Mini Christmas Topiaries + Mini Banner {using old book pages!}

Okay. You are probably going to make fun of me because I’m back with yet another tutorial featuring OLD BOOK PAGES and a “trash to treasure” project! I told you those old book pages were my latest infatuation (don’t tell my Photoshop, he’ll get jealous). Soon my whole house is going to be covered head to toe with old book pages. 😉 I knew they would make a great Christmas project but I had a hard time deciding exactly what to do. Then it came to me as I was rummaging through my junk craft supplies.

Mini Christmas Topiaries and a Mini Banner! Love it.

The greatest thing? This project basically cost me nothing. I used stuff I’ve had laying around forever, and I had the old book (that cost $1) with lots of pages left over from my daughter’s birthday party decorations. I love the vintage-y vibe old book pages give. And I love all things “mini” too. This is a win-win situation for me. Oh, wait until you see what the bottom “stands” are made from. Talk about trash to treasure 🙂

Supplies for my Mini Topiaries:

• 3 inch styrofoam balls (I used 2 for this project)
• 2 wooden skewers (like the kind you use for kabobs)
• pages from an old book
• hot glue gun and glue sticks

First I took a styrofoam ball and stuck the skewer into it. Then I covered the ball with strips of the old paper, using my glue gun. You could paint the skewer if you wanted, or wrap it with ribbon. I just kept it plain.

Next I used my 2.5 inch circle punch and cut out a whole bunch of circles out of the old book pages. Then, using the same technique that I used on my Vintage Square Halloween Wreath, I wrapped the circles one at a time around the end of a pencil and hot glued it to the styrofoam ball.

I continued hot gluing the bunched up circles on the ball until it was completely covered. It totally doesn’t have to be perfect. Voila! The top of the topiary was born.

If you wanted to, you could leave out the skewer and just add some ribbon to the top and hang the topiary ball as an ornament on your tree.

Mini Topiary Stands

So, I admitted once to saving things (things that normal people would throw away, I know,  I’m weird) to use for future projects. I had saved some empty frosting containers and found they were perfect (and FREE!) as little stands to hold the mini topiaries.

I gave them a pretty makeover by covering them with my favorite wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby (they have awesome wrapping paper there and I got it for about $3 a few weeks ago), some ribbon and some of the old book pages. I cut a little hole in the top of the lid to stick the skewer into. Then I added a bow for a finishing touch.

Here are the two of them during the day before I added the mini banner.

You could use other things to hold the topiaries, such as small buckets with foam inside, or small blocks of wood with a small hole drilled in the top to hold the skewer.

Mini “Peace” Banner

For the mini banner I made these darling little “lollies” out of old book pages as well. There are lots of great tutorials all over the web, Kami at No Biggie has a great one. I used some more cute Hobby Lobby wrapping paper and a small scallop punch to make the centers of the lollies. I cut out the word “peace” out of brown cardstock with my Silhouette machine and glued them onto the lollies. Then I strung them on a thin piece of jute string and used toothpicks to attach the banner to the backs of the topiaries. I think it would be fun to add some glitter too!

I think they turned out cute and add a fun, festive touch to my Christmas decor! Here are some night-time pictures of where they will be living for the month of December–in my living room!

Have fun “decking the halls” in your home! Happy holidays and Merry Christmas! xoxo