DIY Monogram Topiary – How To-sday

 
I’m back from Africa, you guys! In case you missed it, I shared tons of pictures from my trip right here. We had a blast, but now we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming here at Shrimp Salad Circus, which brings me to today’s tutorial: a DIY monogram topiary.

This month for Michaels Makers, we were asked to put our spin on a project, with a particular focus on letters. I decided to create a cute little potted initial. This is the perfect accent for a desk or mantle, but it would also make a beautiful centerpiece for a wedding table!

Supplies

Many of the Michaels Makers crafts this month were inspired by the new Alphabet Soup by Make Market™ product range. The collection of surfaces, letters, frames and more come in modern, eclectic or rustic styles with natural and finished woods, metals, resin and patterned styles.

• Two chipboard letters
• Artificial moss (roll or sheets from the floral section)
• Mini terra cotta pot
• Wooden dowel
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Green acrylic paint to match the moss
• Paintbrush
• Scissors

1.   Use a couple shades of green paint to paint the front and sides of one letter and the back and sides of the other.

2.   Trace around a letter onto the moss. Use a thick permanent marker to make it easier to see your lines afterwards.

If the letter is wider than the moss, you can just add more bits later when you’re gluing to fill in the gaps at the edges.

3.   Cut around the lines you traced. Glue the moss over the painted sides of the letters with a hot glue gun.

Add little bits and snips of moss to fill any empty areas around the edges of the letters.

4.   Break or snip the dowel so that you can add a small piece to each segment of the letter, as pictured above. Glue the dowels to the back (no moss) side of one letter, leaving a “stem” piece at the bottom.

5.   Add hot glue to the other side of the dowel pieces, and press the other moss letter onto them so that the dowel is sandwiched between the letters.

6.   Cut a thin strip of moss the width of the edges of the letter “sandwich,” and glue it all the way around so that there are no exposed chipboard edges of the letters.

7.   Use a piece of floral foam, foam insulation board, or styrofoam to prop and center the dowel inside the pot. You’ll need to cut it to fit and possible use a couple layers if you have a deep pot.

8.   Drop the foam and dowel into the pot until it’s nestled in snugly. Cover the top with a bit of potting soil.

Optional:   You can paint the pot in a bright color for a fun pop, or if you want the same antiqued finish I’ve done here, just brush on white acrylic paint. While it’s still damp, wipe it away with a damp paper towel.

If you don’t know where to begin, you can always take a look at some of the fun projects on Michaels.com or the other 49 Makers’ ideas on The Glue String for to see how they personalized their crafts!