance - a similar craft can be used to decorate the interior in a wide variety of stylistic directions.
- Valentine - this topiary is made in the form of a heart; it can be presented to a loved one on Valentine's Day or on any other day. The basis for this composition can always be purchased in any store that offers materials for needlework. However, it can always be done with your own hands - the easiest way is to use polystyrene, and if it is not there, you can crumple a newspaper sheet and braid it with threads in such a way as to give it a heart shape.
- Flying cup At first glance, such a craft can seem incredibly complex, however, they are not difficult to do on their own. All that is needed for this is only a piece of thick wire, as well as a thermal gun. And, of course, the grains themselves.
- Coffee tree with flowers. Such a topiary will be an unusual birthday present on March 8, it can be placed in the living room and in the sleeping room, such decorations are widely in demand in wedding decor.
- With butterflies and birds. This craftwork looks really stylish, as if butterflies, miniature birds and charming dragonflies fly out of it. A similar product looks really spring and, regardless of the season and weather outside the window, reminds its owner of warm and sunny days.
- Fruit tree. For example, topiary made from coffee beans is additionally decorated with dried fruit slices, most often citrus fruits are used. The output is very stylish decorative elements for a summer kitchen, however, some New Year's table setting for a festive table is often supplemented with a tree.
- Money Tree. It can be a great gift option for the stronger sex. They are made in the same technique as the most ordinary topiary - the whole difference is that the ball at the top is glued with small coins, then the zippers are folded and coffee beans are glued at the very end.
- Christmas and New Year tree topiary It will become a good decoration of the table during festive events, in addition, it creates a festive atmosphere. The blank can be purchased at needlework shops or made by yourself - just roll up a thick sheet of cardboard in the shape of a cone and remove all unnecessary pieces.
- Double or triple. These crafts require a little more time, however, the output is truly stylish and creative topiary. Here, several trunks grow from a common rod at once, they can have different shapes, thicknesses and heights.
- Ball. This form can not be called a classic topiary in the full sense of the word, however, it is made in a similar way. A feature of this technique is the lack of a trunk, and the ball itself does not resemble a tree in any way. Usually in this composition coffee beans are combined with legumes and sunflower seeds - if you place several of these balls in one saucer at once, you get a very stylish decor for decorating the kitchen.
Workshop for beginners
Tools and materials
To design a stylish topiary, you will first need coffee beans. If possible, try to get the highest quality coffee, preference should be given to products in which the beans are evenly roasted and have the same size. It is very important that they are carefully dried. Before you begin, you need to do a sorting of the grains, of course, this activity is optional, but if you want to get a truly beautiful topiary, then this is desirable.
First you need to remove any grains that have damage, and the rest should be allocated in 4 groups. The first will include the most beautiful beans of the same size, they will be located on top of your future coffee tree. The second group includes rounded grains - they usually decorate a cache-pot. The third includes whole grains, but not beautiful enough, they go to the design of the lower part of the crown. The fourth group includes the smallest grains - they are used to trim the spaces between the other grains.
You will need the following.
- The basis, they usually use a ball or a heart - you can buy it in a store already ready or make it yourself from paper or polystyrene. Threads - required in almost all options for creating topiary.
- Varnishes and paints - needed for application to the base.
- Wire / tube / skewer or tree branch - necessary to ensure that your topiary has a trunk.
- Glue - It is better to give preference to a hot glue gun.
- Gypsum / Alabaster - prepare them together with a bowl for stirring.
- Sharp scissors.
- Cache-pot. These options are very different, ranging from flowerpots and pots, ending with ordinary jars or unnecessary mugs.
- Scotch - To create a topiary, you need two-sided.
- Additional decor - finished crafts decorate with bows, flowers and beads. Cinnamon sticks are also used, as well as cloves and dried fruit slices.
How to make?
On the Internet you can find many workshops on how to create a coffee topiary with your own hands. We invite you to get acquainted with step-by-step instructions, which includes several popular techniques at once, and at the same time is characterized by exceptional ease of implementation.
Step one - work with the workpiece. To create a round topiary, it is necessary to take a foundation prepared in advance in the shape of a ball or heart. The blank is glued with paper and wrapped with a thread for knitting, preferably dark shades.
Thus prepared base is painted with brown paints.
If you plan to make a heart-shaped topiary frame, then you need cardboard and cotton.
From cardboard it is necessary to cut out figures of equal shape and place a tube between them, it will serve as the trunk. Both blanks are glued together, then pieces of cotton wool or discs are attached to the base thus obtained, giving the desired volume. After you prepare the base and paint it, you can begin to glue it with coffee beans, it is advisable to do this not in one, but in two rows - while the first layer is laid with a flat surface inward, and the second layer is vice versa.
Step two - make out the trunk. The wire or stick you plan to use as a barrel is neatly covered with strips of tissue paper. If it is not, you can use satin ribbons or jute thread, and then fasten to the crown. When working with wire, you can slightly bend it.
Step three - plant in a flower pot. First you need to knead a certain amount of gypsum-based solution and pour it into the prepared container. After he begins to grasp a little, place the topiary in the center and hold it until the mass hardens completely. When the gypsum dies, the so-called soil can be covered with a thin layer of ground coffee, wood chips, sisal or dried moss.
Step Four Decorate the topiary. If we talk about the decor of the coffee tree, then the imagination is unlimited. You can stick traditional ribbons, curls, beads and bows from foamiran, or you can show imagination and combine coffee with figures of insects, animals, star anise, rough fabric and other decorative elements.
What to cover?
Some needlewomen prefer to coat their coffee trees with a mixture of coffee and PVA - this is not necessary, but such processing will make the craft more brilliant. Usually glue is mixed with water in equal proportions and pour instant coffee until then, until you get the desired color. You can add a little cinnamon and cocoa to this mixture - in this case the topiary will turn out to be even more fragrant and fill the house with an atmosphere of family warmth and coziness.
Such processing allows you to close the gaps well, as well as mask all traces of glue. If desired, a varnish coat can be applied. Of course, this will remove the pleasant coffee aroma, but it will protect the product from dust accumulation.
It is best to use decoupage glue for work, it is easy to apply and dries quickly.
Examples of beautiful crafts
Topiary tree made from coffee beans can look very advantageous in the interior, regardless of the style in which it is decorated. Such decor items go well with a fashionable loft, as well as ageless classics or modern minimalism. It looks especially impressive against the background of turquoise tones and other shades of green.
Such crafts become not only a complement to the design, they also symbolize prosperity, financial well-being and personal happiness. The coffee tree represents life energy, strength, therefore it can be safely presented as a memorable present for men and women.
In order to choose the best way for you to design a coffee tree, we recommend that you be inspired by examples of finished works. We invite you to get acquainted with a small photo selection of the most beautiful crafts with interesting and unusual options for a topiary tree in pots.
Topiary master class see below.