Grow A Tree

By: Ed Smith for Styrofoam Brand Foam

Having this heather and lavender topiary in your house is a great sensation. In five easy steps you can have a craft that can be put anywhere. It can be used for inside or outside use.

Materials:

STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
- Balls: 4", two; 2", one
Silk flowers: heather bushes, about 100 blossoms; lavender, eight stems
Urn, 8" tall, or container of choice
Spray paint: medium green; stone-finish, color of choice
Green sheet moss
Silk ivy or other greenery
Eight sturdy grapevine or other stems, 18" long
Floral pins
Serrated knife
Wire cutters
Candle stub or paraffin
Ruler
Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
Thick, white craft glue

Steps:

Note: Be sure paints you select are safe for foam products; solvent-based paints will melt the foam.

Following manufacturer's instructions, spray urn with stone-finish spray paint. Spray paint 4" foam balls green. Let dry.
Glue 2" foam ball into bottom of urn. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Trim bottom of one 4" ball as needed to fit snuggly into top of urn. Glue to secure. Cover ball with sheet moss, using floral pins to secure.
Twist or braid five 18" stems together to create topiary "trunk." Apply hot glue to one end of trunk and insert into center top of urn. Use tip of knife to make small hole in bottom of remaining foam ball. Apply glue to top end of trunk and insert into hole in ball. Note: Distance between top of urn and bottom of ball should be about 14". Let dry.
Cut heather into short lengths. Beginning at bottom of topiary ball, pin heather in rows around ball until surface is completely covered. Let heather hang down for a loose, natural appearance.
Twist remaining stems around topiary base, using floral pins to secure. Glue and insert small heather cluster into right side of urn. Glue and insert lavender cluster into left side of urn, letting stems hang down. Glue or pin ivy around base of topiary.

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