Berries and Roses Topiary

By: Diane Flowers of Styrofoam Brand Foam

This Valentine's day you can prepare this lovely topiary for your sweetie. You need silk roses and berries along with some other materials. In eight easy steps you can give this as a great gift.

Materials:

STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:
- Ball, 5"
- Block, 18" x 12" x 2"
Red artificial berry bunches, seven
Red medium silk roses, 13
Bright green reindeer moss, two bags
Floral pins
Serrated knife
Candle stub or paraffin
Pencil
Ruler
Wooden skewer or floral pick, 4" length
Wire cutters or floral shears
Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
Thick, white craft glue

Steps:

Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Measure and cut two 5" squares and one 6" x 8" rectangle from foam sheet.
Stack and glue foam squares together; secure with floral pins. Center foam rectangle on top of squares to form base; glue and pin to secure.
Glue and insert skewer half-way into foam ball; glue and insert opposite end into center top of base. Spot glue ball to base to secure.
Glue small pieces of reindeer moss to ball and base, completely covering foam surface; let dry.
Wrap two berry bunches at an angle across sides of moss-covered ball, two more around two opposite corners of rectangle, and remaining bunches around squares. Secure with floral pins.
Stand back and examine berry placement; adjust as needed. When pleased with arrangement, spot glue and pin berries to base to secure.
Use wire cutters to trim rose stems as needed. Insert five roses into ball so they appear to cascade from top. Insert remaining roses around base of ball, filling gap between foam shapes. When pleased with arrangement, remove each rose, apply glue to stem, and reinsert into arrangement.
Glue small pieces of moss to any exposed floral pins.