Crochet topiary. Knitted flower topiary “Southern summer. Topiary stand

Master class "Tree of happiness".

Konopleva Elena Vasilievna, teacher of additional education, MUDO "House of childhood and youth in Cheremkhovo", Cheremkhovo.
The master class is intended for teachers of additional education of children's knitting associations, students of middle and senior school age of children's knitting associations, as well as for all those who know how to knit.
Purpose: a wonderful gift for the holiday, interior decoration.
Target: learn how to make and decorate a flower tree.
Tasks:
- to form a steady interest in creativity;
- develop imagination, aesthetic taste, creativity;
- educate patience, accuracy and perseverance;
- to teach practical skills of manual labor and their use in life.

Carnations, roses, tulips... The charming beauty of flowers always arouses admiration. But cut flowers do not live long, quickly wither and lose their original charm. I suggest you create a topiary - a flower tree that will never wither, but will help create comfort and charm in your home. Topiary is a tree of happiness, it brings good luck and good mood to the house.

For work you will need:
- ready-made papier-mâché ball
- yarn of different colors
- hook
- satin ribbons 0.5 cm wide
- tube for the trunk
- pot
- glue
- sequins
- beads
- needle pins
- building plaster

Pour gypsum into the pot, fill it with water, stir the gypsum with water until a homogeneous consistency, insert the stem tube into the middle of the pot and leave to dry completely.

Make sure that the trunk in the pot is level.

We decorate the "earth" in a pot. To do this, we collect a chain of air loops equal to the girth of the trunk with green yarn.

We knit a row with single crochets.

We connect in a circle and then we knit one row with long loops (knitting "fur").

Next, we knit one row with single crochets.

And so we knit to the desired size, alternating rows: 1 row with long loops, 2 row with single crochets.

We put on a "clearing" on the trunk.

We knit the "bark" for the trunk. To do this, we collect a chain of air loops equal to the girth of the trunk with brown yarn. We knit a row with single crochets, close in a circle and knit to the height of the trunk.

We try to make the knitted fabric tightly fit the trunk.

To find out the height of the barrel, you need to put the ball on the barrel. To do this, cut a hole in the ball equal to the diameter of the barrel.

We measure the height of the trunk with a ruler.

We knit further the "bark" of the trunk of the size we need.

We try to knit even, neat.

We dress the "bark" on the trunk.

We strengthen the crown on the trunk. To do this, cut out a circle from cardboard a little larger than the diameter of the trunk. Apply glue to it on both sides.

Glue the circle onto the stem.

We fix the ball on the barrel.

We decorate the crown. This is the most enjoyable and interesting moment. We will decorate the crown with knitted roses of different colors. We knit roses according to the scheme.

We collect 5 loops, close in a circle.

Next, knit according to the schematic drawing.

When knitting 4 rows of the pattern, we attach a chain of air loops from the back of the rose.

We knit roses in different colors.

We will attach roses to the crown with a needle-pin, beads and sequins.

Insert the needle into the center of the rose.

The main task is to ensure that all the roses are pressed against each other as tightly as possible.

We make sure that roses of the same color are not attached side by side.

So gradually fill the entire ball with roses.

When decorating the crown of a tree, we make sure that there are no gaps.

Here's the tree we got.

We decorate the tree with satin ribbons. To do this, we cut ribbons 6 cm long.

We connect the ends of the tape with a needle. The ends can be processed over a burning candle so that they do not bloom.

We insert a needle into the crown between the roses.

We insert needles with tape evenly throughout the crown.

If desired, the upper part of the trunk can be decorated with green ribbons in the same way as the crown.

Our tree of happiness is ready.

Also, other flowers can serve to decorate the crown.

Do-it-yourself topiary is gaining more and more popularity among decorators, interior designers and simple needlewomen.

Initially, a topiary was a garden with ornamental trimmed plants and sculptures created from artistically trimmed trees. Topiary art has a long history. So, even in ancient Egypt and Persia, the ability to give geometric shapes to bushes and trees was appreciated. And the most famous example of a topiary garden is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon - one of the seven wonders of the world.

And now topiary (or European tree) is the name for small original trees, for the manufacture of which natural and artificial materials are used. The topiary is decorative in nature, and it depends only on the author's imagination what it will be made of. And the size of the topiary can be from 10-15 centimeters to half a meter.

Small paper flower topiary

Large artificial flower topiary (Author — Anna Assonova)

Topiary can be a wonderful gift for a wedding or housewarming.

What is topiary made of?

So, if you decide to make a topiary with your own hands, then you should know that the tree consists of several elements:

• the basis
• trunk
• crown
• pot or stand

Moreover, for each of these elements there are different forms and materials.

Topiary base

The base can be of different shapes. Most often, a ball is used in the manufacture of topiary.

Topiary in the form of a ball

But there are topiaries in the form of a heart, as well as in the form of various figures. Experienced needlewomen create blanks in the form of numbers (if the tree is intended as a gift for a birthday or memorable date), as well as in the form of letters.

Topiary - heart

As a basis for a ball or heart, you can use a foam blank, polyurethane foam or a papier-mâché ball. Curly bases are thick wire, foam or cardboard.

Topiary base - foam ball

Topiary trunk

The barrel can be a thick wire wrapped in twine, floral tape or plastered with plastic.

You can also use an ordinary wooden branch (for reliability, it is better to clean it from the bark and cover it with stain and varnish).

A short, straight trunk is obtained from several sushi sticks or wooden skewers connected together.

Topiary crown

Topiary crown is a huge scope for imagination. You can use absolutely everything: paper (paper napkins, cut out flowers, corrugated paper, quilling paper or folded origami - kusudama), cold porcelain or polymer clay flowers, satin and nylon ribbons, felt or cotton, buttons and beads, coffee, shells , dried leaves and other natural materials, and much, much more.

Topiary in the Kanzashi technique from the remnants of fabric (author - Tatyana Babikova)

Topiary made of corrugated paper and natural materials

Corrugated paper and organza topiary (author - Tatyana Kovaleva)

Topiary from natural materials (leaves, apples, acorns)

Topiary of flowers (origami - kusudama)

Topiary stand

Depending on the idea and size of the tree, an ordinary flower pot, an iron bucket (painted or decorated using decoupage technique), a beautiful flat stone or a shell can become a stand. You can decorate the stand with fabric or lace. Or maybe it will be a nice cup? You decide.

Shell topiary stand

Topiary stand decorated with fabric and cinnamon sticks

Topiary stands (left to right): flowerpot, crocheted jar, cloth-covered bowl

Stand for topiary from a ceramic mug

Preparation of the necessary materials

Before you start working on a topiary, carefully consider the idea and all the materials used. The idea will depend on the purpose of the tree and the hobbies of its future owner. Gather materials. Attach the elements of the crown to the workpiece. Decide what decorative items you will take.

Beads of different sizes and decorative dragonflies were used as decor for the topiary.

Beads, braid, sisal and a decorative watering can were used as decor for the topiary.

Making a trunk

The next step is to prepare the trunk. As already mentioned, depending on the material, it must be wrapped with twine or varnished.

We attach the base of the tree to one end of the trunk. The ball can be simply inserted, and it is better to fix some curly base with glue.

The other end of the barrel is inserted into the prepared vessel. Usually it is attached with foam, which is then poured with alabaster or cement.

The trunk of the topiary is glued to the foam

At first, it will be difficult to guess the consistency: if the solution is too liquid, then it will dry for a very long time. And if you make it thick, then it will not fill all the empty space between the pot and the foam.

Experienced needlewomen are advised to achieve the consistency of store-bought sour cream: not very liquid, but slipping off a spoon and easily changing shape.

Pour the solution into the prepared form, smooth the top and leave to dry completely.

We decorate the crown

While the base dries, you can make crown elements: leaves, flowers.

Let me remind you once again that they must be fixed after the base has completely dried.

Depending on the base material, the flowers can be attached with hot glue or stuck in with small skewers or wire.

Valentine's Day is the most romantic holiday of the year. Its symbol is considered "Valentines" - bright hearts in the form of postcards and trinkets. There is nothing more pleasant than creating a festive atmosphere with the help of cute details. And it is not at all necessary to purchase ready-made designer jewelry, because a lot can be done with your own hands. For example, this crochet topiary with a heart on an intricate branch. For its manufacture you will need:

- remnants of yarn of various colors, about 300-400 m / 100g thick. (in this version, acrylic);
- hook No. 1.5, tweezers;
- filler - synthetic winterizer, you can use ordinary cotton wool;
- buttons and beads of different sizes and colors;
- aluminum wire with a thickness of at least 1.5 mm in diameter, you can use another wire, the main thing is strong, so that the ball and heart can withstand;
- 2 large beads or buttons with a hole through which the wire will fit;
- a ceramic pot - a cactus, without a hole at the bottom, you can also use a plastic pot, but it may be less stable;
- smooth pebbles (you can buy in floristic and needlework stores);
- several small pieces of satin ribbon (for decorating trunks and making bows);
- a piece of foamed polyethylene or polystyrene

romantic topiary

The ball is knitted according to the scheme:

2nd row: make increases in each loop, in total you get 12 loops in a row;
to make an increase, insert the hook into the loop and knit a regular single crochet, after that we knit another same single crochet into the same loop. We knitted 2 sc in one loop - this is the increase



6th row: (4 single crochet, 1 increase) x 6 times, (you will get 36 loops);
7th row: (5 single crochet 1 increase) x 6 times, (42 loops);
8th row: (6 single crochet, 1 increase) x 6 times, (48 loops in total);
9th - 14th rows: knit evenly, without additions, 48 ​​single crochets;
15th row: we start decreasing loops in the reverse order, as they added
(6 single crochets, 1 decrease) x 6 times, (42 loops turned out)
to make a decrease you need to insert the hook into the first loop, grab the thread and pull it through - you will get 2 loops on the hook. Next, insert the hook into the next loop, grab the thread and stretch it through it - there should be 3 loops on the hook. It remains to grab the thread and stretch through all 3 loops on the hook - we knitted one decrease;
16th row: (5 single crochet, dec 1) x 6 times, (36 loops left);
17th row: (4 single crochet, 1 decrease) x 6 times, (30 loops left);
18th row: (3 single crochet, dec 1) x 6 times, (24 loops).
Next, we continue to decrease the loops. It is worth stopping with decreasing loops when there is such a hole that one of the two large beads would pass into the hole without problems. If you do not have such large beads, then you can use a large button, you just need to check whether the ends of the wire will fit into the holes of the button.


Heart.
The principle of knitting a heart, see the photo. To experiment with the basic description, you can knit a heart of various shapes: flattened or elongated, symmetrical or asymmetrical, it all depends on your imagination. In this embodiment, the cups of the heart are connected according to the scheme:
1st row: cast on 2 air loops, and knit 6 single crochets into the second air loop from the hook;
2nd row: make an increase in each loop, get 12 loops;
3rd row: (1 single crochet, 1 increase) x 6 times, (you get 18 loops);
4th row: (2 single crochet, 1 increase) x 6 times, (24 loops);
5th row: (3 single crochet, 1 increase) x 6 times, (total 30 loops);
6th - 8th rows: knit exactly without adding 30 single crochets;
Tie 2 such cups, connect them, and knit as one piece. In each row, make 4 decreases until there is a hole in which the bead enters. Remember to leave a long piece of yarn to finish knitting.

When the main details are ready, you can start making the trunk of our tree. To do this, we thread a piece of aluminum wire into a bead (or button) and carefully twist it. Unbend the ends of the wire in different directions, so that later it would be easier to fix it in a pot. This will be a straight barrel for the ball. For the second barrel, you need a piece of wire 2 times longer than the previous one. We repeat the same manipulation. This will be the stem for the heart, which we will bend and twist. Next, we decorate our trunks with satin ribbons. Tie the ribbon near the bead and tightly, overlapping, wrap the wire to the bottom. Tie the end of the ribbon in a knot. Do not take too wide a tape, 5 mm is enough, it can be thinner.
To make a "ground" for the pot, take a piece of polyethylene foam and cut out a circle of such a diameter that it enters the pot and is fixed at a height of 5-7 mm from the top edge. We cut a line in it with a knife and make a small hole in the center.
We knit the "earth". In order to be able to thread the topiary stems in the center, start knitting with 10 loops in the ring, and not with 6 as usual.
1st row: cast on 10 air loops, close them into a ring and knit 10 single crochets;
2nd row: (1 single crochet, 1 increase) x 5 times = 15 loops;
3rd row: (2 single crochet, 1 increase) x 5 times = 20 loops;
4th row: (3 single crochet, 1 increase) x 5 times = 25 loops;
We continue knitting with the addition of loops until its diameter becomes slightly larger, by 2-3 mm, than the base. If you use Grass yarn, your topiary will turn out to be more realistic.
Cooking pot. In this case, a ceramic “cactus plant” with a base diameter of 5 cm was used, the top of the pot was 7 cm. If you use a plastic pot, then you need to use a different method to fix the base, and not hot glue, the pot may burst due to high temperature.
We heat the thermal gun, pour glue on the bottom of the pot and spread the pebbles around the perimeter of the bottom. We are waiting for the glue to dry a little.
We thread the stems into the knitted part of the earth, pour more glue to the bottom and quickly put the spread ends of the wire there. Well, if you can stick them under the edges of the pebbles, if there is nothing to worry about.
Then we pour the glue in stages and lay the pebbles in layers, leaving time for the glue to harden and partially cool the pot. The top layer of pebbles should not reach the edge of the pot by about 1 cm. Through the cut line, we put the substrate on the stems, pour more glue on the top layer of stones and press the base. Waiting for freezing. Similarly, we glue the knitted part of the earth to the substrate.

romantic topiary

ideas for valentine's day

It remains only to attach the knitted ball and heart to the trunks. We fill the parts with filler, then insert the beads at the ends of the trunks and begin to tie them so that the filler does not come out. We close the hole completely, fasten the thread, hide the tail inside the toy. In my opinion, first fixing the toys, and then gluing the trunks to the pot is even less convenient, but you choose for yourself which stage to do when.
A little decor - bows, beads, buttons, and a romantic topiary for Valentine's Day is ready!
Based on the scheme of a three-dimensional heart, other romantic trinkets are also knitted.

Natalya Plakhteeva

In my previous post, I talked about how miraculously I still learned to crochet. Knitting is a very “loud” word. I am only taking the first steps.

This exciting activity "pushed" me to another interesting type of creativity - making a topiary.

I am pleased to get acquainted with the work of colleagues on the educational portal MaaM. I really wanted to make a miracle tree, but I didn’t want to repeat myself, but come up with something of my own. And here I present the first creative work - my first topiary.

We have hot, colorful, bright summers in the south. Therefore, I called my topiary "Southern Summer"

To make a topiary, knitted multi-colored flowers and green leaves were needed.

As a tree trunk, I used a twig that I found on the seashore

I wrapped the tree trunk with green thread and fastened it at the top.

On the top of the trunk of the future tree, I hoisted a green ball of thread

And spread its flowers over the entire round surface of the ball

On the trunk of a tree fixed green leaves

Made a few more bright colors to complement the whole composition

And to finish the composition, I took a pot, put green grass from threads on top

Now you can plant a tree. And next to the "Southern Summer" topiary, pretty flowers also grew

What a summer, what a summer!

Yes, it's just witchcraft -

And how, I ask, was it given to us

So - for no reason at all?

Fedor Tyutchev

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