Making a Fabu-licious Tree Topper!

by Rhoda on December 15, 2009

in Christmas,Christmas craft,Projects and How-To

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With a feature in the Birmingham News on Thanksgiving weekend for putting together a WOW tree topper,  I’m scanning the pic (excuse the poor scan), but not the complete article and the pic wasn’t in color anyway.  But, you will all get a first hand look at how to put a big tree topper together….all in living color.   It’s really easy, I promise!IMG_7921

Here’s another shot at the tree up close.IMG_7826

And a good look at the entire large and sparkly tree topper.  I’ve always admired these and just started doing this last year and it’s all in combining textures, sparkle and shapes to get a flowing topper that stands up and shouts, HELLO. IMG_7824

I had these bows made already (maybe I’ll do a bow tutorial too, if ya’ll would like to see that).  I could have used another bow, but I don’t worry too much about the backside of the tree that is not seen.  Here’s the breakdown:

  • 3 Lime green leafy fronds with a little sparkle (from Hobby Lobby)
  • Bows already made (2 or 3)
  • 3 picks of faux greenery that has some different texture (already had)
  • 3 pretty green feathers (found at Hobby Lobby)
  • 3 bronze sparkly tapered fronds that curve out from the tree top (already had those)
  • 3 gold berry pics (from Michaels)
  • Around 8 sparkly gold pics with little ornaments attached, that’s the row you see around the bottom. (from Hobby Lobby)

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I’m adding in a lot of close-ups so you can see all the elements in detail.IMG_7986

Note the green leafy fronds in the middle with a little sparkle.IMG_7987

Here you can see everything that I listed, in particular the pretty green feathers and the bronze glittery skinny fronds.  These are great for adding some volume.IMG_7988

These gold glittery picks I found at Hobby Lobby and they have pretty balls attached too which add a lot of sparkle.  This is the row that I added in below the bows, but really there is no right or wrong with this. You just have to play around with it all.IMG_7989

Here you can see the lime leafy fronds and the gold berry picks and the lime green feathers.  Love those and I found them at Hobby Lobby.IMG_7990

Closeup of the bronze skinny fronds and the gold berries.IMG_7991

Those green picks are just plastic greenery (3 of them) that add some additional texture to all of this.

I attached the bows first right below the very top of the tree, then all I did was start adding height and texture with all the other pieces.  You can stick these picks in and since they have long stems, they will pretty much stay where you place them.

Add in some wispy green picks, along with the feathers, gold berries, and those bronze long and skinny fronds really made the difference, I think.   If you look at all the shots of the closeups, I think you can see how I arranged everything from the description of it all.  There’s no right or wrong way to do this, just have fun with all the colors and textures until you get it looking the way you want it.

That’s it!  Pretty easy, so I hope you’ll give it a try!  Feel free to ask any questions on any of this if it’s clear as mud. :)

I’m adding this to Kimba’s DIY Day.

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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Carol December 15, 2009 at 6:02 am

Rhoda,
It’s gorgeous and I never thought to put something like that at the top of my tree. I will next year, thought! Thanks for showing us how. :-)

Merry Christmas!

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2 Daisy Cottage December 15, 2009 at 6:17 am

Good Morning Rhodie!

I am sipping my first cup of what I’m sure will be several cups of coffee this morning and catching up with all things YOU and enjoying my visit here as always! Everything looks gorgeous – your Christmas decorating is radiant and I so enjoyed reading about your party and I love love Eleanor! She is a doll and I know a treasure too.

Merry Christmas to you dear friend!!!!

Love,
Kim

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3 Janey December 15, 2009 at 6:40 am

Rhoda I knew you were amazing but I didn’t know you werwe a mind reader!!! I have searched and searched for how to do those tree toppers! Thank you!!!! It looks amazing & congratulations on the article!

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4 Sissie December 15, 2009 at 7:34 am

Good morning Rhoda,
I admired your tree topper on a previous blog. I’m glad you are showing us how you did it. It’s very lovely. I’ve done this before with the glass finial bulbs but yours is much prettier. I think I’ll give it a try next year. Love it.

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5 Ro December 15, 2009 at 7:42 am

The topper and the tree are stunning. Wonderful job on both. I love the feathers and other elements that you used.
Belated Happy Birthday to Grandma!

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6 Kendra December 15, 2009 at 8:53 am

Rhoda!
That’s such a great picture of you and what an honor! Oh and of course your tree topper is beautiful! I’m sure that all who read the article just flipped over your creation.
http://domesticprincessintraining.blogspot.com

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7 Lou December 15, 2009 at 10:15 am

Hey Rhoda,
That really is gorgeous….Makes my mind start spinning with things to put on mine next year…. I can see a more frivolous one with a feather boa, candy canes, and lots of lime green and red….great idea!

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8 Amanda @ Serenity Now December 15, 2009 at 11:24 am

Wowza! You need to send that in to Southern Living or BH&G. :)

I’d love to see a bow tutorial (here I am just planning your posts for you!). I know how to make a small one, but I haven’t mastered the art of the larger ones, esp. those that have the loops all around like a globe. :)

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9 sara December 15, 2009 at 11:38 am

love it! can’t wait to work on one next year. am going to buy all the stuff this year to save! thank you so much for the info!

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10 Beverly December 15, 2009 at 11:47 am

Rhoda, it is magnificent. Congratulations on the article.

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11 sondra December 15, 2009 at 11:50 am

You have such talent! That is just so beautiful! Thank you for showing how it was done!

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12 Marci December 15, 2009 at 12:56 pm

Beautiful! I love this tree topper. Thank you for hosting the home tour. It is great fun!

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13 Stacey @ The Blessed Nest December 15, 2009 at 1:29 pm

What a pretty tree topper! Thanks for the “how-to”!!
Blessings,
Stacey

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14 Sheila December 15, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Hi Rhoda,
That is one grand tree topper and quite easy to put together now that you shared your “how to”. Bows are really not my forte so it would be great if you shared your technique. TFS! Sheila

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15 Saundra December 15, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Hi Rhoda,
I would also love a bow tutorial. I love this tree topper. Just to make sure I’m getting this, you don’t stick all the picks into anything other than the tree? I guess I assumed you used some sort of foam to stick everything in. Thanks for showing us a close-up, it is truly beautiful.

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16 Kathryn@BonafideSouthern December 15, 2009 at 5:24 pm

Rhoda, I just adore your pretty tree topper! I wish so badly that I could do something like that with my tree, but unfortunately, our ceilings are so low that my tree touches the ceiling and there’s no room left. We live in a restored 110 year old farm house, and the ceilings are only 7 feet tall (the exact same height of my Christmas tree) I only have a bow on the top, but one day, I plan to have a glorious topper similar to yours in a house with tall ceilings! I really like all of the different textures you’ve used. That makes it extra pleasing to the eye.

By the way, I gave those candy Christmas trees a try like you showed us from Holiday House. I think they turned out pretty well. I did a post about them today and linked it back to your tutorial. I hope you don’t mind. Thanks for the inspiration!

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17 Eddie December 15, 2009 at 6:00 pm

Congratulations! Looks fantastic!

Eddie

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18 Kimba December 15, 2009 at 6:12 pm

It’s beautiful! I love the feathers! Just gorgeous.

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19 melissa @ the inspired room December 15, 2009 at 7:07 pm

Congrats on the feature! And it is a fabulous topper!

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20 Laryssa @ Heaven In The Home December 15, 2009 at 8:29 pm

Gorgeous! Great job!

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21 Lana Austin December 15, 2009 at 10:07 pm

DIVINE!!!

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22 grannyann December 15, 2009 at 10:10 pm

That is a fantastic topper!

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23 Sonya December 16, 2009 at 1:21 am

A beautiful tree and topper!!! You did an awesome job!
A bow tutorial (for tree and packages) would be great. I have had several people show me and sometimes I can actually make one, but never satisfied how they turn out.

Thanks!

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24 Lori December 16, 2009 at 4:43 am

Rhoda,
Absolutely lovely. I have a question: your topper in the newspaper picture looks “removeable.” have you attached the pieces to a foam base? If not, I can’t imagine how such a large number of pieces would stay on such a skinny tree top as mine. Perhaps your tree top is fuller?
Thanks,
Lori

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25 Rhoda December 16, 2009 at 9:09 am

Thanks all! I’m glad you enjoyed seeing it up close and personal.

I’ll do a bow tutorial on how I make them very soon! Might not be in time for this Christmas, but maybe you can refer back to it. I learned from a silk floral place in ATL about 25 years ago how to make bows & it has worked for me ever since. My sister bought a cheap bow maker and loves it too, so that might be even easier.

On the topper, NO it is not attached to foam or anything else, just like I said, it’s all stuck directly down into the top of the tree. All the stems are hidden with everything in the tree. My fake tree is in 3 parts and the top part is the very last piece that plugs in. I had not set up my tree yet when the newspaper came out, so I just got down that top part of the tree and sat it on a plastic bucket so that I could put it together, so that’s how it was photographed. I ended up just leaving it like that and when my tree was up, plopped the topper on there just like you see it, so I didn’t have to take it all apart again. You would be surprised how easy those long stems will slide into your tree and stay put.

HOpe that answers all your questions!

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26 Sandie December 16, 2009 at 9:15 am

That is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. The photograph was professional quality too. Lovely.
Sandie

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27 Pinky December 16, 2009 at 11:29 am

HI Rhoda, as a floral designer I have been doing this for years….I LOVE the look! I will send you a link to see mine if you would like to!:) I love the feathers in yours. Your tutorial was perfect, hope people will be able to try this. Merry Christmas!!!! XO, Pinky

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