How to Make an Easy Faux Ivy Heart Topiary

I love topiaries of all kinds and for all seasons. Real plants of course make beautiful décor accents, but for me can easily go "kaput". I try to keep several small ivy plants going throughout the year, but for some reason I didn't have any candidates this year suitable for an ivy topiary. You have to have a relatively full plant with longer tendrils, (which I didn't have) so I thought I'd try a faux ivy topiary using elements I had on hand.

1. A heavy wire heart shaped topiary form.

 

I've had this metal heart topiary form for years, and I think I originally purchased it with a live ivy or angel vine. I've reused it for "new" topiaries several times with various types of ivy and plants. I checked on Amazon and they sell ones like this. You can make your own out of a clothes hanger, but they're not nearly as sturdy.

2. Pottery vase, metal container, clay pot, or some sort of vessel that will anchor the form. I found these clay pots with a ceramic glaze at Hobby Lobby several years ago, and bought them in 3 different sizes. They are so versatile and I love the "Frenchy" look of them. Right now I'm using my large one for a grouping of faux paperwhites.

3. For a filler and base, you can use floral Styrofoam blocks, but I like to use paper or plastic bags to stuff in the bottom so you have a filler. Cover it with moss for a natural look.

4. Faux Ivy Plants You could use any kind of faux ivy, but I like these smaller fuller mini bushes like below. I took a photo of the one I used, but it didn't show the shape well. You can find these on Amazon also. They have a sturdy plastic "handle" where all the tendrils meet, sort of like a bouquet. 

5. Insert the faux ivy into the moss and anchor it with the heart form. You may want to fill in the sparse areas with extra longer "tendrils" of ivy, wrapped around the wire form.

6. Adjust the ivy tendrils to fill in the sparse spaces, fluff individual leaves and add seasonal element if desired.

This topiary works throughout all the seasons, and you can use small seasonal elements to dress it up a bit. Small hearts nestled inside the heart make it Valentine's Day specific.

This size topiary makes a nice addition to the entry or kitchen where space is tight. And... it's virtually no maintenance or light needed. My kind of plant!!

Below I used a real ivy plant with the same metal heart shaped form.

Easy Ivy Topiary

Here's another of my Valentine's Day creations that I've been using for many years. 

How to Make a Moss Covered Heart

Valentine Tabletop Vignette Tableau

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