Artificial Topiary Tree

"Scrapbooking fills my days -
not to mention my living room, bedroom and closets!
~Author Unknown"

I had never considered making an artificial topiary tree until I was asked to make one and handed a whole file of paper scraps to do it! I hadn't seen such a 3-d paper craft project before, but I was willing to give it a go. I think the results speak for themselves.

Would you like to know how I made the little tree shown below?

Here's what you will need:

• Scraps of paper in coordinating colours - I used blue but you could use any colour combination that pleases you
  
• A box of pearl-headed or decorative pins (though plain ones would do. I just like the look of the pearl ones)
  
• A Styrofoam ball
  
• Circle paper punches in at least two sizes that will allow you to punch out two colours and layer them as illustrated. I also used a small flower punch and layered that on top of the circles
  
• A length of wooden doweling
  
• A flower pot and sand or rocks/gravel/something heavy to fill it with
  
• Some wrapping paper or card stock to cover the flower pot

Here's How to Make your Tree:

• Punch out two sizes of circles and stack them together in sets of two
  
• Pin the stacked circles together and push them into the Styrofoam ball. Make sure you overlap them enough to hide the Styrofoam, and space them as evenly as you can
  
• When the whole ball is covered in pinned circles, cover the length of doweling with a long paper spiral. Then push the doweling into the circle covered ball and set it aside
  
• Turn the flower pot upside down on a piece of cardstock or wrapping paper and trace around the wide top. Cut this circle out and punch a doweling sized hole in the middle
  
• Cover the flower pot with the wrapping paper and fix it securely. Decorate the outside as desired
  
• Stand the circle ball and doweling in the flower pot, thread the cut out disc onto the doweling so it will sit in the top of the flower pot when assembled, and fill the pot with your choice of ballast (sand, rocks, gravel), keeping the doweling balanced in the middle of the pot until it can stand alone
  
• Fit the cut out disc down into the pot to cover up the rocks/sand
  

The artificial topiary tree is basically finished now. You can keep adding embellishments to it till you are happy with it. I added some butterfly cut outs fixed on coiled florist's wire to the 'stem'.

Other Ideas to Try:

• Tie some ribbon bows and pin them into the Styrofoam as well
  
• Use seasonal colours - make a Christmas topiary tree in red and green or gold and silver or pink and purple.........
  
• Use lengths of tulle and pearl headed pins to decorate the Styrofoam. Add some heart punch shapes (instead of flowers) and you would have a Valentine's Day table centrepiece
  
• Use small trees decorated in wedding party colours to decorate wedding reception tables, or large ones to decorate the reception hall or church itself

You can let me know if you make one of these trees by telling me about it using the form below. I would love to know how you used your artificial topiary tree idea!

Do You Have A 3-d PaperCraft Project To Share?

Do you make 3-d PaperCraft items? I'd love to see your work. Please do share below.

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