How to make an Orange Peel Topiary

Materials

• 1 Mini Terra Cotta Pot , 2-1/2" Height
• Floral Foam
• 1/4 Oz. Green Moss
• 4 Cinnamon Sticks , 6"
• 1 Styrofoam Ball, 3"
• 1 Quart of Dried Orange Peel Ribbons*

• Glue (Hot Glue or Tacky)
• Floral Greening Pins

2. If your cinnamon sticks do not measure 6" long you will have to glue several together with the glue gun to make one 6 inches long. Push the cinnamon sticks into the center of the foam, all the way to the bottom. Add a dab of glue around them where they meet the foam. Cover the foam with moss, securing it in place with floral pins.

3. Push the Styrofoam ball onto the tops of the cinnamon sticks and add glue to keep in place. (You can use a pencil to poke a hole into the Styrofoam ball that the cinnamon stick will go into. Place a dab of glue in the hole to hold the stick in place.

4. Start adding  orange peels - by pushing the ends into the foam ball. Allow them to head out in every direction. When the ball becomes about half full, start gluing in the orange peels. Continue gluing in peels until the entire ball is concealed.

Slice fruit into 1" sections then place on paper towel lined dish. 

Pull the inside of the orange away from the peels. Cover with more paper towels. Line a glass pie pan with 4 layers of paper towels.   Microwave the fruit at 50 percent power for 3 minutes. If your microwave oven does not have a carousel, turn the dish a quarter-turn. Turn the peels over and arrange the slices on dry areas of the paper towels. Microwave the peel again at 50 percent power for 2 minutes.

Let the orange peel air dry for a day or two until hard.