Creating Topiary Trees For Your Wedding: A Step-By-Step Guide

Topiaries are bushes and small trees clipped into ornamental shapes, and they can make for beautiful wedding decorations. You can save money by making your own artificial topiary trees for your wedding reception. This will reduce costs for your reception centerpieces and will be a fun DIY project. You can make these topiaries any size, depending on where you want to put them. The supplies you need are a foam ball, a planter, artificial flowers, floral foam, moss, and willow branches. You can decorate your planter with ribbons or paint, and then fill it with moss. Cut the artificial flowers from their stems and glue them to the foam ball. Place the foam ball on top of the willow branches and secure it with hot glue. Finally, cover the floral foam with moss.

Choosing your materials

Choosing the right materials is essential when making a wedding topiary tree. The materials you will need depend on the type of topiary tree you want to create. If you plan to use real flowers or plants, you will need to choose something that is evergreen, full, and easy to shape. Boxwoods are a popular choice for topiaries because they have small green leaves and provide good coverage. If you prefer artificial flowers, silk flowers are a cost-effective option, and you can choose from a wide range of colours.

For the structure of your topiary tree, you can use a foam ball, which comes in various sizes and colours. If you use a white foam ball, you may want to paint it green to avoid it showing through the greenery. Alternatively, you can use a Styrofoam shape in green. When it comes to the stems, choose ones that can be easily glued or poked into the foam ball. Thick greens or ones with a good base will be easier to attach to the foam ball.

The type of pot or planter you choose will depend on your personal preference and the overall design of your wedding. You can decorate the pot with paint or ribbons to match your wedding theme. If you want to add height to your topiary tree, you can use a wooden dowel or actual branches. To secure the branches or dowel, you can use hot glue or floral foam.

To cover the base of your topiary tree, you can use moss, dirt, or soil. If you use moss, you can choose between Green Spanish moss or Natural Spanish moss. Adding a touch of hot glue to the moss can help secure it in place.

Preparing your greenery

The first step in making a wedding topiary tree is to prepare your greenery. This involves choosing the right type and amount of greenery to create the desired look for your topiary tree.

For a fuller look, opt for greenery with thick stems or a good base that can be easily glued or poked into the foam ball. If you're using real greenery, choose something that is evergreen, full, and easy to shape, such as boxwoods or ivy. Boxwoods are a popular choice for topiaries as they provide small green leaves and plenty of coverage. Ivy is a great option if you're using a topiary frame, as it can be easily woven in and out of the frame.

Once you've selected your greenery, you'll need to remove the leaves or flowers from the stems. This step will make it easier to attach the greenery to the foam ball and create a neat finish. Depending on the type of greenery you choose, you can create a variety of different looks for your topiary tree.

If you're using artificial greenery, you may need to cut the flowers or leaves into small clusters before gluing them to the foam ball. This will ensure that you can cover the entire surface evenly and securely.

It's important to prepare your greenery in advance so that you have everything ready when you start assembling your topiary tree. This will make the process smoother and help you avoid any last-minute delays or shortages.

Decorating the pot

Paint the Pot

One option is to paint the pot in a colour that complements the overall theme of the wedding. For example, if the wedding has a rustic theme, you could paint the pot in a distressed white or vintage colour. If the wedding has a more modern theme, you could choose a sleek, black pot or a metallic gold or silver pot.

Ribbons and Bows

Another way to decorate the pot is by wrapping ribbons or bows around it. You can choose ribbons in the wedding colours or opt for a more subtle approach with neutral-coloured ribbons. Wide ribbons can be wrapped around the pot and secured with hot glue, while thinner ribbons can be tied in bows and glued to the front of the pot.

Use of Moss

To give the topiary tree a natural look, you can fill the pot with moss. This helps to cover any floral foam or other materials used to secure the tree and gives the illusion of a real plant. You can use green Spanish moss or Natural Spanish moss, depending on the desired effect.

Embellishments

To add extra detail to the pot, consider using embellishments such as rhinestones, pearls, or small flowers. These can be glued onto the pot to create a unique and elegant design. For a more rustic look, twine or jute can be wrapped around the pot, giving it a natural, earthy feel.

Vintage Pots

For a vintage-style wedding, source pots with a grungy, aged look. These can be found in thrift stores or antique shops and will add a unique, one-of-a-kind touch to the topiary tree. If you can't find vintage pots, you can always distress new pots by painting them and then sanding them down to give them an aged appearance.

Personalised Touches

Finally, you can add personalised touches to the pot by incorporating the couple's initials, wedding date, or a meaningful quote. This can be done with paint, stickers, or even engraved into the pot itself. These personalised details will make the topiary tree truly unique to the wedding.

Assembling the tree

To assemble the tree, you will need a foam ball (preferably in green, to avoid the foam showing through), a planter, silk flowers, floral foam, moss, and a bundle of twisted willow branches.

Start by placing the floral foam into the planter. This will act as the base for your tree. Next, determine the centre of the planter and insert the willow branches into the floral foam. Secure the branches by adding more floral foam around them.

Now, you will create the top of the tree. Start by removing the silk flower heads from their stems. Place the flower heads onto the foam ball to determine the spacing, then remove them. Apply hot glue to the backs of the flower heads and insert them into the pre-made holes on the foam ball. Continue this process until the entire ball is covered in flowers.

Once the ball is complete, make a one-inch hole in the centre of the flower ball and insert it onto the willow branches. Add hot glue to the hole to secure the ball in place.

Finally, cover the floral foam in the planter with moss. You can secure the moss with hot glue if you wish. And there you have it—a beautiful, handmade topiary tree for your wedding!

Finishing touches

The final touches to your wedding topiary tree will make it truly stand out as a centerpiece. You can add a touch of your wedding colours or theme to the pot, or even add some sparkle with glitter.

If you are using a pot, consider painting it or wrapping it with ribbon. You could also glue on decorations, such as pearls, gems, or even small flowers to match your bouquet. If you are using a vase, you could add some water and floating candles to the vase, or fill it with coloured sand or stones.

If you have used a wooden dowel, you can stain it to make it darker and more in keeping with your theme. You could also wrap the dowel with ribbon or twine, securing it with glue.

To finish the top of your topiary, you could add a bow, or some leaves. You could also add some small fairy lights, or even a small bird or butterfly decoration. If you have a particular theme, you could add a small prop, such as a small pair of sunglasses for a summer wedding, or a small umbrella for a spring wedding.

The finishing touches are a great way to add your own unique twist to your topiary, so have fun and be creative!

Frequently asked questions