Victorian Topiary

This beautiful Victorian topiary will make an elegant home accessory. By using minimal materials and easy to follow directions you will be able to craft your own Victorian topiary in no time. The satin roses and ribbon are the key elements that will give your topiary a romantic Victorian appeal. You can design your topiary in any color you choose, to match your decor. You can create a gorgeous Victorian topiary for that someone special, giving them a gift they will treasure for years.

Materials: clay block, 1 (3-inch) Styrofoam ball, silk babies breath , baby satin roses (color of your choice), teacup, matching saucer (optional), cinnamon stick, satin ribbon, Spanish moss, glue gun and glue sticks.
Directions: To begin crafting your Victorian topiary, start by poking the cinnamon stick about 1 1/2 inches into the center of the Styrofoam ball, remove and set it aside for now. Now you are going to begin adding the baby roses to the Styrofoam ball. Beginning at the top of the Styrofoam ball, put a small amount of glue onto the backside of a rose and press it onto the Styrofoam ball. Continue adding the roses in a circular direction, placing them close together to avoid large gaps. Cover the entire Styrofoam ball with the roses, except over the hole you created for the cinnamon stick. Now take small sprigs of the babies breath and using glue, attach them to the Styrofoam ball between the roses to fill in any small gaps. Turn the ball with the hole facing up, add a small amount of glue to the hole and insert the cinnamon stick, keeping it nice and straight until it sets.

You are ready to begin creating the base for your Victorian topiary. Start out with a clean and dry teacup. Cut the clay block so that it fits snug in the bottom of the cup. Now take the other end of the cinnamon stick and push it into the center of the clay in cup. Pull the cinnamon stick out, and add a small amount of glue to the hole. Reinsert the cinnamon stick and hold it straight until it sets. Add a small amount of glue to the top of the clay and cover with the Spanish moss, just slightly above the rim of the cup.

Now take the satin ribbon and just beneath the rose covered ball, tie the ribbon around the cinnamon stick and tie into a bow. Cut the ends of the ribbon, leaving the ribbons long enough to grace the Spanish moss (tip: Use 2 colors of ribbon for a fuller look). If you prefer, instead of adding the bow to the stem, make a bow and glue it to the cup. If you are using a saucer beneath the cup, simply glue the cup to the saucer. If you don't have a teacup to use, a small planter will work as well. Just paint the planter with acrylic paints and glue on some embellishments like: lace or fringe, keeping within the Victorian theme. Your Victorian topiary is complete and ready to enjoy.