Materials for creating the money tree “Abundance”
To make topiary from money you will need:
- A tin can and a rag for wrapping.
- Gypsum.
- Coins - 50 pcs.
- Metal zipper.
- Green gouache.
- Gold acrylic.
- Plate, sponge.
- Milky sisal.
- Foam apple - 1 pc.
- Rubber frog - 1 pc.
- Transparent nail polish + bronzer.
- Dark grapes - 1 bunch.
- Souvenir dollars - 150 bills.
- Pearls - 4 pcs.
- Gold satin ribbon for bow, width 2.5 cm, length 25 cm.
- Fabric sheets of grapes: large 1 pc., small - 5 pcs.
- Fabric sheets of roses - 6 pcs.
- Glue rhinestones for a toad - 5 pcs.
- Narrow satin ribbons for wrapping banknotes - 0.5 m.
- Decorative grass - 1 bunch.
- Christmas tree beads.
- Filling: gypsum + water.
- Glass pebble.
- Snail.
- Sandpaper for sanding the barrel.
- Ball: newspapers + wide tape + knitting threads.
- The trunk is a corilus wand, salex.
- Silicone glue sticks for a hot-melt gun (diameter 7 mm, length 20 cm used) - 6 pcs.
See also - new for 2021! Money topiary with intricate roses from souvenir dollars "Spring Luxury"! ✔ Go to the master class with photos and videos .
Step-by-step master class with photos - topiary made from money and coins
Stage I. Making roses from money
We will make 2 types of roses from paper money - your choice.
Type 1. Cut the souvenir bill into 2 or 3 parts along the wide side, glue it into 1 strip. We twist the rose into a bud, and constantly wrap the strip back. This way you get sharp petals. If you cut the bill into 2 parts, the rose will turn out taller and larger. In addition, the longer the stripe, the larger the flower in diameter.
Type 2. An open rose with petals and a bead is assembled according to the “cabbage” principle. We turn the petals from the banknotes back a little so that the flower is lush.
To decorate a money tree, you can use either the 1st or 2nd type of rose. Instead of souvenir bills, you can use black and white newspaper or sheet music.
Stage II. Making a pot
For the “Abundance” money topiary, the pot is made by hand, using a tin, glass, plastic jar or any other durable container. Mix the gypsum until it reaches the consistency of thick sour cream, the approximate gypsum/water ratio is 1:1. The rags must be completely immersed in the solution. It is better to use cotton fabric, cut into long pieces. Soak it well in plaster and squeeze out the excess mixture.
We do everything very quickly, wear gloves, wash the dishes right away, the remaining plaster does not need to be washed down the drain!
We wrap the container, creating a textured surface. The plaster dries completely within 24 hours. After this, we sand the pot with sandpaper or pumice, smoothing out any unevenness.
We decorate the pot step by step:
- We paint with completely dark paint without gold.
- We fix the zipper on one side and mark the location of the coins.
- We glue the coins - from large to small.
- We glue the zipper completely.
- Add gold to the green paint and paint the pot with a semi-dry sponge.
- Make the third layer even lighter: add more gold. We paint randomly throughout the jar, also with a semi-dry sponge.
Layers dry in 10-15 minutes if using acrylic. Gouache - up to half an hour.
To decorate the “Abundance” money tree pot, we use a metal zipper in the same color as the coins.
This method gives the surface an antique effect: the pot takes on a ceramic antique look.
You can use 2 color options: green and gold acrylic or black and green gouache + bronze and PVA glue. In addition, gold acrylic can be replaced: gold gouache, bronze powder, glitter powder, patal.
It is now convenient to prepare the trunk for the money topiary “Abundance” - while the last layer of the pot is drying. We paint a branch of corilus (salex) previously sanded with sandpaper in 2 layers with a bronze tint (gold + brown gouache).
Stage III. Preparing the crown and pouring gypsum
We make the “Abundance” money tree ball by hand: we press newspapers and wrap them with tape. We fix the trunk before filling the crown. We glue the flowers in a chaotic manner all over the ball, and cover the gaps with small roses and beads . In total, a ball with a diameter of 18 cm will need 75-80 flowers, depending on the size of the bud.
You can do without additional decor: you get a beautiful and neat crown with roses made from money.
We fix the trunk with the prepared crown in a pot with plaster casting. If you use a ceramic or glass container, then add pieces of foam or sponge to the solution. All the secrets of attaching topiary are revealed in a separate article.
The plaster hardens in 2-3 hours, but it is better to leave it overnight until it dries completely and the moisture evaporates.
Stage IV. Additional crown decor
We use a large grape leaf to mark the compositional center of the topiary and place symbols of abundance on the crown: fertility, wealth, harvest. We stick out coins and rolled up paper bills, covering unsightly areas of the crown.
Frog is a rubber toy; You can also take any figurine. We paint the selected item with gold or bronze.
We tie a satin bow under the “Abundance” money topiary ball. A green organza bow will also match the color.
Stage V. Filling the pot
We lay synthetic padding under the sisal, on a gypsum fill, to save expensive fiber. We duplicate the materials from the crown onto a sisal backing (fixed with glue) so that the top of the topiary is in harmony with the bottom.
The foam apple is pre-painted in 2 layers of gold acrylic.
A complete collection of topiary ideas from Alena Tikhonova!
How to do it yourself?
Tools and materials
Creating different trees requires different components. Required resources for production:
- tree branch, tube (base);
- flower pot;
- the wire is thick and thin;
- gold or bronze paint;
- beads, coins or bills;
- decor: ribbons, nut shells, beads or stones;
- clay, plasticine or silicone glue.
- pot filler.
The color scheme of materials, their size and quantity depend on the wishes of the master. Before creating a talisman, you should prepare: make a model of the product, stock up on enough materials, think about the appearance and decor of the tree. Beginning handicrafts should pay attention to a flower made from coins. It is simpler to make and suitable for crafts with a child.
Stages of work
To make a tree you will need a cardboard trunk, which is covered with tape, and a foam ball.
To create a tree from banknotes, you need to prepare the base of the product - wrap a cardboard tube or branch with thick thread (ribbon). The finished trunk should be secured in a flower pot: placed in plaster or stuck in plasticine, and filled with decorative stones on top. Before gluing, roll the banknotes into a cone one at a time so that they do not become deformed. You need to glue carefully, avoiding clearings.
To create a beautiful coin money tree, it is advisable to use a foam ball for the base. You can buy such a thing at a craft store; the size depends on the amount of material and the artist’s ideas. To create a topiary you will need coins of the same denomination and a heat gun. It is not recommended to use PVA glue - it will not support the weight of the metal. It is necessary to form the ball in the form of scales: glue the first piece of money horizontally, and the others - overlapping it. At the bottom of the ball you need to leave room for the barrel. You can make it from a cable or a long stick. Having completed the work, you should cover the product with paint and varnish. Plant the prepared tree in a pot and secure it with plaster.
A panel of coins is simple to make and suitable even for children. You need to glue burlap onto thick cardboard or plywood and draw a sketch of a tree on the fabric with a felt-tip pen. Lay out the trunk with rolled napkins or newspaper tubes, and the crown of the tree with coins in 2 rows. Paint the piece with gold spray paint, dry it, and frame it.
Topiary “Abundance” - photo presentation
See all the photos of topiaries from Alena Tikhonova in the general selection!
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Variations on a theme
Fans of intricate crafts will love the idea of creating a money “crown” in the form of flowers.
To do this, cut two squares from one bill.
Fold each square diagonally and cut along the fold line.
The result should be four triangles. The corners at the base of the triangle are folded up so that the cuts meet in the center of the part.
The corners are bent back.
Related article: Amigurumi master class for beginners: dolls, sheep and hare knitting with video and photos on knitting
Thanks to the folds in the workpiece, two small triangles are visible at the base of the part. Each of them must be folded as shown in the photo.
The ends sticking out on the sides are folded inward and another bend is made. The opposite sides are glued together to form a flower petal.
The remaining petals are created in a similar way.
A flower is formed from the finished petals.
Flowers are glued to the base in the shape of a ball.
This topiary looks elegant and can add variety to a boring interior.
