Learn how to make a color popping paper flower topiary. Step by step instructions with video tutorial and free templates.
I always like to decorate my home, depending on the season. It’s nice changing looks and add pops of color all over the house. One of my favorite projects during spring time is a paper flower topiary. I like using happy and bright colors. Today I will show you how you can make your own paper flower topiary in just a few steps. On the bottom of the article you can download the template in JPEG, FCM and SVG formats.
How To Make A Paper Flower Topiary Step By Step
1. Supplies And Tools
- Styrofoam foam ball 8″
- Clay pot or tin candy favor bucket
- Wooden stick 12″
- Scap of polystyrene or foam
- Shredded crepe paper
- Colored cardstock ( yellow )
- Corsage pins
- Liquid silicone glue
- Acrylic paint
- Toothpicks
- A ball tool to shape the flower petals
- A piece of foam sheet
- Ink pad and a sponge stamp
- Flower shaped craft punch
- Scanncut machine from Brother *
* Use the flower shaped craft punch if you don’t have a Scanncut machine.
2. Preparing The Topiary Foam Ball
Smaller sizes don’t have the hollow space inside, and it’s easier and faster to work with them. The one used in this video tutorial was 8″ in diameter. I had to reinforce it with a piece of polystyrene. I glued it on the end I will make the hole to insert the wooden stick. Use some toothpicks together with the glue to fix the piece of polystyrene to the ball. You can now glue the other half of the ball on top and paint the ball and the wooden stick. The best and long lasting paint so far was the acrylic patio paint.
3. Decorating The Flower Pot
I use a clay pot simply because it’s heavy and it can hold well the weight of the ball and the accessories. If you want, you can use a tin candy favor bucket. You can buy it painted so you don’t have to. If you use a tin candy favor bucket, I recommend you to add some weight on the bottom. First paint the clay pot if that’s the one you are using.
Using some scrap of polystyrene or foam, cut a circle to fit on the bottom and one on the top side of the pot / bucket. You can use the liquid silicone to glue them to the clay pot / bucket. Use little pieces of scrap polystyrene or foam to fill the gap between the two. Make a hole in the center and insert the 12″ wooden stick with the foam ball, all the way to the bottom.
4. Making The Topiary Paper Flowers
I used the Scanncut machine from Brother to cut all the flowers from colored cardstock. If you also use the same method, you can download the FCM or SVG template file. If you don’t have a Scanncut machine, you can go cheaper and use a flower shaped craft punch. It will take you longer to make the flowers, but it will do the job. You will need lots of flowers, so you can get your kids to punch them while you do the first steps. I also added a JPEG file in case you want to print the flowers and cut them by hand, but it would take you a very long time.
On a little piece of foam, use the ball tool ( or a rounded end pen cap ) to create the nice shape of the flowers, as I did in the video tutorial. If you don’t have foam or a rounded tool you can shape them by hand. But they look a lot better using a ball tool to shape the flowers. If you want, you can add an extra touch to the flower petals, and brush the edges with a sponge stamp. I used Distress ink – vintage photo.
5. Decorating The Topiary Flower
First I like to insert the corsage pins halfway in all the paper flowers. Then simply pin the flowers to the styrofoam foam ball. Try not to leave too much space between them, so your paper flower topiary will turn out pretty. When you finished pinning all the flowers, cut thin layers of crepe paper. Use the shredded crepe paper to decorate the top of your flower pot. That’s it… now just decorate your room and find the perfect place for your paper flower topiary. Did you like the article ? Check this amazing air freshener flower vase as well.
