Christmas, Crafts, DIY

DIY Real Cedar & Orange Topiaries

These DIY Real Cedar and Orange Topiaries are a sustainable and budget-friendly way to decorate for the Christmas season. Follow this easy step-by-step tutorial to fill your home with the wonderful fragrance of live greenery and save money this holiday.

I love to add fresh greenery to the house during the holidays. Cedar adds such a wonderful fragrance and looks great for several weeks.

You can also see how to use fresh cedar to make this garland and refresh this wreath for Christmas.

DIY Cedar and Orange Topiary Trees with Pinecone tops on Christmas table setting. With Silent Night Cow painting.

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Table of contents

Materials Needed

How To Make Base for Cedar & Orange Topiaries?

First, find a tree limb or branch that is the same diameter or larger than the base of your cone. Using a chain saw or pole saw, cut a section long enough for the number of bases you need.

Then, cut the branch into 1-inch sections using a chop saw.

Note: You are not into chainsaws and such, so purchase some precut bases from the links above.

Use Miter Saw to Cut Topiary Base to size.

The finished base should look like this.

Cut wood slice approx. 1 inch thick.

Next, find some straight sticks, or you can use a dowel rod for the trunk of your topiary.

Then, drill a hole in the exact center of the wooden base using a cordless drill with a drill bit the same diameter as the sticks or dowel rods.

Sticks to make the topiary base.
Drill hole in wood base

Then twist the stick into the drilled hole until it feels secure. If necessary, you can add a drop of wood glue.

DIY Wood Bases for Topiaries.

Next, you will place the Styrofoam cone on the base by inserting the stick into the center of the bottom of the cone. Press down to the desired height.

How To Make DIY Real Cedar & Orange Topiaries?

Before making the topiaries, you will want to gather the cedar pieces and cut them to the desired length. For the 11.8-inch styrofoam cone, I found 5-6 inch pieces work well.

Then you may want to learn how to keep the cedar fresh longer with these tips.

Fresh Cedar gathered for DIY Crafts

How To Add The Cedar?

Gather 3 -4 sprigs of your precut real cedar into bundles. Using the floral pin, gather the ends of the branches inside the pin head and press them into the cone.

Real Natural Cedar and Floral Pick for Farmhouse-style Christmas Decor.

The bottom of the stems should reach the bottom of the cone because you don’t want the cone to be visible at the bottom.

Use floral pick to attach cedar sprigs to the cone.

Continue adding bundles until the cone is covered around the base and the cedar looks like a skirt.

Attach natural cedar to the styrofoam cone.

You can watch the full video tutorial on my YouTube Channel by clicking here.

How To Add Dried Orange Slices

For this next layer, you will need a glue gun and dried oranges slices. If you missed my post on how to dry fruit, you could see it here.

Cedar, dried orange slices and floral picks to make topiaries.

Add a drop of hot glue to the orange slice and press it to the cone just above the cedar. Continue with orange slices all around the top of the cedar. Don’t worry if you see gaps between the oranges. Fill in between the oranges by adding a drop of hot glue to cedar sprigs and covering any exposed areas.

Attach dried orange slices to the cedar for a farmhouse style Christmas Topiary.

Round Two

Repeat with another row of cedar using the floral pins to apply and then another round of oranges. Once again, fill in any gaps by using hot glue to attach small cedar sprigs.

Use hot glue to attach the dried oranges to the cedar topiaries.

How To Finish The Top Cedar & Orange Topiaries

For the final step, I gathered some tiny pinecones to add to the tops of the topiaries. However, you can purchase small pinecones if necessary. Other items that can be used for the top of the topiary, such as a metal or wooden star, would be cute.

Materials for the top of topiaries. Cedar and pinecones.

Using hot glue, adhere two to three tiny pinecones to the top. Then fill in around the pinecones with small sprigs of real cedar to cover any exposed cone.

Step-by-step tutorial to make fresh cedar and dried orange topiaries for holiday decorating..

In addition, you can trim any areas that need to be shaped with scissors. This will give the topiaries an appealing appearance.

DIY Real Cedar and Orange Topiaries

The finished topiaries look great as a table centerpiece mixed with other natural elements.

Real Cedar & Dried Orange Topiaries for Christmas Tablescape Centerpiece with reindeer & candles.

Placing them in small urns is another way to use your DIY Real Cedar & Orange Topiaries.

DIY Real Cedar & Orange Topiary tutorial for cost-effective holiday decorating ideas.

One last note: If you want to keep your topiaries beyond the holiday season, you can use faux cedar, and the dried orange slices will last for years.

When the real cedar becomes dried, I remove the dried oranges and save them for the following year.

This link at the beginning of this post is for some authentic-looking faux cedar.

DIY Real Cedar & Dried Orange Topiaries for sustainable and budget-friendly Christmas Decorating.

Placing them in small urns is another way to use your DIY Real Cedar & Orange Topiaries.

If you like sustainable DIY Ideas for the holidays, DIY Dried Orange and Herb Garland, and how to make a Cedar Garland that won’t fall apart.

In addition, you would like the post on How to make a Kissing Ball here.

Sustainable Real Greenery Topiaries made with Dried Oranges for budget-friendly decorating.

Additional Topiary Ideas

If you liked these topiaries, you would like this tutorial for Felt Christmas Trees.

Thanks for your support and happy holidays.

pin it to remember it

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40 Comments

  4. these are wonderfully rustic, Rachel. makes me want to run out in the yard with clippers. I’ve been wanting to do something with fresh greens and I’m sure the dried orange slices smell heavenly! Pinned!

    Reply

  9. These are absolutely gorgeous! I used dried oranges throughout my home this Christmas season, too and have really loved the fragrant, natural accent. Your topiaries are fabulous! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm! Pinned!

    Reply

  11. Hi Rachel, this post is so amazing. I am so glad I found you.
    I can already tell we will be great friends. Its funny you say to collect the Christmas craft supplies early. My girlfriend and I were doing the Dollar Tree tour today!
    I love your style and will enjoy receiving your blog posts.

    Reply
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  16. Thanks for sharing this at Farmhouse Friday. I know they were featured in a magazine but now I’m featuring them this week too. Not quite the same I know. LOL! Already looking forward to what you link up next!

    Reply

  17. These are stunning, Rachel!! The use of real cedar is amazing. How incredible these look for fresh and natural Christmas decor!

    Reply
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