STYROFOAM brand foam crafts

Ritzy, Glitzy Star Topiary

Showcase your patriotic pride with a spectacular star topiary that shimmers and shines in red white and blue.
   Completion Time - 
2-4 hours
   Designer - 
Annabelle Keller

Materials

STYROFOAM Brand Foam
  • Star, 9" x 1"
  • Sheet, 1" x 12" x 36"
Other Materials
  • Clay pot, 5-1/2"
  • Multipurpose acrylic sealer
  • Acrylic paints: ultra blue; bright red; metallic silver
  • Paintbrushes: 3/4" flat; 1/2" flat wash; No. 5 round
  • Star stencil
  • 3/16" wooden dowel, 12" length
  • Glitter: hologram silver; metallic royal blue; crimson
  • Metallic star party picks with sea grass:
  • red/white/blue; silver, five each
  • Metallic silver shredded Mylar
  • Transparent tape, 1/2" width

Tools

  • Sharp pencil
  • Scissors
  • Serrated knife
  • Candle stub or paraffin
  • Disposable palette
  • Paper towels
  • Wax paper
  • Wire cutters
  • Wooden skewer
  • Ruler
  • Thick white craft glue

Instructions

  • 1. Cut a 7-1/2" length from end of each star party pick.Discard white portion. From the remainder, form five uniformred/blue/silver bundles and tape one end of each to secure.Squeeze glue into taped end and allow to dry. Curl sea grasswith a straight-blade scissors and star stems by wrapping themaround your finger.
  • 2. Apply sealer to clay pot and wooden dowel. Stand dowel infoam sheet and allow sealer to dry.
  • 3. Paint dowel metallic silver and let dry. Apply a secondcoat and while still wet, sprinkle with silver glitter. Hint:Sprinkle glitter over a sheet of wax paper and then use paperlike a funnel to return excess to original container.
  • 4. Paint clay pot metallic silver and rim ultra blue; let dry.Using photo as a guide, trace stars from stencil onto pot.Paint stars ultra blue with No. 5 round brush and let dry.Apply a second coat of ultra blue to stars and rim, sprinklingthem with metallic royal blue glitter. Then apply a secondcoat of metallic silver paint to clay pot and sprinkle withsilver glitter. Let dry.
  • 5. Use a sharp pencil to "drill" a hole in edge of foam starat each point. Draw a medium star on front and back of largefoam star 1/2" from edge. Repeat to draw a small star 1/2"inside medium star (see photo).
  • 6. Insert a wooden skewer into edge of star at center bottomto use as a handle while painting. Insert opposite end ofskewer into foam sheet while paint dries. Paint 1" edge oflarge star and small stars (front and back) ultra blue. Whendry, apply a second coat and sprinkle with metallic royal blueglitter. Repeat to paint large stars bright red with crimsonglitter, and medium stars metallic silver with hologram silverglitter. Allow to dry.
  • 7. Wax serrated knife with a candle stub or paraffin. Cut pieces ofsheet foam to snugly fit clay pot. Layer and glue foam inside pot.
  • 8. Gently twist modified red/blue/silver party picks intoholes at star points until tape is concealed; glue in place.If necessary, enlarge holes with a pencil.
  • 9. Replace skewer with silver wooden dowel. Insert and glueopposite end of dowel into center of clay pot. Glue shreddedMylar, covering top of foam.