What do you think can be in common between a plant and sweets? Suppose that the first character acts as a shell, and the second is content. The result can be a topiary made of sweets - an original souvenir in the form of a “sweet” tree. What kind of miracle is this? Is it possible and how to make topiary of sweets with your own hands? Useful tips and tricks will help you make such an unusual little thing.
What is topiary?
According to various encyclopedias and reference books, this is the first name for green plants that adorn the street interior. Topiary - shrubs and trees skillfully crafted as decorative figures. The history of their origin goes back to the distant past - during the existence of the Roman Empire. Later, a newfangled tradition spread to Europe. At the same time, decor elements began to decorate with their bizarre shapes not only gardens, alleys and parks, but also the interior decoration of the premises. Later, original man-made interior items, similar in shape to a round or conical crown of trees, began to be called topiary . Creating green sculptures is a whole art. Moreover, the embodiment of ideas and designs requires a certain time and special patience. To grow a large topiary, a professional gardener will need more than one year. Consider what methods and methods are used to form such living plantings.
Types of Topiary
To form a plant is quite difficult. You can create the desired crown in the classical way - by cutting as new branches and processes appear in the plant. Such a rather time-consuming process can be greatly facilitated by installing a special form during planting. Adhering to it, cutting the plant is easier and easier. This creates simple geometric shapes - a square, a ball, a cone. There is another, less time-consuming, method of obtaining topiary - frame. The main difference and advantage from the previous method is mobility. If classical green sculptures are usually stationary, then grown on special frames can easily be moved around the site to the right place according to the changed composition. This is due to the fact that topiary is grown according to a new method directly inside the framework on the located soil and irrigation systems. Usually, ground cover plants are used to form such landscape sculptures , braiding their shoots with the artificial base of the product in a few weeks. And if, in addition to greenery, the composition consists of flowers, then the result is amazing.
Mini-topiary - original interior decoration
As you can see, it takes time to get a vibrant green sculpture of a bizarre shape. In order not to wait, one of the most impatient craftsmen decided to create a man-made image of a tree. So there were original modern decorations for the interiors of the premises. The content of indoor souvenir mini-plants has become quite unpredictable. Everything that comes to hand comes into play: flowers, paper, natural material (cones, acorns, needles, etc.), napkins, various seeds and fruits. One of the most useful and enjoyable is the topiary of sweets. The main thing when creating an impromptu souvenir is to use all your imagination and imagination. Let's consider several options for making topiary from sweets. Photos clearly demonstrate the limitlessness of options for making sweet surprises. Try and you make with your own hands an original gift, for example, on March 8 or Valentine's Day.
What should be the basis?
Such sweet compositions are very similar to bouquets of sweets. Topiary with its external saturation hide the internal structure of the structure. What does the foundation consist of, and how can various objects, including sweets, be strengthened on it? Firstly, you can purchase the necessary products in stores specializing in the sale of materials for applied creativity. The most commonly used forms for making a topiary of sweets are a ball and a cone. The necessary blanks of polystyrene foam and floristic sponges, as a rule, can always be found in the assortment in such needlework shops. If it is not possible to purchase a ready-made base, you can try to make it yourself. Some craftswomen adapt suitable objects for these purposes, such as, for example, an old Christmas tree toy or a ball. Consider the production of a newspaper ball, from which you can then make topiary from sweets. The master class is presented in the form of an instruction with useful tips.
Making a paper ball from newspapers
Most importantly, the foundation should be light enough. After all, after decorating with sweets, such a home-made crown will need to be firmly installed on the makeshift trunk of a souvenir tree. Therefore, the most suitable material in the manufacture of the base for topiary is thin paper. Take an ordinary newspaper and sewing thread. Tear the paper into small pieces that are about half the size of a notebook sheet or slightly smaller. To begin, crumple a small ball with a diameter of 3-4 cm from a small piece. Then begin to apply other newspaper blanks to it, forming a ball. The number of layers will directly depend on the desired size of the base. When the ball is ready, wrap it with threads, moving in different directions. If the future topiary of sweets is planned to be suspended, fasten the decorative braid with newspapers between layers . And in the case of making a souvenir tree, insert at the initial stage in the middle of the ball a wand, which will then be the trunk. For greater strength, you can lubricate the workpiece with a thin layer of PVA glue.
How to fix the topiary trunk in a pot?
A homemade tree usually "grows" in some small capacity. As a rule, a small pot or bucket is used for this. And so that with further work it would be more convenient to decorate the topiary by attaching various objects to the base, it is advisable to immediately fix the trunk firmly. But before that, do not forget to decorate the straw or stick with decorative elements: wrap with colored paper or bright ribbons to the tone of the whole souvenir. Then, pour a thick, freshly diluted mixture of gypsum or alabaster into the pot, filling the container by about 4/5 of the total volume. Until the mass has completely solidified, insert the topiary trunk into the middle of the pot to a depth of about 5-6 cm. Wait until the mixture has completely hardened, holding the round base in an upright position. You can also work in a slightly different way. In a finished pot with a pre-flooded mass, drill a thin hole equal in diameter to the tree trunk. Then the product will be semi-collapsible.
Master class (MK) "Topiary of sweets"
Let's consider how to fix sweets on the basis of a souvenir. To get an elegant product, use colored or shiny paper for decoration. Cut 6x6 cm squares from it. They will act as a decorative "fur coat" for sweets. Paper blanks can also be round in shape or any other. You can make a very original topiary of sweets with your own hands in the form of a bouquet. First, wrap each candy (preferably round) in shiny paper. Then, from the corrugated paper, cut the blanks in the form of petals. Wrap them around sweets, creating mini-buds. Insert one edge of the toothpick into a sweet item immediately. Fasten the other free side of the sharp stick to the round topiary base. For simple design, put paper sweets into funnel-shaped paper blanks, then attach them to the crown of the souvenir tree. The simplest manufacture of crafts is the use of ready-made lollipops. They stick into the crown with their chopsticks and, if desired, are decorated with ribbons and other decorative elements.
Pot decoration
The final step in creating a topiary with your own hands is the design of the container in which the crown is fixed. When filling the pot with gypsum solution, it was noted that the mass should not be filled to the brim. For what purposes is this provided? Of course, this condition can be observed at will. Beginning craftswomen, when creating their first souvenir, mainly pay attention to decorating the crown of the tree. The easiest option is to fill the space with rolled up cotton balls. The improvised green grass from cut paper of the corresponding color will refresh the craft very much. The empty space in the pot can be decorated in a very original way in a slightly different way. Put a thin layer of clean paper or napkin on the plaster, and then sprinkle bright candy or other goodies on top. It can also be envisaged at the stage of pouring the hardening mixture into the pot that several sharp sticks are fixed in it. When making them, sweets wrapped in paper are additionally fixed on them.
Features of using sweet topiary
Recently, it has become very fashionable not only to present homemade sweet trees as a gift, but also to decorate the table with them when serving. Especially such items during the organization of banquets are admired by children. Indeed, immediately at first glance it is impossible to guess that an unusual object is an original stand for sweets. Therefore, such topiaries are usually used several times. Each new variant of filling with sweets can be completely different in its content both internal (in the pot) and external (crown). When preparing children's parties, attract kids to create such souvenirs. They will be happy to make future treats for their guests. As you can see, it’s quite simple to make topiary from sweets. The master class described in this article will surely become the basis for the implementation of new ideas and ideas. Create magnificent crafts, pleasing to the eye and surprising others!