How-To

• Urn or ceramic vase, any shape
• 6-inch Styrofoam ball (or 4-inch for a smaller topiary)
• 6 salt cedar sticks
• Spanish moss
• Natural preserved fall leaves -- or use silk artificial fall leaves
• Styrofoam or floral foam
• Wire cutters
• Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
• Ribbon to use as a decoration

 

1. Snip leaves from the branches of preserved or silk fall leaf stems.
2. Clip the stem of each individual leaf to about 1/2 inch.
3. Using a toothpick, pin, or the tip of hot glue gun, push into Styrofoam ball surface creating a small hole. Dab on a small amount of hot glue. Immediately place a leaf stem into the glue and hold several seconds until set.
4. Use one leaf color (all yellow or all red) or mix fall leaf colors evenly around the ball. Continue to glue leaves until the Styrofoam ball is covered.
5. Use small amounts of Spanish moss to fill in any gaps between leaves, securing with dots of hot glue here and there. Set aside to dry.
6. To make the topiary trunk, twist or wire sticks together to create trunk of topiary, securing with wire at top and bottom of bundle.
7. Insert the narrow end of trunk into center of leaf-covered ball. Note: you may need to lift a leaf or two so the sticks go into the foam easily. Hot glue the trunk in place and set aside to dry.
8. Cut a wedge of Styrofoam or floral foam and insert into a container.
9. Insert the base of the braided sticks about 4 inches into center of the foam in the container. Hot-glue in place to hold. Let dry.
10. Lightly cover the top of the foam with a handful of Spanish moss, secured with a few dots of hot glue here and there.

See the video of this project