I am so excited to share this adorable project with you today! I’m making a succulent topiary out of an embroidery hoop and and candle stick and the results are fabulous! I can’t wait for you to see it!
I know that many of you are like me and love using succulents in your decor. Making a succulent topiary is a fantastic way to add beauty to any room. Add a little lace and some skeleton keys and your topiary also gets a vintage feel. And you know that’s a must for me!
I also think the embroidery hoop adds to the vintage look too. I envision our grandmothers and great-grandmothers stitching away at something gorgeous while the little ones are playing quietly at their feet. I don’t know why but I always imagine the little ones of old as so well behaved. I’m sure our fore-mothers would be quick to burst my imaginative bubble but that’s what I always think of! Whatever embroidery hoops and succulents make you think of, I hope this project brings you as much joy as it has brought me.
Making a Succulent Topiary
Succulents are so popular these days and I’m so glad that so many people are appreciating their beauty. I love them in my own home and know that many of you do too. If you sell your handmade items online or at craft shows. This could be a great project to add to your product lineup! The fact that these are done in all neutral colors makes them great to sell at shows because they work with just about any home color scheme.
Another thing that I love about this project is that these look amazing outdoors! And, they hold up really well. I’ve had one outside for several seasons (including the snow) and it still looks fabulous. I wouldn’t add any of your pretty lace to one that you put outside but everything else does great in the elements.
The Magic Formula for Making Arrangements
When you watch the video below, you will hear me talk about my magic formula for any floral arrangement. What you need to have is a thriller, a spiller, and a filler. The thriller is your focal point, the thing that will stand out the most. Either a pretty flower or a well textured succulent will do the trick. Your spiller is the piece that will spill over the side of your arrangement to give it varied height and pull the whole project together. And, your filler is just like it sounds. The more neutral pieces that will fill in around your thriller and spiller. No matter what type of arrangement you are doing, keep this formula in mind and it will turn out beautifully!
If you are new to making arrangements don’t be scared! I always advise using hot glue to secure your greenery in place but you don’t have to glue it all down right away. What you can do is arrange things first and then go back and glue afterward. That way, if you don’t like something, you can just pull it back out and try something else!
Succulent Topiary Supply List
- Succulents
- Farmhouse type candlestick (with a wide top and base)
- Mosses (I used Spanish moss and a mix of green mosses)
- Large embroidery hoop
- Styrofoam block
- Small piece of lace
- Skeleton keys
- Leafy greenery like wisteria or ferns
- Hot glue gun
- Exacto knife
- Wire cutters
Step by Step Instructions
- Start by cutting you Styrofoam block to fit the size of your candlestick. I left mine hanging over the sides just a little bit.
- Next, separate the two parts of your embroidery hoop. Tighten down the one with the screw and then slip the other one inside of it crosswise. Use hot glue to secure it in place.
- Now use the knife to start cutting out ridges in our foam that your embroidery hoop can sit down in. Then put hot glue down into your ridges and place your hoops on top of it to secure them to the foam block.
- Then add hot glue to the bottom of your hoops and secure them to your candle stick.
- Now choose the succulents that you want to use and start adding them into your foam block. Use the wire cutters to trim down any stems that are too long and then put hot glue on the stems before sticking them into the foam.
- Add your piece of lace down and then stick your “spiller” succulent in on top of it.
- Tie your skeleton keys onto a strip of jute string or leather (or whatever you want!) and then secure them in place over your lace.
- Then continue filling in with your other succulents. Add in your greenery where you think the arrangement needs softening up or additional height.
- Next use the moss to fill in any holes and to cover the sides of your foam block. I started with a base of Spanish moss and then add in the green mosses on top. Use the hot glue to secure them in place.
The Wrap Up…
Oh friends, I hope you love this topiary project as much as I do! I had so much fun making it and love the way it looks in my home. I shared the link to the succulents that I used in the recipe above but you can use any kind that you like! You could even paint your embroidery hoop if you wanted it to match a certain area of your house. The neutral color of the hoop works perfectly for my decor but you could dress it up however you want! Whatever you end up using, I hope you enjoy the process and results as much as I have!
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Loved ur idea on the succulent topiary. Are the variety of succulents from ur shop?