Floral fiber such as sisal can be seen in every flower shop today. More than one photo or video master class is devoted to making sisal crafts. Sisal is made from the leaves of the Mexican agave; it is a herbaceous shrub from the subtropics. Sisal fibers are coarse and stiff, but very durable. This fiber is most often used to make ropes, ropes, washcloths, and brushes. That is, production is far from artistic creativity.

But it was the masters of decorative and applied arts who drew attention to the fact that sisal is appropriate in needlework, as well as in a variety of types of decor. And now video instructions tell you how to build such beauty.

Before making a beautiful souvenir tree, you will need a MK (master class) on making sisal itself. If you couldn't find it anywhere, you can make it yourself. Where you should start is by visiting a hardware store. Buy a brush there for whitewashing houses, it’s cheap, and you can pull out a lot of fibers from it.

Choose brushes with thin, durable bristles; the bristles must be natural.

The next point is how to make such sisal colored:

• Use dyes in tablets or powder;
• Fill any vessel with hot water, add one tablespoon of vinegar, and then the dye itself;
• Soak the sisal divided into strands in the resulting solution for two and a half hours;
• When the material is dry, you can lay it out to dry on regular album sheets or napkins (clean, of course);
• You can mix shades to get interesting colors;
• Natural dyes are also used - in the photo you can see how beautifully sisal is dyed with your own hands using ordinary potassium permanganate, beet juice, coffee grounds, etc.

And if you need a snow-white blank, you can soak the sisal in “Whiteness”, increasing the soaking time to six hours.

Very important: do not dry sisal on newspaper or magazine sheets, as it is possible that letters will be imprinted on the material.

There is also such a thing as wicker (linen) sisal. How to make it yourself? Another small master class. Take an oilcloth, arrange the prepared fibers on it in any order, and thoroughly cover the top with wallpaper glue. Cover it all with another layer of film and press it down with a flat board.

After a day, such a woven fabric can be used - for example, to make topiary from sisal.

Sisal topiary (video master class)

Sisal balls for topiary: how to make

And one more simple master class for a future big craft. It involves making sisal balls with your own hands.

How to make sisal balls:

• Divide the sisal into small pieces;
• Slowly roll each piece in your palms.

You decide what size you need to make the topiary ball. Rolling circles is very simple; the tighter, the more securely they will hold, the better the crown will turn out.

How to roll sisal balls (MK video)

Sisal topiary: master class

Well, now you can start making topiary from sisal. If possible, film the process on video or photo, so that later you can make a video or photo master class to teach other novice masters.

So, you will need:

• Sisal of a certain color (for example, purple). You can take several colors if you are sure that you can combine it correctly.
• Pot.
• Gypsum.
• Foam ball or any other ball for the base.
• Water.
• A twig from a tree. Of course, the trunk may be different, but the twig will cope with this task perfectly.
• Scissors.
• Glue gun.
• Wire cutters.
• Decorative elements of your choice.

Topiary made of sisal (photo master class step by step)

When the product is almost ready, the final touch remains in the form of a “highlight” in the decoration

Topiary Christmas tree made of sisal: New Year's master class

The most current video and photo instructions are devoted to the production of sisal topiaries, the model of which is a herringbone. This New Year's souvenir will be an excellent gift for friends and family. This New Year's souvenir is very simple to make, and how such a tree will help out on holidays - a thing made with your own hands is always a more valuable present when there is such a New Year's occasion.

How is such a Christmas tree made? The main crown of such a tree will not be a ball, but a cone. Well, if it’s clear where to get the ball, then how to make a cone? The easiest option is to roll it out of cardboard. It’s better to secure the cone with tape, not regular tape, but painter’s tape - the future Christmas tree will be stronger.

Also suitable as a blank is a plastic base for a children's pyramid or a foam blank.

• The bottom of the cone must be covered with a circle;
• Take a piece of wire and bend one end;
• Place the wire through the top of the cone and secure it with hot glue;
• Make a hole in the circle with scissors, thread the circle onto a pencil;
• Finally, glue the cone itself (the future Christmas tree) on top of the pencil, and glue the circle on the bottom;
• Tear off a piece of sisal and use the same hot glue to secure it to the end of the wire;
• Wrap the sisal tightly around the wire, and then begin winding movements around the cone, while securing each turn with hot glue;
• The sisal should be wound around the entire cone in this manner;
• And the pencil-barrel can be wrapped in twine or covered with silver narrow tape.

Decorate the pot too, but this should be done in such a way that the color of the pot’s decor matches the Christmas tree. For example, the Christmas tree is blue and the New Year's pot is also blue. If you want multicolor, it should also be in harmony. For example, the Christmas tree is green and the pot is golden. In a word, the Christmas tree and the New Year's pot should have the same colors.

Well, such a Christmas tree will be decorated the way you imagine. Look at photos or video examples of how other craftsmen decorate a similar topiary made of colored sisal. The Christmas tree can be decorated with a mini garland and New Year's beads. There can even be a festive ball hanging on it, and more than one - only very small ones.

Decorate the pot with your own hands - golden braid, satin ribbons, snow-covered fruits. Inside the pot, on top, you can put a small New Year's photo so that it becomes clear who the gift is from.

Small handmade trees are gaining popularity among needlewomen. Depending on the material used in the composition, topiary can fit into any interior. In addition, there is no need to spend a lot of time and money on creating a miniature masterpiece. Fans of floral home decoration will appreciate a variety of topiaries made from artificial flowers.

Even a novice craftswoman can handle the work on the tree. It is enough to understand the creative process of one craft and you will actually be able to create your own fantasy compositions.

Trees in bloom

If you have free time, you can try to create several topiaries at the same time. This master class is designed for three flower arrangements at once.

For the creative process you should prepare:

• flower pots (3 pcs.);
• multi-colored heads of artificial flowers;
• artificial grass (lawn type);
• hot glue;
• a plastic ball with spikes or a foam ball;
• gypsum, water;
• wooden skewers, skewers for canapés, toothpicks;
• adhesive fabric tape (tape);
• decorative decorations (ladybugs, butterflies);
• coffee beans.

Before you start working on the trees themselves, you need to prepare the basis for their fastening. To do this, the gypsum is mixed with water until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. The resulting mixture is poured into three pots.

It is advisable not to fill the pots to the very top, since the plaster surface will subsequently be decorated.

The mixture is left to dry briefly (10-15 minutes): it is necessary to thicken the composition.

Wooden skewers are wrapped with tape and then inserted into the plaster cast strictly in the center.

The wet plaster surface of two pots is covered with coffee beans.

Colored skewers for canapés and artificial grass are inserted into the third, as shown in the photo.

The workpiece must be completely dry. As a rule, this takes about one day, so you should take care of the gypsum base for the tree on the eve of the creative process.

A plastic ball with spikes around its circumference will be the base part of the “crown”. Artificial grass is strung on spikes over the entire surface.

If such a ball is not found, then you can use a foam ball into which toothpicks are inserted (they will act as spikes).

You should make three balls framed with artificial vegetation.

The blank is attached to the tree trunk using hot glue. All three compositions are performed in this way. They will differ in a variety of decor.

The first work consists of sunflower flowers. The cores of artificial flower heads are framed with coffee beans.

To do this, just treat the central part of the sunflower with PVA glue and apply coffee beans onto the glue in a dense layer.

While the flower heads are drying, there is time to decorate the trunk of the tree. The composition will be placed in a pot, the plaster base of which is decorated with coffee beans.

A small number of artificial leaves and cute ladybugs are located at the base and along the surface of the trunk. The parts are attached with hot glue.

After the flowers have dried, they are glued onto the prepared green ball. The work uses a glue gun.

As a final element, a decorative butterfly is inserted into the flower part of the topiary.

The next composition is designed in the form of a grapevine. Take the second prepared flower pot with coffee beans. Grape leaves are screwed onto the surface of the trunk using tape.

The same decor, with the addition of bright colors, is located at the base of the tree. The most convenient way to attach the decoration is with hot glue.

A bunch of grapes, leaves and contrasting flowers are glued to the “head” of the composition. The decorated ball is secured to the barrel with hot glue.

The third pot remained unused, the base of which is decorated with grass and bright skewers for canapés.

The trunk of this tree will remain in its original state, and large bright flowers and twigs are added to the lower part of the work.

The same large flower heads will decorate the crown, but not over the entire surface, but only in a few places. The free space of the “cap” is decorated with beads to match the colors. All decorations are fixed to the ball with hot glue.

Upon completion of decoration, the crown is glued to the trunk.

The result is three unique topiaries, each of which can easily find a suitable place in the interior.

Using not only flowers, but also sisal in your work will help add a fresh touch to the creation of the composition and make the topiary unusual.

Simplicity and grace

To work you will need:

• a flower pot;
• gypsum, water;
• wooden stick, satin ribbon;
• hot glue;
• newspaper, thread;
• sisal, artificial flowers and leaves.

A tight ball is rolled out of newspaper and wrapped with thread. Gypsum is diluted with water to a thick sour cream. The mixture is poured into a flower pot.

The wooden stick is tightly wrapped with satin ribbon. The ends of the tape are fixed with hot glue.

The trunk is inserted into a plaster base. A newspaper ball is strung on a stick. For reliability, it is best to secure it with hot glue. While the gypsum has not yet completely hardened, a layer of sisal is applied to its surface.

The workpiece remains until the gypsum base dries.

Sisal balls are glued in order onto the newspaper ball. They should cover the entire surface.

It remains to add decorative elements in the form of flowers and leaves.

Miniature flowers are attached to the crown of the tree, and artificial leaves and twigs are located at the base.

The topiary is ready. What other options can you come up with for topiary made from sisal and flowers? A selection of videos on the relevant topic will tell you.

Video on the topic of the article

The art of making miniature trees for interior decoration is no longer a creative activity exclusively of professional designers. Everywhere, many needlewomen make unique crafts with their own hands in the form of small plants or flowers. Topiaries are in great demand among people who want to give an original gift for a birthday, March 8, Valentine's Day on February 14, or to congratulate friends on their housewarming. It is not at all necessary to buy such products. You can easily and quickly make topiary from various scrap materials with your own hands, using step-by-step master classes with photos and videos for beginners, which we have posted on the pages of our website.

In this article we also posted simple tutorials with which you can make a very beautiful sisal topiary. This is a very convenient material for making original crafts and floral arrangements. Typically, sisal consists of fairly tough plant fibers that are produced in Mexico from the leaves of the Sisalana agave or other species of plants with similar properties.

Sisal fibers in the form of compressed sheets or individual bundles can be purchased in specialized stores that sell floristry products. The color range of sisal fibers is very wide - from bright, even “acidic” tones to nuanced pastel shades.

From bright sisal fibers you can make a very beautiful topiary ball, which is easy to attach to the trunk - just place the ball on a wire or branch. The topiary crown can be made from many small multi-colored balls rolled with your fingers, or you can simply roll a large ball from sisal fibers. A napkin cut from sisal fabric will serve as an elegant stand for the Tree of Happiness. The topiary trunk is fixed in a small container containing a hardening solution (alabaster, for example). An excellent option is a clay or plastic cup, which can be covered on the outside with sisal fibers. Very good if you wrap it in thin multi-colored strips cut from sisal fabric.

♦ WE MAKE TOPIARY WITH OUR OWN HANDS. STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEGINNERS WITH PHOTO:

OPTION 1 (click on photo):

OPTION 2 (click on photo):

OPTION 3 (click on photo):

♦ TOPIARY. VIDEO LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS:

How to make a gift topiary decorated with sisal balls. Video lesson:

How to properly make sisal balls to decorate the tree of Happiness.

Sisal topiary is not only an attractive decorative piece to add color to your home, but also a wonderful gift idea. In this article we will tell you how to make a topiary from sisal, a topiary from wool or any other similar material.

Sisal topiary: master class

To create a sisal topiary with your own hands we will need:

• a small round jar (for example, cotton swabs);
• a small ball;
• a thin but strong branch from a tree (unusually shaped or straight);
• sisal of the chosen color (ours is purple);
• glue "Titan" (you can use another of this type);
• glue sticks;
• glue gun;
• glue stick;
• gypsum mixture (construction);
• wire cutters;
• scissors;
• colored raffia;
• decorative beads (colored, metallized - any of your choice);
• corrugated paper of the selected color;
• any additional decorative elements of your choice (we have a purple decorative bird, artificial flowers).

Progress:

1. Add a little water to the construction plaster (so that the mixture acquires the consistency of thick sour cream), stir thoroughly so that there are no lumps of dry plaster and pour into an empty jar of cosmetic sticks (or any other suitable shape and size). In the center of the jar we insert a branch from a tree (“stem”). If you are unable to find a twig, you can use a straight stick made of any hard material - wood, metal, plastic. The inserted twig (stick) must be fixed for a short time until the plaster sets. You can just hold it with your hand so that it doesn’t lean to the side.

2. After the plaster has dried, glue a small children's ball to the top of the “trunk”. This is best done using hot glue.

3. Preparing sisal balls. To do this, take a small piece of sisal and begin to crumple it, forming a ball. The movements should be the same as when sculpting a plasticine ball.
4. The end result is balls like these. We make a lot of these balls so that it is enough to cover the ball on all sides. To create a topiary like ours, you will need about two packs of sisal.
5. After all the balls are twisted, we begin to glue them to the ball. Glue (using hot glue) in the form of circles, leaving the center blank. Glue a flower on a short stem to the center of each circle. In several circles you can glue not only flowers, but also leaves.
6. In this way we cover the entire surface of the ball with balls and flowers, forming the crown of our tree of happiness.

7. Now let's start decorating the bottom part. We cut out a circle from corrugated paper, slightly larger in diameter than the bottom of the base jar.

8. Lubricate the protruding edges of the paper circle with glue (we use a glue stick for this) and press it firmly against the walls of the base jar.

9. We glue the edge of the raffia to the resulting paper bottom and begin to wrap it around our pot to the top edge. We fix the ends of the raffia with hot glue.
10. After the pot is completely covered with raffia, you can decorate it to your taste, for example, with a bow and a decorative flower. In the same way, you can use beads, shells, ribbons - whatever you want.

11. Lubricate the frozen plaster in a jar with “Titanium” and cover it with a piece of sisal of the appropriate size. We decorate the tree trunk and crown with beads, bows or any other decorations. Our tree is ready.

Now that you have learned how to make topiary from sisal, you can apply the same technique when creating crafts from any other materials - wool balls, decorative beads, seed beads or balls.

Modern handicraft stores are practically bursting with a variety of materials. Many craftswomen don’t even have time to realize the advantages of one or another base when something new appears. Why do you need bright floral fiber, sold in many specialized stores, and is it possible to somehow save money on it? Amazing sisal: what it is and what you can make from it yourself, without attending expensive master classes, read in this article. The super popular material is easy to use and belongs to the category of natural bases for creative work.

What is sisal fiber made from?

This material is made from the leaves of the Mexican agave - a herbaceous shrub that grows in a subtropical climate. Sisal fibers are very stiff and quite coarse, but have very high strength. Interestingly, their production does not require any special technology and the unpainted material looks very natural, as it has a brilliant yellow tint. The main purpose of this fiber is to create durable decorative crafts, various brushes and washcloths. We are interested in the use of sisal as a material for handicrafts. But what to do if this amazing fiber is not sold in the city? You can make your own sisal, it just takes a little patience and some inexpensive supplies from the hardware store.

We make fiber from improvised materials

The easiest way would be to extract material for needlework from an ordinary brush, which is used for whitewashing houses. The cost of such a tool is negligible, only 60-70 rubles, and a large amount of fiber can be pulled out of it. You need to choose brushes with very thin and always natural bristles. Crafts made from sisal come in a variety of colors, since the material itself has a linen shade and requires additional coloring of the resulting fibers. This process is also very simple.

To give the material a suitable color, powder or tablets are used, which can be stocked up for free during various promotions taking place in stores before Easter. But you can simply buy them very cheaply. Pour very hot water into a plate of suitable size, or boiling water, add a tablespoon of ordinary vinegar and the desired dye. Sisal is divided into strands, which are soaked in the resulting solution for 2-2.5 hours.

Secrets of sisal shades

The soaked material is laid out to dry on clean album sheets. It is better not to use newspaper, as letters may be imprinted. To get a variety of shades, it is worth practicing mixing dyes. You can also use ordinary brilliant green, blue, potassium permanganate, beet juice, coffee, strong tea and many other traditional substances that can impart their color to the material. To obtain pure white sisal, use regular “Whiteness”. In this case, you need to soak the fibers for 6-8 hours or just overnight.

Linen or woven sisal - what is it? To create appliqués, sheets of this fiber, also dyed in various colors, are used. To make sisal fabric, take an oilcloth, on which the material is laid out in a fantasy order and covered with wallpaper glue on top. The resulting workpiece is covered with another layer of film and pressed down with a flat board.

What to do with ready-made materials

After 24 hours, the sisal fabric will be ready for further use, and it’s time to make the first craft. Applications made from this fiber are considered very popular, as well as various topiaries, baskets, decorative shoes and even bouquets. For example, you can create a designer notebook and decorate the cover with elements cut out of sisal fabric: birds, flowers or hearts. Three-dimensional figures are created on the basis of simple wire frames, which can be purchased at a florist store or made independently.

Sisal material: master class “Topiary”

To create a unique craft in the form of a tree, a needlewoman will need a small set of tools and materials, as well as two hours of free time. What you will need:

1. Sisal in the right color.
2. A pot or jar to secure the structure.
3. glue gun
4. Plaster from the nearest hardware store.
5. A special plastic or foam ball. You can make it yourself from tightly bunched paper wrapped in thread or cut it from a floral sponge.
6. Elements for decoration: sisal balls, beads, satin ribbons, ready-made flowers and berries.

We are working on the Topiary project

If you plan to use sesal balls, but are unable to buy them, you can roll them yourself. The fiber is tough and holds its shape well. The size of these elements should not be larger than the berries, beads and flowers in the composition. A hole is made in the base ball and a wire or ordinary twig is inserted to create the trunk of a future tree. Using a glue gun, we attach all the decorative details to the “crown” of the topiary. First, you should lay out large elements, filling the gaps with small beads and flowers. The trunk is decorated with a satin ribbon, and the entire structure is installed in a pot and filled with diluted plaster. After the “soil” in the pot has dried, the unsightly top layer is covered with sisal trimmings, which will become a “lawn”. That's it, the topiary is ready - you can vary the colors and decorative elements, which will always allow you to create new unique crafts.

Other natural fiber products

Probably the most famous use for this material is a sisal washcloth. This product has a natural wicker look, but it can also be made using a regular crochet hook. Sisal washcloth is not suitable for everyday use, but it works well as a natural one. Of course, you should not dye the fiber for such crafts. I also use washcloths made from this material for very effective anti-cellulite dry massage. For knitting, you should choose a hook of at least size 5. Thin tools are not suitable, otherwise the work will take a very long time to complete and will be too dense and rough. The smaller the distance between the loops, the worse the washcloth will lather. To get maximum foam when bathing, you should insert a regular bath sponge inside.

Knitting a sisal washcloth

The easiest way to make such a craft is to create a long tubular cloth from natural agave fiber. When asking a sisal store what it is, you won’t have to explain it, you can just ask for thread for a washcloth. At the beginning of the work, knit a ring of air columns of a suitable size. Usually about 40 loops are cast on. After which six to seven rows are knitted using standard single crochet stitches. This will allow the product to keep its shape in the future, and will also keep the sponge inside if you want to insert it. The entire remaining length is knitted with elongated loops or double crochets, as you prefer. Having knitted the entire length - about 30-40 cm, finish with six rows of simple loops. Additionally, you can make handles for a washcloth or sew a sponge inside. Before first use, the finished product is washed with regular soap and soaked in boiling water for a few minutes, which will make it a little softer.

Other types of sisal washcloths

A very nice and useful craft made from natural agave fiber would be an option for more experienced knitters. A washcloth in the form of a ball or coral sponge looks great and fits perfectly in your hand. This product can be used by children to wash their dirty feet and hands. To create such a model you need to cast on 50-60 air loops. After which they knit five rows with single crochets - there is no need to cut the thread. Next, the resulting ribbon is sewn into a ring and pulled together into a fantasy ball. You can tie a washcloth in the form of a mitten to make it more convenient to use it for self-massage or as mini toys for children.

So, we studied the material sisal, what it is and what can be made from it. It remains to wish our readers creative success and boundless inspiration in their work. Don’t forget to save on expensive floral sets by making your own and dyeing sisal fibers in suitable colors. And most importantly: before using products made from this material, they should always be lightly soaked in soapy water or doused with boiling water.