Garden Gifts - Acorn Crafts
Lori posted Message 356 in the NatureCrafts BB
Dated : November 09, 1998 at 10:30:02
Subject: acorn topiary
I'm not finished with this yet but I thought that I better post the idea before the snow flies and covers up the acorns.
I took a styrofoam ball, glued on a thin layer of spanish moss.
Then glued on acorns without the caps, top glued to ball. For the stem I used a long cinnamon stick.
I'm planning on putting the stick into a clay pot with plaster of paris.
Then I will add some dried flowers and statice to the acorn ball to decorate.
So far it is shaping up well. There seem to be a ton of acorns this year so it's not difficult to gather up a bag full.
=Place paper towels on the cookie sheets. One or two thicknesses is enough..
=Put egg white in small bowl and using fork, beat it just enough to break it up. Do not whisk it until
it is full of air bubbles.
=Fill medium bowl about half full of sugar (note I use regular cooking sugar, but if you wish a finer
"finish" on the flower, you can purchase fine sugar (not powdered sugar).
=Hold flower by the stem, and using the paint brush, dipped in the egg white, "paint" it ALL OVER,
front and back, with the egg white.
You should try to only have a thin uniform coat of the egg white,
actually, just enough to dampen the flower.
=Place the flower on the sugar in the bowl and gently spoon the sugar over the flower, a little at a
tim, making sure that all of the egg white is coated with sugar..
When front of flower is coated with
sugar, carefully turn it over and spoon sugar onto the back.
Move flower carefully out from under
the sugar, allowing excess sugar to fall off the flower.
Ideally, the flower should be coated in a single
layer of sugar, and have no "clumps" of sugary egg white on it.
At this point, the flower will be
somewhat heavy. and droopy, so handle carefully.
=Pick up the flower by the stem (this is where tweezers help) and NOT touching the flower petals
(this would mar or ruin the still damp sugar coating) place the flower, front side up on paper toweling
=Repeat this procedure with each flower. Make sure flowers do not touch one another, when
placed on the paper toweling.
=Set the cookie sheet in a well ventilated place.
The flowers should dry overnight. (maybe a bit
longer, depending upon the warmth and dryness of the room).
=The stems can be snipped off when flowers are dry. They should not be left on, as they may still
be damp.
Once dry, the flowers should be brittle (like a thin potato chip) They can be stored air tight in jars (I
use wide mouth mason jars)
with pieces of napkin or paper towels separating the flowers.
They will
keep indefinitely. Store in the dark, to prevent fading of colors.