DIY moss topiaries

One of my favorite things to decorate at Christmas is the mantel. I was struggling to find something with sufficient height to balance the large painting that's always on the mantel, so I made my own topiaries.

Here's my Christmas mantel:

It's pretty simple. This painting is always on my mantel, and I didn't want to take it down. So it anchors my mantelscape (is that a word?). As you can see, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. I splurged on some new red candles which I placed in three different pairs of crystal candlesticks. I used clippings from our Christmas tree and some cedar from the yard for greenery, and I tucked in some little red ornaments. And to finish off the whole thing, I used my moss topiaries. I've shown them to you before, when they were on my dining room table this fall.

I really like topiaries. And I really like them in pairs. But I don't like the price of them. So I made my own, and I'll show you how.

First you'll need a container (or, if you want a pair, two containers just alike). I found these at Michael's:

They were marked $12.99, but I got them on sale at 60% off.

Then, to make your topiary, you'll need

• a foam sphere
• spray adhesive
• florist's moss
• a stick

Spray your foam sphere with adhesive, then apply sheets of moss to cover completely.

You'll have to piece together the moss to cover the whole thing. Simply cut off any excess. Now you'll have a moss-covered ball. What you want is a moss-covered ball on a stick. So take your moss-covered ball and impale it on a stick. I used a stick from my yard which I lightly spray-painted gold. I liked this look. You can do the same, or use a dowel rod, a length of bamboo, or whatever tickles your fancy. (If you're making a pair of topiaries, be sure that your sticks are the same length and approximately the same diameter.)

Now you'll have this--a moss lollipop:

Take the other end of your lollipop and stick it into a piece of florist's foam:

Place the florist's foam into your container, anchoring securely. I used gravel to hold mine in place. You could glue yours in place, tape it in place, or even anchor it in plaster.

Cover the top of the pot with something decorative (I used Spanish moss), and add whatever embellishment you like. I like a simple bow. Voila!  For very little money, you've got yourself a moss topiary!

Here you can see who really enjoys my Christmas mantel the most: Snickers (the beagle) and Cocoa (the pound puppy). They love this chair and ottoman, especially if there's a fire going.

And here's a view of my mantel from another year, when I made two additional topiaries--this time double lollipops instead of singles:

Linking to Kimba's DIY Day party and