Great Craft Projects - Topiary Arrangement

TO MAKE THIS TOPIARY TREE YOU WILL NEED:

Deep rose wired paper ribbon
2 yds. twisted paper, natural
Decorative terra cotta pot, 9" diameter, 7" tall (or resin jardiniere)
2 cups Plaster of Paris (or any other similar plaster)
Large disposable cup (for mixing plaster)
2 pieces floral foam, 6" x 6" x 4" and 2" x 2" x 2"
3 tree branches, 30" long, about 3/8" diameter
2 pieces isolepsis
3 dried hydrangea blooms
Assorted mosses and lichens (including Spanish moss, mood moss, reindeer moss, and black lichen)
5 sprigs springerii
5 sprigs plumosus
7 sprigs natural statice
7 sprigs gypsophilia
3 grapevine twigs, 6-8" long
6 mini pine cones
1 large fruit pick with 3 apples and leaves
6 stems pink pepper berries with foliage
Fern pins
Floral wire
Hot glue gun and glue sticks


INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix equal parts water and Plaster of Paris. Fill pot half full of plaster. Note: if your pot has a hole in the bottom, be sure it's covered so the plaster won't run out of the pot.
2. Insert the 3 branches in plaster at center of pot. Let plaster dry.

FOR TOP ARRANGEMENT:

3. Push smaller piece of foam onto top of branches to form top of topiary tree. Turn pot on its side and glue foam to branches to secure. Cover top foam piece with Spanish moss.
4. Insert isolepsis and twigs at center top.
5. Insert pieces of springerii, plumosus, and pepper berry foliage all around foam to entirely cover the piece.
6. Cut two hydrangea blooms into 3 pieces each. Glue hydrangea pieces among greenery.
7. Cut 4 pepper berry sprigs into 3" pieces. Cut statice and gypsophilia into 2½" pieces. Add pepper berry sprigs, statice, gypsophilia, and pine cones.

FOR BOTTOM ARRANGEMENT:

8. Cut larger block of foam into pieces and wedge into pot around branches. Secure in pot with hot glue. Cover surface of foam in pot with mosses and lichens, using fern pins to secure them to foam.
9. Cut remaining hydrangea bloom into 3 pieces and glue around base of branches.
10. Insert apple pick to right of branches, letting fruit and leaves curve over the edge of the pot. Add remaining pepper berries at base of pick on right side.

FOR BOWS:

11. Cut a 30" piece of natural twisted paper. Do not untwist, leave it in a cord. Make an Easy Bow. Attach wood pick at center and insert in top arrangement on the right side.
12. Attach a wood pick to one end of remaining natural paper cord. Insert at base of top arrangement. Wind paper cord around branches and coil on top of pot. Attach a wood pick to end and insert in foam.
13. Cut a 40" piece deep rose paper ribbon and lightly "scrunch" it along the length to form a rope-like piece. Fold this piece in half then twist ends together to form a loose braid. Glue folded end to branches about 3/5 of the way up. Form into a curve, using picture as a guide.

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