How to Make a Fruit Topiary Tree

Create a focal point on your buffet table with this festive topiary tree, made from your choice of fresh or faux fruit.

From the book, Christmas Comfort and Joy

What You Need:

This fruit medley makes for an
interesting table decoration.

Table knife
12-inch-tall green plastic-foam cone with 4-inch base
Toothpicks
Wood glue
Miniature artificial or fresh pears, plums, kumquats, blueberries, and cranberries
Grape leaves
Footed crystal cake plate or compote

Instructions:

1. Use a table knife to trim off the tip of a plastic-foam cone. Put a generous amount of wood glue on the entire length of a toothpick.

2. Insert one end of toothpick into a pear and the opposite end into top of cone. Continue attaching pears to cone in rows, working from top to bottom.

3. Fill in gaps between pears with miniature plums, then kumquats, attaching them in the same manner as the pears.

4. Finish with blueberries and cranberries, using toothpicks cut in half to attach.

5. Randomly tuck grape leaves into arrangement, dabbing glue on stems to secure in place.

6. When cone is covered with fruit as desired, let glue dry. Place the cone on a crystal compote.