Yield: 1 Topiary
Outdoor Pumpkin Topiary
Stack four painted jack o'lantern buckets on a dowelto make a rusty outdoor pumpkin topiary for your fall porch.
Equipment
- 1 Drill with 1/2" drill bit
- 1 Paintbrush
- 1 Can of matte clear acrylic spray
- 1 Glue gun and glue sticks
- 1 pair of scissors
- 1 Mixing cup and stir stick for the plaster
- 1 Saw (only if you need to trim the dowel)
Materials
- 1 large jack o’lantern bucket
- 3 small jack o’lantern buckets
- 1 clay pot 4 inch
- Black fabric scraps for the face cutouts
- Duct tape
- Black acrylic paint
- Rust colored acrylic paint
- Ground cinnamon
- 1 wooden dowel 1/2 inch by 36 inches
- 3 small wood scraps
- Plaster of Paris
- 1 plastic container
- Gravel
- Potting soil
- Dried floral foam
- Faux greenery and dried stems
Instructions
- Paint each bucket black, then dab on rust colored paint. Sprinkle cinnamon over the wet paint. Tap off the extra and let dry.
- Spray each bucket with a few coats of clear matte acrylic spray.
- Glue black fabric inside each bucket to cover the face cutouts. Tape the edges with duct tape.
- Stand the dowel in a plastic container. Pour plaster of Paris around it. Let it set for 30 minutes.
- Glue a wood scrap into the bottom of each small bucket. Drill a hole for the dowel through each one.
- Place the dowel base in the large bucket. Fill around it with gravel and soil. Set a 4 inch clay pot upside down over the dowel.
Notes
- The clear spray darkens the cinnamon to a deep rust. Test on the bottom of one bucket first.
- Pour the plaster in a container that fits inside the large bucket. Plaster sets fast, so check the fit before you mix.
- Keep the topiary on a covered porch. The finish is not waterproof.
- To store, pull the greenery, slide the buckets off the dowel, and keep them in a dry spot. Do not nest the buckets or the finish can rub off.