I got a wonderful tip from Lindsey @ Pleated Poppy last week — she clued me in to a great place to get beautiful fabric, Hawthorne Threads. They have a great selection of yummy fabric and it’s really easy to order. I was thrilled when a package came for me TWO days after I ordered!
It was all so pretty – I didn’t want to cut any of it up. I finally decided to make some little Spring topiaries.
I used burlap as the background and then used the pretty fabric to make fabric flowers. They look so bright and Spring-y in my kitchen! The topiary would make a cute centerpiece on your table, but I decided to make three – I think everything looks better in threes, don’t you?
If you would like to make some, here is what I did:
Supplies:
Terra Cotta Pot(s)
Styrofoam ball(s)
Wood dowel(s)
ribbon
Fabric scraps
Scrapbook paper scraps
Jeweled scrapbook brads
Moss
Gorilla Glue
Gorilla Glue
Flower arranging block(s)
Vinyl numbers or stencil and paint (optional)
- Spray painted the pots. (3 coats). Once dried, I added a vinyl number to each pot. You could also stencil something on each pot. Or just leave it plain too – it’s up to you.
- Cover the balls in burlap. I cut a 3 inch strip of burlap. Wrapped it around the ball to see how long to make it. Cut it to that length. Attached it with hot glue. TIP: This is a great way to NOT burn your fingers. Get a few straight pins that you don’t mind ruining. After you apply the hot glue, stick a straight pin in the ball and let it cool. It helps attach the burlap to the ball so well!
- I made little cuts in the sides of the burlap. Run a line of hot glue inside the outer edge of the burlap strip. Then press the edges down, the little slits will help the burlap conform to the ball shape without wrinkles. Make an oval section of burlap to cover up each end of the ball.
- Once the ball(s) are covered in burlap, set them aside and start making the flowers. Cut your fabric scraps — mine were 2 inches wide by 20 inches long. I made 14 flowers per topiary. Then make a long, running stitch down the middle of each strip with your machine, or by hand. Then gather the thread at one end of each strip and pull to gather the material. I gathered all of the strips at the same time.
- Once the strips are gathered, make them into flowers. Take one end and fold it around in a circular motion until you have made a circle, make the circle a little bigger each time it goes around. It should go around about three times. Secure with a pin.
- You don’t have to use a machine to do this craft. If you don’t want to use a machine, skip the gathering step and move right on to the this step — You can make the flower using hot glue. Take one end of the strip make a little fold to the side and add a dab of hot glue, keep doing this, going in a circular motion and gathering your material as you hot glue it. This may take some time and patience.
- Once you have made your flowers, hot glue them together. I flipped each flower over and added hot glue from the back, putting a dab under each layer of material until it keeps it shape. Remove the pins once cooled.
- Cut out some circles out of scrapbook paper. I used three different papers. I used a 1/2 inch punch. Then put a jeweled scrapbook brad through each circle.
- Now attach the flowers onto the burlap balls. I used straight pins to arrange them on the ball ahead of time. Space the flowers out so that the burlap shows though the middle. Then I dabbed some Gorilla Glue onto the back of each flower. I then put a straight pin back in the middle of the flower to hold the flower on to the ball until the glue dried. Once the glue dried, then I pulled the pins out.
- Now attach the scrapbook paper to the center of each flower with a dab of hot glue. Hold until the glue cools.
- I put a little block of flower arranging foam in the bottom of each pot. I put a little Gorilla Glue in the bottom. Then I took a wood dowel and stuck it in the bottom of the burlap/flower ball and then through the center of the pot.
- Then I wrapped the dowel in ribbon.
- Finally I put hot glued a layer of moss over the top of flower arranging foam.
XOXO
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