Moss Ball Topiaries

Want an easy way to freshen up your home for spring? Consider creating a variety of moss ball topiaries.  It's an easy way to add a botanical element to your living space without having to actually keep anything alive. Although I looked for some ready-made topiaries, the very unattractive plastic boxwood topiaries I came across were not at all what I had in mind - especially at $40 a pop!  I knew I could create something much more aesthetically pleasing for a lot less money.  I made two different toparies - a low version for my mantel and kitchen window and a tall version for my dining room tablescape.    

                                                         

Here are the supplies I picked up from Hobby Lobby:

> rustic terra cotta pots (I got these at 50% off - sweet!)
> moss balls - 6", 4", 2.5"
> sheet moss
> loose moss 
> wooden dowels 
> green foam (to fill pot for tall topiaries)
> glue gun

I chose a variety of sizes of rustic terra cotta pots with the largest being 7" tall and 6.5" wide at the top to the smallest being 2.5" tall and 5" wide at the top.  With the 50% off discount, the most expensive pot was only $2.50!  The largest low topiary cost only $8.50 each to make. I made three of these for my Simple Spring Mantel for a total cost of $25.50.

Simple Spring Mantel 

  
Low Topiary
All you need to do is place this moss ball on top of pot. That's it!  Really.  You could use hot glue if you really wanted to take the time but it's not necessary.  The benefit of not gluing the balls means you could reuse the moss balls later by stacking them on top of each other in a narrow glass vase or clustering them in a basket.  A word of warning - if you have furry friends or boys in your house, they may be tempted to try out the moss balls as their newest play thing!       

Tall Topiary
This requires a little more work but not much.  Fill your pot with the green foam.  You will need a knife to cut it into the right shape.  Hot glue into pot.  Use scissors or knife to poke hole into moss ball.  Stick one end of dowel into moss ball (I did not glue) and then push other end of dowel into center of foam.  Remove dowel from foam.  Use pot to trace a circle in the sheet moss.  Cut out circle of sheet moss, remove backing, and stick on top of of pot to cover green foam.  I also used a little bit of loose moss to add dimension and to cover any openings around edge.  The moss is very forgiving and you can layer it if need be.  Use scissors to poke hole into center sheet moss where you previously poked hole with dowel into foam underneath. Squeeze some hot glue into hole and then push dowel (with attached moss ball) into hole.    

I left the dowels natural but you could either paint or stain them a dark brown or wrap with brown floral tape or ribbon. I embellished the topiary on right with a small butterfly for my dining room tablescape.  You could even add a bow below moss ball or at base of dowel.  These would also look great for a wedding or brunch tabletop as well as any spring-summer celebration. 

Although this project is a little messy when creating the tall topiaries, you will be so happy with your finished project and the money you saved.  So go have a "ball" and gather a group of friends for a crafting night to make moss ball toparies.  You could share the cost of some of the supplies and a bottle of wine while your at it.  Happy Crafting!