How to Make a Styrofoam Tree With Sticks

Build tree topiaries with sticks and Styrofoam balls.

Styrofoam tree crafts not only provide an alternative to using live plants, they're customizable. You may decorate Styrofoam trees with anything from ribbon and faux flowers to candy and scraps of cloth. Get creative, sort through your crafting scraps and create an original Styrofoam tree.

Things You'll Need

• Large stick with twigs intact
• 3-gallon terracotta pot (no drain hole)
• Floral foam brick
• Pre-mixed plaster
• Styrofoam balls
• Hot glue
• Fabric scraps
• Scissors
• Rhinestone- and pearl-tipped stick pins
• Faux leaves

Instructions

1. Find a large stick with twigs on the sides. A tree branch about 1-inch thick with smaller branches radiating from it works well.

2. Carefully remove any loose bark and twigs thinner than 1/4 inch in diameter. The idea is to have a stick with sparse, natural-looking branches radiating from the sides.

3. Slide a floral foam brick down into a 3-gallon terracotta pot. Push the end of the stick into the center of the floral foam so it stands up straight. Pour pre-mixed plaster into the pot and let it cure for about 24 hours. The foam holds the stick upright while the plaster dries.

4. Push Styrofoam balls onto the ends of the stick's branches. Use balls of several different sizes, arranging them until you find a pleasing configuration. Squeeze hot glue onto each branch and push a ball onto each branch when you finalize your design. Let the hot glue dry for about 20 minutes.

5. Cut scraps of fabric and patterned paper into circles and strips. Curl strips into flower buds. Layer circles on top of one another and crumple them upward to create open flowers. Attach the flowers to the Styrofoam balls with pearl- or rhinestone-tipped stick pins.

6. Fill in the gaps between flowers with faux leaves. Attach the leaves with hot glue or more stick pins.

Tips & Warnings

• To create a topiary-style tree, glue Spanish moss or green monofilament to the outsides of the Styrofoam balls. You also may spray paint the balls green.

• Seat the balls on the stick branches without gluing them into place. This way, you can create many sets of balls and change them out seasonally or as your tastes change.

References

• saveoncrafts: How to Make Candy Topiary Trees
• Craft Stylish: How to Make a Ribbon Tree Tutorial
• Made Man; How to Make Christmas Tree Decorations; Frances Smith