Faux Rose Topiary

A Tabletop Sized Topiary

Having done a 5-foot tall topiary with live evergreens once, I decided this one would be more versatile if I made it completely artificial and tabletop size.

Think about doing one with fall flowers and colors. Or how about one in Christmas colors for a mantelpiece topiary with small lights wound around the base of the pot?

With a spherical top, tabletop topiaries make lovely centerpieces for a bridal shower or ladies' luncheon.

Faux Rose Topiary Materials

• 4 x 4-inch clay flowerpot
• Rub-on decals of your choice - example has stalk flowers with bird houses
• 6 Offray Ribbon Roses
• Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint in Leaf Green and Mint Green
• Folk Art Sparkle Varnish
• Paintbrush
• Green Styrofoam cone 2 7/8 inch x 5 7/8 inch
• 5/16 inch x 7 inch dowel
• Light green floral tape
• 2 Straight pins
• 4-inch Reversible (Flower) Pot Topper (Michael's)
• 60 Small paper rose buds in white - example uses bunches of 10 with individual wire stems and leaves
• 35 Small paper rose buds in pink - same as above
• ¼ Yard of 2-inch wide white organza ribbon
• 1 Small block of floral foam
• Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue
• Small paring knife
• Scissors

Assembling the Topiary

Paint the pot with two coats of mint green paint. Let dry.

Apply one coat of Sparkle Varnish. When dry, glue the satin roses equidistantly around the top band on the pot. Set aside to dry completely.

Cut out the rub-on decals following package directions and rub onto the sides of the pot.

Use the dowel to poke a 1-inch centered hole in the bottom of the Styrofoam cone.

Spread Tacky Glue on the bottom inch of the dowel and reinsert.

Let dry for an hour.

Paint one thick coat of leaf green on the Styrofoam cone.

Set in a short glass to dry completely.

Use a paring knife to shape the floral foam block to fit inside the pot leaving one inch between the top of the block and the upper rim of the pot. Glue in place.

Cut the flower pot topper to fit on top of the foam inside the pot. Slightly angle the bottom layer as shown (in the underside view below) to fit properly inside the pot.

Use the point of the scissors to poke a hole in the center of the pot topper for the dowel. Make sure the dowel fits securely. Then remove it from the hole.

Apply glue to the underside of the topper and press it into place atop the floral foam.

Wrap floral tape around the dowel in an overlapping spiral fashion, stretching the tape as you go to release the adhesive.

Leave one inch uncovered at the bottom and then go back up with a second layer. Cut off just under the cone and smooth all tape down.

[ Be sure when using floral tape that you pull it slightly as you wind it to make it adhere to itself. ]

Again using the floral tape, pin one end of the tape at the top of the cone.

Make a wide spiral around the cone going down towards the bottom as illustrated. Cut off the tape and pin the end into place on the side of the cone.

Cut all the flowers from their stems leaving about ¾ inch of stem for inserting into the cone. Separate the flower heads into piles of pink and white.

Starting with the pink flowers, insert the stems into a single row over the taped area around the cone as shown above.

There will be one row of pink flowers spiraling down around the cone.

Fill in the rest of the vertical cone space with white flowers. The (horizontal) base of the cone is flower-free but painted green to blend in.

Squeeze a bit if tacky glue down into the hole of the pot topper. Insert the dowel through the hole in the pot topper and down into the foam.

Cut the organza ribbon in half and tie one length around the dowel just under the cone. No need to double knot.

Then turn the pot around and on the opposite side, tie the other piece of ribbon the same way. Trim the ends at an angle to just hit the top of the pot.