Another Ballard's Knockoff! Inspired by their latest Olive Topiary, I saved $70 by making one myself and you can too with this Easy DIY Faux Olive Topiary tutorial! Affiliate links provided.
Do you ever fall in love with a decor piece, only to immediately change your mind once you see the price tag?
That's what happened to me when I saw this stunning Olive Topiary from Ballard Designs.
source: Ballard Designs
I loved the twiggy stem, the burnished pot with the beautiful spray of Olive branches.
But the price! $89 for the 26 inch tall plant - too rich for this momma of hungry boys.
So I thought I'd shop around and found this one from World Market.
source: World Market
At $40 - it was still to expensive for my liking, so I set out to DIY one for a fraction of the price. I loved how it turned out and had to share how easy it is to make one for yourself. Let start with the supply list.
Easy DIY Faux Olive Topiary
Olive Tree Stem Bundle - Hobby Lobby reg $12.99
Terra Cotta Pot - $2.50 - wait until both of these are 50% off!
Brown Floral Tape - Hobby Lobby $2.99 (I used a 40% off coupon)
Foam Floral Disc - $1.99
Stick - free
Mulch - free
Before you begin, clip each stem to create individual sprigs to work with. You can clip them with scissors, but if they are wired, then you may need wire cutters.
Next I took a stick I found from the yard and started to wrap each olive branch with brown floral tape around the stick.
It's best to find a stick that has a Y shape to allow room for the olive branches to spray out like the one from Ballard.
Simply layer and vary each olive sprig on the branch. It's perfectly fine to overlap the floral tape.
As you can see, we've got some awesome progress happening! I worked up and down the stick to mimic real branches.
Finish off the plant with a final wrap of the floral tape to secure the final sprigs.
Place your floral foam disc into the pot and insert your stick. I added mulch from my yard to hide the foam, but you can use raffia or moss if you like.
Isn't that the cutest thing ever?! I love how simple this was!
And what I love even more was the final price. The total cost of my DIY Faux Olive Topiary was $8.94 - that's a saving of $70!
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The best thing about this fun project is that I was able to recreate something that I thought was out of the question for my home. Now I have a beautifully styled corner of my living room!
So will you give this DIY a try? If you do, I want to see it! Send me a pic of what you create!
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Pin this Easy DIY Faux Olive Topiary to try later!
Jennifer
Sweet Mary - you are always so kind! Thank you friend!
Jennifer
Thank you so much Kerryanne! Your kind words bring a smile to my face! Thanks for the feature!
Mary
Jen this is such a great way to achieve the same look for a fraction of the price. I love my olives too but they are not worth that much money. I also love that pot with the patina.
Jennifer
Best compliment ever! Thank you so much!
Jennifer
Thank you Donna! I always enjoy linking up and finding inspiration at your party!
Jennifer
Thank you Jauquetta! I purchased that pot at Hobby Lobby, but I think it could be achieved easily with craft paint!
Jennifer
Thanks Nitka! That means so much!
Jennifer
I find myself in soooo many stores, loving their decor and thinking of ways to DIY one for my own. I can rarely justify the retail price!
Jennifer
I am wanting to make a lemon bush next! Heading over to your site for the inspo! Thanks for your kind words!
Jennifer
This made me giggle! Glad to know that fellow black thumbs are out there! LOL
Jennifer
I'm so happy this inspired you! Thanks for taking the time to comment - it means so much!
Kerryanne English
That looks totally amazing Jen and what a bargain price too. Don't you love it when knock-offs turn out this good. I'm putting this one on my To-Do list for sure.... love it!!
Thank you for linking up at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I'm delighted to be featuring your faux olive tree at tomorrow's party and pinning too.
Ann @ Live The Old Way
Your's looks WAY better than Ballard's! Thank you for sharing it with us at the Homestead Blog Hop!
Donna @ Modern on Monticello
This is an amazing knockoff. I like Ballard a lot but never purchase anything because of the price tag. Thanks for sharing a great idea with us at #HomeMattersParty
Jauquetta
Lovely! I think i like yours better and NOT because of the price. Love the pot, did you do the finish?
NitkaDesign
It looks so real:-))) Good Job:-)))
Roeshel
Those always catch my eye too and after checking the price, I walk away.
This is so clever! I LOVE IT!
nancy
Love it! I made a wreath like that similar to one on a high end website, using lemons, olives branches, and topped it with a yellow bow.
Marissa | Squirrels of a Feather
Oh my, this turned out lovely! I know what you mean, I saw a tiny "money tree" at the store today for $13...I just though, well I will probably kill it anyway and let it go 😉
Maria
I love this! I can't wait to try to make one for myself and the price difference! Wow. Thanks for a great tutorial
Jennifer
Thanks Stacey!
Stacey @ Poofing the Pillows
Love this knockoff! Topiaries are ridiculously expensive. Yours is just as pretty or more than the Ballard's version. Way to go!
Jennifer
OOH! I bet it's gorgeous with Lambs Ear - one of my fav plants!
Julie Briones
Love this, Jen! My set with Lambs Ear is almost done! ☺️
Jennifer
Thank you so much Angela! I hope this encouraged you to try to DIY one! Have a wonderful weekend!
Angela @ Simply Beautiful By Angela
Absolutely amazing! I've been wanting a little olive tree forever but just couldn't justify paying such a high price. I think I will try this out for sure, thank you for sharing!
Jennifer
I completely agree! I swoon over their catalog every time it arrives in my mailbox, but simply can't afford the prices. At least they inspire me! Thanks for taking the time to comment - I truly cherish each one!
Kari Wagner Hoban
This is amazing. I love Ballard but they are WAY overpriced. Such a great idea!