A Berry Apple Topiary

An appealing mix of apples and berries will make this topiary the apple of your eye. Display it alone, or pair it with the companion wreath.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Products:
  • 12" x 4" cone
  • Vase insert or block to fit inside clay pot
• 5" clay pot
• Gold spray paint
• Reindeer moss: light and dark green, one bag each
• 2" red artificial apples, 26
• Red/orange/brown artificial berries, 10 bunches
• Newspaper
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Floral shears or wire cutters
• Wooden floral picks (or toothpicks)
• Ruler
• White craft glue or low-temp glue gun and glue sticks

Steps:

1. Following manufacturer's instructions, spray paint clay pot gold, applying additional coats as necessary until opaque. Let dry.
    
2. Insert foam vase insert or block to snugly fit clay pot. Wax serrated knife with a candle stub or paraffin; trim foam even with top of pot.
    
3. Glue foam securely inside pot and then base of cone on top of cut piece, creating the topiary form. Allow to dry.
    
4. Glue reindeer moss covering cone and around top edge of clay pot.
    
5. Use floral shears or wire cutters to cut floral picks into 2" lengths.
    
6. Apply glue to one end of a wooden pick and insert it into center bottom of an apple. Repeat for each apple.
    
7. Apply glue to other end of pick and insert it into base of cone, touching top of clay pot. Repeat, gluing apples side by side in a row around base (see photo).
    
8. Insert berry bunches into cone, forming a circle around top of apples (see photo).
    
9. Continue alternating rows of apples and rows of berries around cone, ending with a single apple at top (see photo).

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.