This lovely topiary makes for a pretty centerpiece on your tea table, or make one as a gift for your favorite hostess. Be sure to capture your garden roses before they wilt so you can dry them for this great project. If you don't have roses, you can purchase dried roses from a craft supply store. Be sure to check thrift stores and garage sales for tea cups!

You will need:

1 4" heart from Kreative Foam (I got mine at Michael's)
1 8" stick
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:

Stick the foam heart on the stick. Paint the heart sage green.

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.

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. Continues in the manner, moving in a row until you reach the center of the heart. Turn it around and do the same on the other side.

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 peonies).

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.

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, or Rosebud Note Card.