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Content Created by Tracey of Baker Street Living 
After I made my Leprechaun Shoe Planter, I had some sheet moss left over. I decided to make a Shamrock Topiary with some of my leftover bits. It turned out pretty good. Topiaries are a great way to decorate without spending a lot of money. If you have a small space, they don’t take up a lot of space.
Materials List
- Sheet Moss
- Cardboard (I am using a scrap box)
- Hot Glue
- Wooden Dowel
- Small Flower Pot
- Floral Foam
- Cardboard
- Green Spray Paint
- Glue Dots
- Mod Podge Ultra Spray
- Ribbon (optional)
- Adhesive Vinyl (optional for design on pot)
Craft Tools
- Scissors
- Chalk or china marker
- Glue Gun
- Knife (for cutting foam)
- Cutting Machine (if adding vinyl design)
How to Make a Shamrock Topiary
Paint the Stick
Use an old cardboard box as a mini spray booth. Place your dowel in the box and hold it in place with a glue dot. In a well-ventilated area, apply a liberal coat of green spray paint. Once dry, turn the dowel over and spray the other side.
Prepare the Pot
1 – Wipe the sides of the pot to remove any dust or debris from the surface.
2- If adding a vinyl shamrock design to the pot, download and cut the Shamrock. I cut 4 shamrocks from a light green removable vinyl. I chose removable vinyl so that I could use the pot later for another craft. I have 2 different designs available for you to download if desired.
3 – Cut the floral foam to fill the inside of the pot. Make sure the foam is snug in the pot. Cutting foam is easy with a Canary Cardboard cutter. If you don’t have one, check them out.
Make the Shamrock.
1- Print and cut out the shamrock pattern. I have provided 2 separate patterns, a three-leaf and a four-leaf shamrock. Choose either one. .
2 – Cut the Shamrock shape from cardboard.
3 – Using the cardboard shamrock draw around the outside edge of the shape onto the wrong side of the sheet moss with a piece of chalk or a china marker.
4 – Cut the sheet moss into two shamrock shapes.
5 – Spritz each shamrock with some Mod Podge Ultra Sealer spray and allow it to dry. This will prevent some of the shedding that occurs when using sheet moss.
6 – Apply hot glue liberally to one side of the cardboard shamrock shape.
7 – Press one of the sheet moss shamrocks onto the glue and press the moss onto the glue.
8 – Turn the cardboard shamrock over and add some hot glue into the center for the dowel (stem)
9 – Place the dowel onto the glue and press. Allow it to dry for a few minutes before moving on.
10 – Add more hot glue liberally onto the cardboard and dowel.
11 – Press the other moss shamrock shape into place
12 – Scrape up the bits of fallen moss. Apply some hot glue to the sides of the shamrock, where the cardboard peaks through. Press loose moss into the edge. Do this around the entire outer edge. This will cover all of the cardboard that sometimes shows through.
13 – Once dry, apply a coat of Mod Podge Spray to the moss to prevent shedding. Spray one side, allow it to dry, and then repeat on the other. If you wish to add glitter, sprinkle it onto the Mod Podge before it dries.
15 – – Insert the dowel into the floral foam.
I16 -Add some hot glue to the top of the foam and add some more moss
17 – Add some hot glue onto the top of the foam and add some more moss. Add a decorative ribbon around the base of the shamrock and attach it with a bit of hot glue.
18 – Allow everything to dry and show off your Shamrock Topiary.
Tips and FAQ’s
Storing your Shamrock Topiary
To store, lightly wrap the shamrock topiary in a few sheets of tissue wrap and place it into a large box. It there is less chance of bumping or rubbing against other items, the better the shape of the topiary will stay.
Colouring the Moss
You can easily add a little colour if you find the moss looks dull or has brown spots. A little paint will work wonders.
I like to use spray paint, in moss green or something close to it. Wrap the stem, and pot in paper or plastic wrap and spray the moss part to the shamrock. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Use a light spray and allow it to dry. if you want the topiary a darker colour, give it another spray. This is for dried moss only.
You can also use a sponge brush and acrylic paint. This can be messy as the moss tends to shed. To cut down on the shedding, apply a coat of spray glue or another coat of Mod Podge Ultra..
Preventing Moss Shedding
This is always a problem when working with moss. It can be such a mess and you can lose a lot of moss. My best tip is to spray the moss with a coat of Mod Podge Ultra spray. Allow it to dry and reapply if you see spots that you have missed. You can also use Gorilla Glue spray or any glue spray that dries clear.
Adding Embellishments
Feel free to jazz up your topiary with a few gems. Use a little hot glue to place them into the moss.
Some easy embellishments include:
- small gold buttons
- pearls
- small green glass beads.
- sprinkle of glitter
For placing small beads into the topiary, consider using long craft tweezers.
I hope you like this easy St.patrick’s Day Shamrock Topiary idea. They look awesome on a mantle, table or window sill.
This website contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no cost to you).