How to Make a Topiary

That How to Make a Topiary headline is misleading …

 

deceivingly so …

 

Anyone who’s hung around her for awhile knows I cannot be trusted with living plant things. The neglect – and carnage – has been well-documented …

 

The real headline should read, How to Make a Fake Topiary …

 

I’m skilled at keeping fake plants alive.  I have years and years of experience …

 

When I first decided to make my fake topiary, I envisioned a DIY-heavy project.  A project that would involve Styrofoam balls and pieces of moss and glue guns (with corresponding burnt glue gun fingers) and a hunt for that perfect stick from the yard …

 

and maybe even some painting of those terracotta post and/ or staining or sanding of those perfect sticks.

 

But then I crossed paths with these moss balls at the craft store …

 

At just one dollar more than the Styrofoam balls, I was sold.  And my fingers sighed a sigh of relief.  There may have been some clapping involved.  And a snap or two …

 

And with that, my DIY-heavy fake topiary project suddenly became so much easier …

 

 

How to Make a {Fake} Topiary

 

Supplies

Moss Balls (found mine at the craft store)

Dry foam or Styrofoam

Fake branches (you can also use real ones from your yard; or dowel rods)

Terracotta pots (or whatever planter you’d like to use)

Loose moss (don’t buy the moss sheets; just saying … )

 

I stared by putting the dry foam {or Styrofoam} inside the terracotta pot …

 

Aren’t you so glad I showed you this very complicated step?   My tip, though, is to make sure it’s a snug fit.  This needs to anchor the topiary …

 

Then I cut my sticks down to size.  I found mine in the faux plant section at the craft store …

 

 

My topiaries measure 28” tall, so I cut the sticks at around 26 inches …

 

 

Now it was time to add the faux  moss balls to the faux sticks …

 

The larger ball was easy to thread through.  In fact, it was a bit too easy.  I needed to secure it in place by tying some twine around the stick …

 

 

The smaller one had a hard Styrofoam center.  So I just used a  screwdriver to make a hole first …

 

The faux sticks I picked up has some spindly pieces up top …

 

 

So I just cut some off and added them in …

 

I simply stuck them into the moss balls.  But you can also glue gun them on …

 

I finished by using moss to cover up the base …

 

 

And that was that …

 

 

So much easier than I envisioned …

 

 

Not at all DIY- heavy.  Though, it did end up being very mess-heavy …

 

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