Elegant Easter Garden Topiary

Bring spring into your home with this beautiful Easter garden topiary. It is easy to make and is a wonderful addition to any garden party, Easter brunch or holiday gathering.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
  • Balls, one each: 5"; 6"; 8"
  • Vase insert or foam block to fit opening of desired container
• White urn, 11" tall, or container of choice
• Wooden dowel, 24" length
• Ivory artificial flower stems: roses, six; rosebud, one; Queen Anne's lace, four
• Green artificial rose leaf stems, 12
• Dark green reindeer moss, four bags
• Ivory pearl string, 2-1/4 yds.
• Sheer wire-edged ribbon, 2" x 2-1/4 yds. each: ivory; pale yellow; sage green; metallic ivory, 1" x 1-1/3 yds.
• Green floral wire
• Floral pins, 25
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Wooden skewers, three
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Wire cutters
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue

Instructions:

1. Insert wooden skewers into each foam ball. Holding skewer, glue clusters of moss to foam balls, completely covering surface. Place skewers in heavy glass or jar; let dry.
    
2. Push dowel through center of 8" ball, 6" ball, and lower half of 5" ball, forming topiary. Remove foam balls.
    
3. Place foam insert snugly into urn. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Trim top of insert as needed to allow large foam ball to rest on urn edges. Glue foam insert into urn. Glue lower 6" of dowel into center of insert; let dry.
    
4. Apply white glue to dowel. Push 8" ball down dowel until it rests on top of urn. Replace 6" and 5" balls as before. Let dry completely.
    
5. Drape pearl string twice around 6" ball, securing with floral pins at top of ball. Second draping should be slightly longer than first.
    
6. Cut three 9" lengths and three 18" lengths from each 2"-wide ribbon. Join one 9" length of each color and fold in half to measure 4-1/2" long; wrap ends together with floral wire. Use floral pin to secure ribbon loop to top of 6" ball. Repeat to make two more ribbon loops. Secure loops, evenly spaced, to 6" ball. Separate loops slightly.
    
7. Join one 18" ribbon length of each color. Bring ribbon ends to center and fold ribbons in half to measure 4-1/2" long; wrap folded end with floral wire. Use floral pin to secure ribbon loop to bottom of 8" ball. Repeat to make two more ribbon loops. Secure loops, evenly spaced, to 8" ball. Separate loops slightly.
    
8. Use wire cutters to trim leaf and flower stems to 3" long. Glue and insert alternating roses and Queen Anne's lace, three of each, into top of 8" ball. Glue three rose stems between ribbon loops at top of 6" ball, hiding floral pins. Glue one stem of Queen Anne's lace into top of 5" ball.
    
9. Pin one rose leaf stem beneath each rose at top of 8" ball so leaves extend downward. Pin two rose leaf stems around each Queen Anne's lace at top of 8" ball. Pin three rose leaf stems around base of Queen Anne's lace at top of 5" ball.
    
10. Tie 1"-wide ribbon into loopy bow; wrap center with floral wire. Pin bow to one side of Queen Anne's lace at top of topiary. Separate loops slightly.
     
11. Glue rosebud firmly into center of Queen Anne's lace at top of 5" ball. Glue small pieces of moss to topiary to hide floral pins.