Topiary from beads how to make branches. Bead topiary - how to make a spectacular interior item yourself, some tips for beginners. Beaded heart

Beads are a great material for many crafts. Original jewelry is woven from it for fans of high-quality jewelry. Necklaces, earrings, rings, pendants and bracelets made of beads are no less popular than items from jewelry stores. Masters of beading make napkins, candlesticks and other decorative elements from multi-colored beads.

Creative thoughts cannot be stopped, and now beaded topiary is being born.

The art of topiary is many centuries old. In a certain way, cut trees were very popular even among the ancient Romans. It was in the Roman gardens that special slaves (topiaries) worked, who supported the crowns of trees in the proper form. Of course, now freelance artists and gardeners give a beautiful geometric shape to vegetation.

Interest in this type of landscape design continues to grow, but caring for garden trees is quite laborious and painstaking. To decorate the interiors, needlework masters came up with miniature topiaries. These are small compositions with a geometrically correct (most often round) crown of plants. To create such topiaries, a variety of materials are used. This article will offer the option of creating a beaded topiary with step-by-step photos.

Coffee beaded topiary.

The height of this warm and such coffee topiary is about 40 cm.

Materials for work:

Brown beads with a golden inner coating, approximately 80 g;
Beads golden transparent 40 g;
1 spool of golden wire;
A piece of 5 m thick wire 1.5 - 2 mm in diameter;
A piece of 1 m of very thick wire 4 mm in diameter;
Silk threads of coffee color;
Coffee cup and saucer, clay or ceramic;
Coffee beans a little over 100 g;
Ground coffee
Ball base for topiary 6 - 7 cm in diameter (you can take a Christmas tree toy or purchase at a florist shop);
White and brown paint;
Gypsum;
Instant glue and PVA;
Colorless lacquer in aerosol.

The first stage is the preparation of the base ball for the topiary.

Sort coffee beans. Choose the most even, beautiful, the same color and size. Paint the ball with brown paint, several layers. Attach coffee beans with instant glue. You can make two layers, if one does not look in your opinion.

The second stage is blanks for twigs.

Weave in without axial French technique. String beads onto a spool of wire. Step back from the end of 15 cm (move the beaded low further along the wire). Make a loop of 15 beads, and 2 more loops around it with an increasing number of beads. Fasten the loops on the wire by twisting the working part a couple of times. Step back a couple of centimeters and make another leaf. Thus form five or more leaves. From the last sheet, measure 15 cm of wire and cut off. Make the extreme loops on each leaf pointed.

Now you need to twist the leaves into twigs. Work begins from the central sheet of the workpiece. Twist the branch by twisting the free distance of the wire between the sheets, straighten the sheets themselves randomly.

It is necessary to make 15 such branches.

The third stage is the sepals. Weaving French axial.

For the axis you need 10 cm of wire. String 12-15 beads on it. Weave arcs from low brown beads. For each sepal there are 5 pairs of arcs of brown beads. The angle of inclination of the arcs is 45 ° with respect to the axis. Weave the last 6th pair of bows with golden (amber) beads. On the upper part of the sepal axis, you can make a loop of 10 pcs. golden beads. Hide the wire tail from the wrong side.

The fourth stage is the formation of branches and stem.

Attach twigs to pieces of wire 20 cm and 1.5 - 2 cm in diameter. Then form a thicker branch from them. (see photo).

Take the thickest wire, it will be the stem of the topiary. Make a loop at one end, with its help the coffee tree will be attached to the cup. Then, measuring about 5 cm from the other end of the future stem, attach the sepals. And then spirally the rest of the blanks of branches.

The last stage is the final assembly and decoration of the tree.

Glue the inverted cup and saucer with glue and wait for it to dry completely. Now mix the gypsum with water and PVA glue (consistency of thick sour cream) and attach the stem to the cup and saucer, pour some of the gypsum so that it seems that it has partially flowed out of the cup on the saucer. Apply a thin layer of gypsum mixture to the stem and twigs (consistency of liquid sour cream).

Attach a coffee ball to the free crown.

Paint over the trunk and twigs with brown paint. After the paint is completely dry, use a stiff brush and white paint to emboss the trunk with horizontal movements.

For the final decoration with ground coffee, take the same gypsum or PVA glue. At the end, coat everything with clear varnish.

We bring to your attention a step-by-step photo-instruction for making a topiary of their beads, which will be a great gift for any celebration.

To create such a topiary, you will need:

beads;

Styrofoam ball;

Tweezers for the convenience of gluing beads;

Wire + twine + ribbon;

Pot + plaster;

Glue gun, PVA glue;

The process of making topiary from beads:

First glue the beads "along the equator" of the ball, and then fill in the "northern" and "southern hemisphere". If during gluing you have a large gap between the beads, then you should not worry - it will definitely close with the second layer. In photo 5, two layers of beads are already pasted. Don't forget to remove the glue threads.

Now take a wire that will hold its shape well. Wrap it with twine. Give the trunk a bend as desired. Wrap the ribbon around the top again. Glue the stem into the ball and glue beads around the hole to decorate everything. Pick up a pot and fill it with plaster. Leave to dry.

Now take the grass yarn, cast on the loops, close in a circle and knit with ordinary single crochets. From time to time try on a potty so as not to make a mistake with the height. This is how it will turn out in the process of knitting (photo 8). In appearance, the pot is not yet very “shaggy”, however, the wrong side is shown in the photo.

In photo 9, see the front shaggy side. Comb the soft pot, glue it from below and above to the cup. But only after you close the plaster with cold porcelain. See photos 13-15. So, prepare some cold porcelain. Pick a color that matches the wood. Apply PVA glue to the plaster surface. Make a cake out of porcelain according to the diameter of the pot. Smooth the surface well with wet fingers and leave to dry.

In the meantime, it will dry - make a nest for the bird. Glue the tulle ribbon along the edge onto the felt circle. On both sides and in several circles (photo 16). Glue a bird on top.

The name of the popular souvenir comes from the Latin name for a figuratively grown tree. Other common names for this composition are the European Tree or the Tree of Happiness. So, we will be engaged in the manufacture of a tree from beads. According to the Feng Shui tradition, the optimal shape for the crown is a ball or a cone. The trunk can be anything - straight or curved. The best example of conical trees are Christmas trees, and such a topiary will serve as a wonderful gift for the New Year holidays. A tree with a spherical crown can be anything, it all depends on your imagination. Another possible shape for the happiness tree is a heart. It is obtained from two trees woven together.

In any needlework, quality preparation is half the battle. Therefore, first of all, we tune in to joyful work and prepare the necessary parts and tools.

Before you start, stock up on:

Sketch of the future tree - topiary;
beads;
Wire, the diameter of which allows you to put beads on it.

You will also need tools for cutting and twisting the wire - metal scissors and pliers, the base for our tree - a large and stable stone, a floral sponge, a mounting foam base - everything that matches your artistic design, threads and glue to decorate the trunk and branches, if this is provided for by the plan.

The most important component, without which success cannot be achieved, is patience, because the manufacture of wood is work, although not difficult, but long and painstaking.

The size of the topiary can be anything: from a small figurine designed to decorate the table to a tree the entire height of the room, it all depends on your desire and patience. But it is worth starting to master the art of making topiary from beads with small figures. You can look for inspiration in photographs of the works of experienced craftsmen, in a walk in the park or greenhouse, on paintings.

Popular topiary - birches or sakura. But most often it is not a copy of any real tree, but is a fantasy plant. The most popular crown shape is balls. This souvenir is given for good luck. And happiness is often associated with abundance, paradise and magic. Therefore, when creating a topiary, you can use flowers, fruits, figurines of butterflies, and birds woven from beads or made using a different technique.

The main thing is not to overdo it, not to make the tree clumsy. Therefore, you should start with a sketch.

Draw your future tree, consider the number of branches, leaves on the branches, the frequency of placement of figures. These data will be required to calculate the amount of materials needed. The general principles for making topiary are given in our master class.

Topiary from beads: master class (video)

Branches of the tree of happiness: weaving techniques

A common technique for making topiary branches, coral, is to create loops by passing a thread or wire through several beads and returning it back through the same beads. Then the two ends that came out of the last bead diverge in different directions and are used to create the next loops. In this way it is convenient to make, for example, spruce paws. An alternative technique is to string a few beads, slide them into the center of the wire, then bend and twist the wire.

For the manufacture of flowers that can be used to decorate the topiary, the technique of French circular weaving or stringing with arcs is used. Its essence is that at the beginning of the wire they twist a loop, string the beads of the first row, then make a loop from the other end of the wire, string the second row, close it by turning the wire around the wire on which the first row is strung. So the required number of rows is collected, and then the initial small loop is untwisted and a flower is formed, passing the released end of the wire through several beads of the last row.

Topiary "tree of happiness" is considered a kind of talisman. Many people believe that this tree attracts well-being and positive emotions to the house.

Other techniques that can be used in the manufacture of topiary:

Knot technique (for large beads and beads);
Dense oblique weaving - for large leaves;
American tourniquet - for fruits.

We form branches

You can use individual beads, or you can use pre-prepared groups of several beads, leaves or flowers. Forming long loops from blanks of spruce paws, flowers or leaves, we form branches. The free ends of the loops are twisted, creating branches of the future tree.

The most common technique is to twist the blanks in pairs, then combine pairs, then pairs of such combined pairs, and so on until branches of the desired length are formed.

The frequency of arrangement of harvested leaves or flowers can be any and depend on your plan. The structure of the branches obtained by repeatedly twisting already twisted blanks is very beautiful, it resembles trees growing on the bare rocks of the northern mountains and twisted by the wind, or the trunks of Japanese bonsai bonsai trees. You do not need to decorate them with threads.

Branches can be done differently: by making two or three turns, just to fix the leaf or flower, leave even parallel ends. Then, having folded several leaves or flowers, wrap the free ends of the wire tightly with a thread smeared with glue. Do not forget to leave the ends of the wire with which you will connect the branches to the trunk.

Making a topiary from beads with your own hands: the final stage

Now that the crown and trunk of the topiary are ready, let's move on to the base. It should provide stability to the tree.

For the base you can use:

flat stone;
floral sponge;
Mounting foam;
Gypsum or alabaster.

To get a tree with its roots on a stone, take a stone that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the crown, and wrap it around four or six sides with the remains of the wire coming out of the trunk. This method is well suited for a trunk that is not intertwined with threads.

You can plant a tree in a tub by fixing it in a floral sponge, polyurethane foam or alabaster. The surface of the "soil" should be decorated with beads, threads or fabric fragments.

Caring for a beaded tree is not difficult - it just needs to be periodically cleaned of dust.

Making topiary from beads with your own hands (video)

A ready-made topiary can be a wonderful decoration for an apartment, or serve as a wonderful gift for a loved one. You can make simple topiary with your children, such an activity will unite the whole family. We hope our MK will help you with this. And happiness ... to make a beautiful thing with your own hands and give it to a loved one or, conversely, to receive such a gift from him - this is happiness. So the tree does its job perfectly.

Topiary from beads (photo)

Bead topiary is not such a rare craft, but many novice craftswomen are afraid to take on it, being not confident in their abilities. However, such a topiary is one of the simplest and most effective crafts, and it is done quite quickly. We bring to your attention a selection of photos and a master class on the manufacture of this wonderful interior gizmo.

First of all, it should be noted that the topiary is not necessarily the shape of a ball, it is simply the most common type of money tree. In addition to round topiaries, heart-shaped crafts are also popular. And, although it is somewhat more difficult to make them, they come out more spectacular and original.

We make do-it-yourself bead topiary in different versions

Option one - round topiary:

For work you will need:
Needle and thread
Beads in large quantities (about 700-100 if their diameter is 8 mm)
Flexible thick wire, or a few skewers or sushi sticks
Ribbon or jute twine
The base of the desired shape and size (approximately 10 centimeters in diameter)
pot
Gypsum or polyurethane foam

Mark a place on the foam ball into which the wire will be stuck, but do not stick the wire, otherwise it will not be very convenient to glue the ball with beads. Keep in mind that the wire will enter the ball no less than 5 centimeters and be additionally fixed with hot glue. Wrap the future trunk diagonally with a satin ribbon, or jute, not reaching one edge by 5 centimeters. If you do not have wire, but wooden skewers, or sushi sticks, you will need at least three of them, glued together along the entire length. They also need to be decorated with ribbon or twine.

Thread the needle and string all the beads on it. Tip - and beads, and the base, and the thread should be the same color. The most common option is white, since foam balls are the only color available. If your ball is white, the beads are blue, and the threads are blue, then the white spaces between the beads and the periodically flickering thread, together, will give a picture that is far from desired. However, nothing prevents painting it with paint from a spray can, after making sure that this paint does not corrode the foam, like Moment “Crystal” glue.

On the top of the ball, find the point from which you will glue the beads. The thread with beads should be fixed on both sides. Glue the first bead on hot glue exactly at the point that you have defined as the central one.

All further beads are glued in a spiral. No need to put glue dots on each bead - just apply glue strokes to the ball itself.

Having reached the marked point where the barrel will be inserted, stick the wire and additionally fix it with glue. Now you need to bring the spiral of beads to its logical conclusion. The junction of the base with the ball is beautifully decorated with a ribbon bow, especially if there are some flaws.

Decoration. Just a ball glued with beads and sticking out of a pot is not yet a topiary. As for the decor, there are several options. You can make a decorative element and stick it on the ball (but not on the crown), or add one large topiary with several small balls, also glued with beads. The pot also needs to be improved. A great option - roses from satin ribbons. For example, three flowers on the side of the ball, and one on the pot itself.

Construction installation. A gypsum solution is poured into the pot, into which the topiary stem is installed. Gypsum hardens quite quickly, you do not need to hold it for a long time. If you use polyurethane foam as "earth", the process will take less time - put a stem in a pot, blow it out with a small amount of polyurethane foam. The "earth" around the trunk also needs to be decorated - with sisal, coffee beans or just paper shavings.

The second option is a heart-shaped topiary.

For work you will need:
Needle and thread
Beads in large quantities (about 700-1000 if their diameter is 8 mm)
Glue gun and some glue sticks
flexible thick wire
Ribbon or jute twine
Styrofoam heart base, or DIY
pot
Gypsum or polyurethane foam

The technology is not fundamentally different from the previous version. First of all, beads are strung on a thread.

If you don’t have a foam heart at your disposal, into which you can stick a wire, but a home-made base, then the wire must be mounted between two pieces of cardboard - this will be stronger than inserting the stem into the small hole left.

Pasting must begin from the lower sharp end of the heart, but not along the plane, but from the end, gradually turning into a plane.

We decorate the heart with a flower from a satin ribbon, or a flower for scrapbooking. We tie the stem with a bow, as close as possible to the junction with the heart.

We decorate the pot as desired - this can be done using ribbons or corrugated paper. We install the topiary in a pot, fix it with gypsum or polyurethane foam, let it harden. And we love the result.

Recently, designs are fashionable not from one topiary standing on a straight stem, but whole inflorescences of balls, with intricately curving trunks. It should be noted that it looks quite attractive, and it is not at all difficult to perform.

The third option is a round topiary made of assorted beads

The previous two options were based on the same manufacturing principle. A thread of beads, which in a spiral, or in layers, pasted over the selected base. Such topiaries are certainly very beautiful, but strictly following the lines looks a bit unnatural. Therefore, the third option is chaotic, it looks very picturesque and original. Judge for yourself.

For work, you will need everything the same as in the previous master classes, with one clarification: you will need more beads and a variety of sizes. On the foam ball, determine and mark the point for the wire. And then it's up to fantasy. First, large beads are glued, starting from the top of the ball. Smaller beads are glued around them, and all gaps are filled with very small beads or beads. If the beads are slightly different in color - for example, pure white and ivory, then such a topiary will look even more spectacular.

Video for clarity

Topiary ("tree of happiness", "European tree") is a small decorative tree that decorates interiors and exteriors, and is also often used for. Topiaries are good because they look very beautiful, and you can make them with your own hands in just 1 evening from improvised materials.

This means that you can make several decorations at once, for example, one pair for New Year's serving, another for Easter, and a couple more for the mantelpiece.

In this material you will find 1 basic instruction on how to make a DIY topiary for beginners, as well as 3 step-by-step master classes in addition to it and 45 photo ideas for inspiration.

Basic instruction for beginners

Topiaries of even the most complex design are made according to approximately the same principle. Having mastered the basic manufacturing technology, you can create a variety of topiary, changing only the materials for decoration.

So, to make a mini-tree with your own hands, you will need to create it:

Crown;
Trunk;
The base of the tree.

Step 1. Design planning

Topiary can be different not only in design, but also in terms of service life. Before starting work, think about why you need a “tree of happiness” and where will it live? The purpose and future place of the topiary will determine its style, color scheme, and even the materials for its creation.

If you want to make topiary for, then materials that are not too durable can be used - paper, napkins, sweets, fresh flowers, fruits. If you want to make a topiary as a gift or for interior decoration, then it is better to use a more reliable decor - cones, artificial flowers, coffee beans, ribbons, organza, etc.

In the next selection of photos, you can get design ideas for themed and festive topiaries.

Sweet candy topiary for a children's party

Halloween decoration with potted candy

Halloween decorations from pumpkin seeds, ribbons and candy in tea cans

Easter trees made from eggs, artificial flowers, satin ribbons and moss

Christmas topiary made of artificial leaves and holly berries, cones and ribbons with a branch trunk

Candy tree for the holiday table

Topiary for festive table setting made of artificial flowers, natural branches, dry moss and satin ribbons

And here is a selection of photo examples of the design of exclusively interior topiary (scroll through!).

Step 2. Prepare materials

To make a topiary with your own hands, you will need:

Styrofoam ball with a diameter of 8-12 cm(available at many stationery and art stores) or floral foam ball (available at gardening and flower shops).

If desired, the ball can be made independently from foam, the same floral foam, polyurethane foam, papier-mâché, etc. However, the base of the crown can be not only in the shape of a ball, but also in the form of a heart, star, number, letter, animal figurine, etc.

Crown decor - depending on your idea, use flowers, satin ribbons, organza, coffee beans, banknotes, etc.
Trunk - it can be made from a dry and clean branch, a simple pencil or any other stick. In addition, a tall candlestick can replace the trunk and pot.
Barrel decor- the trunk can be at least covered with a matte varnish or painted. And as a maximum - wrap one or two tapes.
Planter - It is most convenient to pour the mixture into a clay pot, but any pretty cups, mugs, vintage buckets, etc. will also work.
Fixing mixture- it is best to make a do-it-yourself topiary with a mixture of alabaster, as it quickly hardens, almost does not crack and is cheap. You can also use cement-sand mortar, gypsum or putty. However, not only binder mixtures can fix a tree in a pot, but also the same foam, floral foam or stones.
Everything for mixing- container, water, stick, etc.
Decor for masking the fixing mixture- to create an imitation of soil cover, it is best to use natural materials: dry moss, small pebbles, expanded clay, sisal fiber. Artificial moss and stones are also suitable. In the pots of "edible" topiary, you can put sweets and dragees.
Glue gun and some glue sticks- if necessary, it can be replaced with glue like "Moment", but it's best not to do this, since the glue in the gun is more convenient, and most importantly, it allows you to remove random "cobwebs".
Scissors or cutter.
Tailor's studs with a very small head(optional, used in addition to or instead of glue, for example, for fastening beads).
Side cutters or nippers for cutting the trunk or any decorative elements.

At the preparatory stage, divide the decorative details for the crown into groups - for example, large, medium and small. So it will be more convenient for you to alternate the decor and distribute it evenly over the ball.

Step 3Create the Crown

First, you need to mark the ball - mark the place for attaching the trunk and mark the border around it, beyond which you do not need to go for some time, sticking the decor. Thanks to this technique, in the future you can easily fix the barrel in the ball without ruining the decor.

As soon as the glue warms up, proceed to the design of the ball in the following order: “trying on” the part without glue - applying glue to the right place - fixing the part. Remember that you need to act quickly so that the glue does not have time to soak into the foam. That is why the decor is better to apply and try on first.

Here are a few more nuances:

You need to stick the decor on the ball, starting with large elements and ending with small ones. For example, if you are making artificial flower topiary, first glue the largest buds on the ball, then the medium ones, and only then the small flowers and additional beads.
Some decor can be attached to the ball with tailor's studs. But it is best to combine carnations with glue.
If some parts have wire bases (for example, the same artificial flowers), then about 2 cm should be left from their “tails”. Then you can not only glue the decor, but also stick it into the ball.
To make the white base ball less noticeable in the gaps between the glued parts, it can be painted to match the decor.

Now we need to work with the trunk. As already mentioned, making it with your own hands is not at all difficult from a branch, pencil or any stick.

If you use a branch, then you can not paint it, but only cover it with a matte varnish so that the natural beauty of the tree is visible. If you use a wooden stick, then it can only be slightly tinted, artificially aged, etc. If you want to completely mask the surface of the trunk, then you can wrap satin ribbons, fabric, paper, rope around it, or completely paint it.

What length should it be? Since the barrel deepens both into the pot and into the ball, its length can be calculated using the following formula:

Stem length = 1/3 ball diameter + pot height + desired stem length between crown and pot.

To fix the barrel, you need to make a hole in the ball with a depth of about 2-3 cm at the marking site with an awl and a knife (depending on its size). When the hole is ready, fill its bottom with hot glue and put the crown on the trunk until it stops. Then continue to hold the barrel and gradually fill the hole with glue around the barrel.

Keep in mind that the hot glue will melt the styrofoam and deepen the hole even more. To prevent the trunk from going deeper into the crown by more than 1/3 of its diameter, small pieces of paper can be laid between the layers of glue.

As soon as the barrel is fixed in the ball, mask the attachment point with decor.

Step 5. Prepare the binder mixture and fix the tree in the pot

It's time to "plant" the resulting tree in a pot. For this you need:

Stepping back from the edge of the pot about 2.5 cm, put a mark - the mixture will be poured to this level. If there is a hole in the bottom of the pot, you need to cover it with tape or hot glue.

Dilute the mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions and fill the pot with it.
Align and fix the topiary in the pot, holding its stem until the mixture hardens.
Leave the mixture overnight or overnight until completely dry.

Hint: As already noted, it is best to use alabaster as a binder mixture. To fill 1 medium pot, it is necessary to dilute approximately 1 kg of alabaster with 600 ml of water. The mixture is kneaded for about 1-2 minutes until the consistency of thick sour cream, and then quickly poured into a pot and the topiary is fixed in it for 2-3 minutes.

Hooray! The topiary is almost ready, it remains only to create an imitation of soil in a pot and mask the fixing mixture. If you are using sisal fiber (see photo), shells, artificial grass or moss, then they need to be fixed with a small amount of glue.

Master class 1. Corrugated paper topiary

Topiary with paper flowers is especially suitable for decorating a festive table or festive interior decoration. So, for example, this rose topiary was made for Valentine's Day.

Materials:

Base ball with a diameter of 12 cm;
Corrugated (crepe paper) of medium density (corrugated paper in the form of a tape is used in the master class, but you can use regular rolls);
Floral foam bars and/or any fixative mixture (see basic instructions);
Planter or flowerpot for the base of the topiary;
The trunk is about 30 cm long;
Dry moss for pot decor;
Ribbon for decorating the trunk;
Glue gun.

Step 1. Cut the corrugated paper into strips 60 cm long and about 4.5-5 cm wide. If the paper is too thick and hard, knead the strips a little to make them more plastic.

Step 2. Now you need to roll the resulting ribbons into rosebuds. This is done very simply, just a couple of workouts and the principle becomes clear. Take one of the resulting paper ribbons and fold it 1/3 as shown in the photo below.

Then fold one end of the ribbon diagonally at a 45-degree angle and start rolling it into a roll. After three turns, you will get the core of the bud. Now wrap the free end to the outside, and continue to turn the core of the rose - voila, you have the first petal.

Step 4. Once the crown is completely covered with roses, attach the stem to it (see Basic Instructions). In this master class, the barrel was pre-painted with white spray paint.

Step 6 Lay dry moss on the "soil" and glue it in some places with hot glue. And finally, tie a bow on the trunk.

The following selection of photos presents other topiary design ideas that you can do with your own hands according to this master class, not only from corrugated paper, but also from satin ribbons, tissue paper, etc.

By the way, not only roses can be made from paper, but also lush peonies or hydrangeas. Methods for making such flowers are easy to find on the Internet.