dollar tree Archives > Ain't No Hood Like Motherhood

With Video Instructions

I love creating crafts from dollar tree products. This creation is inspired by one of my visits to the Home Goods store. I love all the topiaries that Home Goods have during spring and summer times, however cannot bring myself to pay $20 for something that is basically some foam balls and faux moss.

This piece added a nice all year round touch to my fireplace mantel. I also hit the jackpot and found a teal gnome for $2.00 at the gift shop at my work! This DIY does come with some burnt finger tips due to the hot glue but is otherwise a fun, easy decoration idea. It can also be a very interesting project for your tween and teens too.

Here’s What You Will Need

2 foam balls( any size you want… try to get a green one if it is available)
One craft dowel rod ($tree)
Faux moss ($tree)
Terra cotta pot ($tree) or an old pot from a gift I received a while back
Hot glue gun ( any craft store)
White paint ($tree)
brown paint(optional) ($tree)

How To Make It

First paint the terra-cotta pot. You can use acrylic paint or chalk paint whatever you have on hand. Let it dry completely before you move onto the next step.
Cut a small foam piece to fit your terra-cotta pot and place it inside.
Next insert the Dowel rods into the foam balls. You can paint the dowel rod so that it looks more like natural bark or you can leave it as is. I would suggest painting it before you insert into the foam balls rather than as I have shown in the video because it’s much easier painting it ahead of time.
Position the foam balls how you would like it to look, then hot glue above and below the insertion sites of the rods to keep the foam balls in place.
When the foam balls have dried up and are secure I would go ahead and start hot gluing the faux moss onto them at this point. In the video I secured the foam balls into the pot first then glued on the moss, I found this a little bit on the difficult side so I would suggest gluing the moss first then securing the foam balls into the pot.
After you have glued on all the moss, press down with your hands to secure everything in place.
Once you are happy with your creation go ahead and hot glue the bottom of the dowel rod and insert it into the foam that you placed in the terra-cotta pot.
Add some moss inside of the terra-cotta pot to hide the foam inside and give it a nice finishing touch with a bow or anything else of your preference.