Ribbon and Jewel Topiary

By: Ed Smith for Styrofoam Brand Foam

Make your own topiary. Using ribbon, a cone and Ed Smith's six easy steps you can have a great topiary. It can be used as a Christmas decoration or a year-round decoration depending on what color ribbon you use.

Materials:

STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
- Ball, 1-1/2"
- Cone, 15" x 4"
Ribbons, 6 yds. each: 2-1/2" variegated gold/burgundy wire-edged; 1-1/2" sheer gold
Brass candlestick, 8" tall
Craft wire: 24-gauge blue; 28-gauge gold
Violet/blue fiber assortment (find in paper crafting section at craft store)
Assorted beads, jewels and gems
2" x 1/3 yd. pink beaded fringe
Wooden floral pick
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
2" pins: straight; pearl-head corsage
Wire cutters
Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
Thick, white craft glue

Steps:

Wrap foam cone with variegated ribbon, covering surface. Twist and turn ribbon to create highly textured surface. Dip several straight pins in glue and insert into cone to secure ribbon. Cut one 1 yd. length from sheer ribbon and set aside; spiral wrap remaining sheer ribbon around cone, then foam ball, in same way as variegated ribbon.
Glue and insert floral pick into ball; glue pick into top of cone as shown.
Spiral wrap cone with fibers; spot glue to secure. Spiral wrap cone with gold wire; glue and insert wire ends into cone to secure. Wrap ball with gold wire in same way.
Cut 48" length from blue wire. Wrap wire around pencil to curl. Thread wire with beads and gems as desired, twisting wire around beads to secure. Glue and insert one wire end into cone, then randomly wrap wire around cone, securing with pearl-head pins inserted through some beads. Glue free wire end into cone.
Glue and pin bead fringe around cone base. Center and press cone onto top of candlestick. Remove cone, apply glue, then replace cone on candlestick; let dry.
Bend 1 yd. sheer ribbon length cut in Step 1 into loopy bow; wire center of bow to candlestick base. Cut and bend 24" blue wire length into second bow; wire to first bow. Glue beads or jewels to center of bow. Curl wire ends and trim ribbon ends in a "v" .

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