• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Partner
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Southern Hospitality

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking, Fashion & Gardening

  • My Home
  • Categories
    • A+ Blogs
    • My Blog Story
    • Decorating
    • DIY/How-To
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • In the Kitchen
    • My Home Tours
    • Thrifting
    • Travel
  • DIY Gallery
  • Fashion
  • Feature Friday
  • Shop My Home
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Making a Fabu-licious Tree Topper!

December 15, 2009 By Rhoda 27 Comments

56 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

img047

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)

IMG_7825

IMG_7985

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.

Related


Don't Miss a Post, join my list!

Filed Under: Christmas, Projects and How-To 27 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lana Austin says

    December 15, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    DIVINE!!!

    Reply
  2. grannyann says

    December 15, 2009 at 10:10 pm

    That is a fantastic topper!

    Reply
  3. Sonya says

    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!

    Reply
  4. Lori says

    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

    Reply
  5. Rhoda says

    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!

    Reply
  6. Sandie says

    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

    Reply
  7. Pinky says

    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

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

Click Here

Click Here

Email Series
How to Decorate in
Classic Timeless Style
.....without breaking the bank!

House Renovation Journey!

Our Paint Colors

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header2

Featured here:

Better Homes and Gardens
Atlanta Magazine
Better Homes and Gardens

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Partner

Copyright © 2023 · Southern Hospitality · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

Get my FREE Email Series How to Decorate in Classic Timeless Style....without breaking the bank!
After years of decorating my own homes, I've learned a few tricks on how to create a classic home on a budget. Hope you'll join me!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.