Tea Cup Topiary

This is a little topiary that I made to teach to some ladies at a Bible study at my church. I really liked the way it turned out. I think it would make a wonderful center piece for little tea tables at a Valentines tea, spring tea, or bridal shower. It was quite easy to make and would be simple to change the colors based on the rosebuds you purchased. I get a lot of my tea cups at thrift stores and yard sales when I am making carfts with them. You can usually pick them up for just a few dollars.

**********************************
Heart Rosebud Tea Cup Topiary
**********************************

You will need:

1 - 4" heart from Kreative Foam (I got mine at Michael's)
1 - 8" stick (I cut mine off the tree in my front yard)
1 tea cup (or a 3" terra cotta pot and dish, plain or painted)
1 - 2-3" square of sahara
green decorative excelsior moss
dried mini rosebuds (I use about 2 oz or 200 rosebuds)
a few pieces of dried fern or ivy
a doily (for the tea cup saucer)
ribbon
sage green paint
foam brush
glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:
1. Stick the foam heart on the stick. Paint the heart sage green.

2. While that is drying, put the sahara in the tea cup, trim it evenly with the lip of the cup. Cover it with excelsior. Insert the painted heart.

3. Using scissors, cut the stem off each rosebud, making the base flat so you can glue it on the heart. Using the glue gun, begin at the top of the heart and glue rosebuds all along the outside edge of the heart. Choose one side and add a second line of hearts along the inside of
the first row. Continue in this manner, moving in a row until you reach the center of the heart. Turn it around and do the same on the other side.

4. When the heart is covered in rose buds, tie a ribbon at the bottom. You may add a few pieces of fern and rose buds in the center of one side, or another dried flower (I used dried peonies).

5. Finish the project by gluing the doily to the saucer, then gluing the cup to the doily. Add a few pieces of fern or ivy to the base of the tea cup and at the base of the topiary (on the excelsior). Add another few rose buds or peonies on the fern. This is optional but I think it gives it a finished look.

6. If you are giving this as a gift, I recommend that you gather it into a piece of cello wrap, and tie it with a pretty ribbon. You may want to add a Rosebud Heart Tie-on.

This item isn't original to me. I had a friend bring me one from England eight or nine years ago. I've always liked it, but the roses deteriorated over the years. With the large shipment of mini-roses that I had ordered, I decided to try and figure out a way to make one of my own. This is the outcome.

I thought this would be a nice thing to tie onto a valentine gift or a bridal shower gift. It looks lovely hanging on a hook or laying on a side table

************************
Rosebud Heart Tie-on
************************

What you will need:

about 25-30 dried mini rosebuds
Floral wire - 20 gauge
1/8" ribbon
ribbon decoration (bow or ribbon flower, or even a tiny yo-yo)
heart template (I used a 3" or 4" heart cookie cutter)
needle nosed pliers/wire cutter

Directions:
1. Form the wire into the shape of a heart with extra wire at the top in the center.

2. Thread the roses on the wire by puncturing the bud near the bottom of the petals but not through the green stem. This is much like stringing pop corn. I started by putting one on and centering it at the bottom V of the heart. Then I added one to each side of the heart until I reached the center.

3. Once you have all of the rosebuds on the heart. Using the needle nose pliers, twist the wire around itself to secure it, then snip it off.

4. Tie the ribbon into a large circle, then glue it onto the heart in the top center, making sure the knot ends up near the roses so it will be hidden. Cover the knot and the twisted wire with a decorative lace or ribbon bow. Glue it into place.

5. Hang this over a hook in your home, or tie it onto a gift.

Note: Rosebuds can be purchased from various herb sites and crafts stores.
Try:
http://www.sfherb.com/
http://www.glenbrookfarm.com/herbs/index.htm