How to make a Balloon Topiary

This is too cute not to share! I found this at Catch my Party  These would be adorable on any dessert table or candy buffet :)

Supplies

• One 6″ Terracotta pot or some other container
• One Styrofoam block (cut to fit inside the container)
• One 5″ Styrofoam ball
• One 18″ wooden dowel (mine was longer and I had my husband cut it down to this size)
• Two packs of greening pins. You really use about 1.5 packs but it’s better to have more and not need them than be short.
• 2 packs of small (around 2.25″) multi colored balloons (around 72 qty)
• 2 packs of larger (around 3″) multi colored balloons (around 72 qty)
• 1 pack of pipe cleaners cut in half
• 1 pack of shredded tissue paper
• Pencil

Cut your styrofoam block to fit inside the terracotta pot. Slide the dowel through the block and then into the ball to form the topiary shape.

Next it’s time to add the balloons to the styrofoam ball. I tied one of the smaller balloons around the greening pin (yellow balloon) to help hide it. Behind the yellow balloon I placed one or two of the larger balloons. Push the greening pin into the ball. Do this over and over until the entire ball is covered in balloons.

To add extra texture cut the pipe cleaners in half. Wrap one end around the greening pin to hide the edge. Wrap the other end around a pencil or paintbrush. Pull the pipe cleaner off and stretch it out into the coil shape. Add these sparingly around the ball. You can also add balloons behind the pipe cleaner like in step 3. Continue covering the entire ball with balloons and pipe cleaners.

10. For added decoration tie some ribbon around the dowel at the base of the styrofoam ball.

11. To cover your styrofoam block add the shredded tissue on top of it and around the dowel.

12. Congratulations, you are done! These topiaries make great additions to any table because you can change them up by using different colored balloons to match a theme or holiday, paint the dowel and use interesting ribbons, or change up the containers. You can also just make the ball and hang them from a chandelier or the ceiling using coordinating ribbon. Have fun!

Paper Straw Christmas Wreath part one

I saw a picture of a Paper straw Christmas wreath on the newest issues of Womans Day.

 I was planning on coming home & making one, but decided to google it first. The lady over at Tatertots & Jello, apparently had the same idea. I figured that while I am creating mine, I would share hers with you. This way you can get a head start on yours. Here are the directions that she followed, I will be following up with mine soon!

Supplies

• Dollar store Foam Wreath (is what I used)
• Ribbon to wrap around the outside of the wreath
• Striped Straws (I used about 75 straws – it will depend on how wide your wreath is)
• Hot glue and glue gun
• Ribbon for a Bow

Here’s what  she did:

• 1. I wrapped the wreath with some wide ribbon, overlapping and hot glued the ends down.
• 2. Then I trimmed half of the straws — 1/3 off the ends with scissors.
• 3. I hot glued each straw on, alternating between the long and shorter straws. I held each straw parallel to the wreath so they laid flat and uniform.
• 4. I tied a bow and hot glued it onto the wreath and added a little glittered snowflake.
• 5. To hang up the wreath, I hot glued a little piece of twine on the back of the wreath, making a little loop.