Beautiful in Bloom Pansy Topiary

Enjoy Mother Nature's breathtaking beauty with this magnificent pansy topiary gracing your home.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Products:
  • 5" ball, white or green
• Clay pot, 5" x 6"
• Spray paints: faux stone; moss green; metallic gold
• Green sheet moss
• Sand, 2 C.
• Plaster of Paris
• Freeze-dried pansies, 50
• 3" purple sheer ribbon, 3-1/2 yds.
• Curly willow branch
• Floral wire
• Spray adhesive
• Low-temperature glue gun and glue sticks
• Masking tape
• Medium disposable container
• Wire cutters
• Ruler

Steps:

1. Spray clay pot with faux stone paint. Let dry.
    
2. If clay pot has a drainage hole, cover with masking tape. Fill clay pot with sand to within 1-1/2"-2" of top.
    
3. Cut curly willow into 15" lengths. Bunch three largest stems together, align ends, and insert halfway into foam ball for topiary trunk. Remove stems, apply glue, and reinsert into ball. Insert opposite ends into center of clay pot filled with sand. Insert remaining stems of curly willow in sand, letting them twist around base of foam ball (refer to photo).
    
4. Mix plaster of Paris and pour over sand to fill clay pot. Let dry.
    
5. Spray foam ball with adhesive and then cover with a layer of sheet moss.
    
6. Lightly spray sheet moss with moss green and metallic gold paint. Let dry. Paint additional sheet moss and spread it inside clay pot to cover plaster.
    
7. Glue pansies covering foam ball, starting at top and working to bottom. Glue remaining pansies to inside rim of clay pot.
    
8. Form ribbon into bows with three 4" loops each and wire to secure. Cut Vs in ribbon ends. Glue bows to base of foam ball around willow trunk.

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