diy moss topiaries

i was strolling through pottery barn 
the other week and spotted some 
great moss topiaries.

they were really simple, and were in 

these pretty mercury glass cachepots.

 i really wanted a pair of each.

the cachepots were $16 each  and the

topiaries were around $20 each.

a little more than i wanted to spend...

so, i  bought the cachepots. 

they were just too darn cute to pass up, 

and i figured i would have a go at 

making the topiaries myself.

here's what i bought

2 styrafoam balls @ $3 each

1 yard burlap $3

1 tub pottery paster $4

1 bag moss $5

moss colored thread $1

two sticks from my yard-free

total: $19

(i bought 2 bags of moss, but only used 1/2 of 1 bag!)

i mixed up the plaster in

a disposable container

and poured it equally into two paper cups

next, i stuck my sticks into the paster.

i held them for about 2 minutes...until i could feel the

plaster beginning to set.

then i made a hole in the styrafoam ball,

and hot glued the moss onto the ball.

the moss is very forgiving...

then, i wrapped the ball over and over with the thread.

this will hold the moss on better, and

make it "shed" less.

by the time i finished with the balls, the

plaster was set.

i trimmed the cups.

and used a large bowl as a template

 to cut two large circles out of the burlap.

i also cut two strips as ties.

this is what it will look like if you wrap it in burlap

i thought it looked nice nestled among some ornaments and pine cones...

but, in the end, i decided to  surround them 

with spanish moss and put them in the cachepots.

the best thing about these moss topiaries, 

is that they can be used all year!

UPDATE:

the topiaries i saw were not available at all online.

 the smaller moss balls above are sold out, 

and the larger ones are $29.

$29?!

save yourself some $$ and make your own!

each topiary i made cost about $9,

and i have enough moss and plaster to make

at least two more.