Our Hopeful Home: How To Make An Ivy Topiary

I've always been a HUGE topiary fan. I have tons of faux topiaries all over my house -- all thrifted, of course -- but they are so expensive everywhere else! I've even DIY'd a faux boxwood topiary with great success. Years ago I had a live ivy topiary I grew and trained myself. It made me happy. And recently, I realized that it was time to try again and that I had the perfect topiary frame to do it with. You might be surprised to learn what I used.

Years ago I bought two black, metal, cone-shaped plant hangers for the patio. I used them for more than a few summers, but somehow they ended up in the bottom of our patio storage trunk where we keep all the outdoor furniture cushions. This year I re-discovered them, but decided not to fill them with flowers because I didn't feel like shelling out money for the necessary cone-shaped cocoa liners. So I came up with an alternative use for them that I'm really happy with.

metal planter clay pot green grass patio

The new use involves the black metal frame and one of our really large clay pots. Don't ask me how I knew, but I knew -- that if I placed the cone upside down on top of that clay pot it would fit perfectly!

I loved my idea, but I knew I'd have to tweak it a bit before I was in love with it. So in came the white spray paint and some gesso. I was so excited when making my project that I didn't stop to take all the photos I should have -- but honestly, this project is so easy I think you'll get the idea anyway!

I love "aging" my flower pots, so I got to work on this one with some gesso, a foam brush and a clean rag. I just dipped the sponge into the gesso and lightly "painted" it onto the pot. Then I went over the whole thing with the rag, rubbing some of the gesso off in various spots. I've been doing this for years. To see more, visit How To Age Terra Cotta Pots In 5 Minutes or Less to see another set of pots I "aged."

white wire planter clay flower pot ivy plant patio

Second up was the cone-shaped frame. First, I took off the chains that were used for hanging it since I wouldn't be needing them anymore (but I did hold onto them for another day). Then I placed it upside down on a Dollar Tree shower curtain liner (my drop cloth) and went to town spraying it with white spray paint. You can see the finished painted frame above, before I "aged" the flower pot.

faux aged clay pots wire topiary garden spike ivy plant

Here's a close-up of the finished pot. Over time it will "weather" beautifully.

vintage French wire plant stand aged clay pots lavender yellow flowers

I love the look so much that I went ahead and swiped some gesso on a few other flower pots on the patio. These three colorful plants are sitting in my vintage metal French planter.

I'm making sure the topiary form remains attached to the flower pot by adding two garden spikes, one on each side of the pot. I just slid the spike over the frame and pushed it down into the dirt. You can also use floral pins if you have them on hand instead.

blue patio planter geraniums yellow flowers ivy plany clay pots

I don't think the spikes are too noticeable, and they give me peace of mind that the whole thing won't come flying off in a strong wind.

I can't wait until the whole topiary form fills in and the flower pot becomes even more weathered by the elements.

And as for the ivy itself, I picked up two pots of common ivy at Wal-Mart for $2.58 each. I've found ivy to be pretty hardy in that I've grown it both indoors and outdoor without much problem And that's saying something since I haven't exactly been awarded green thumb status.

I chose two different types of ivy -- one had large, dark green leaves.

And the other plant had smaller, lighter colored leaves. I think that when it's in its glory and wrapped all around the topiary frame the contrast in colors will just add to its overall beauty. I'm pretty excited for that to happen and I'll be sure to keep you updated on the progress, probably on Instagram. (You can follow me there by clicking the IG icon in my top right sidebar.) Hope to see you there!

Well, that's it until next time, friends!