Make your own Topiary

Make your own Topiary

These are from my wedding almost 10 years ago. Since then I have moved several times and these have lasted (with a little dust). The one above is in my master bathroom.

This other is in my basement.

This below is Ballard Designs (love that catalog, hate those prices!)

They use boxwood, I used ivy...

Will have to try boxwood now that I have access to it...

Start with the foam ball available at all crafty stores.

You'll also need another styro-foam square for the pot you put it in.

I then covered it in moss. Using a hot glue gun.

I used ivy garland, 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby.

Wrap it all over and around....

I stuck some babies breath here and there...


I also put a little spanish moss here and there.

I went out in my tree line to get sticks to make it look a little more real-ish...pick one that is straight as possible.

I poked it into the styro-foam ball as straight as I could.

Because one was for my wedding I used white satin and white pearls. Leaving some garland to wrap around the stick.
I then spray painted my terra cotta pot white.
I liked the smoky look so I took a stainless steel fork and a lighter and let the smoke float on to the white Matte or flat paint. It sticks right to the paint. You can use this trick on a lot of things, makes it look more like marble.
You may need to have an extra set of hands... and of course, be careful, your using fire here......

and it does have to be true stainless steel. I just used an old fork from a thrift shop that I was not going to eat off of.

Some views of the smokey marble.....

I then sprayed varnish on it. I wouldn't use liquid varnish as the brush strokes may take off the smoke look.

This is the one in the basement, I lifted the spanish moss so you could see the foam under there in the pot... Actually that's a mini-pedestal upside down....