We often have readers inquire about what they can do with certain recycled items, including the K-cups from Keurig coffee makers.  Would you believe that this wintery topiary uses them as one of the main supplies?

Don’t worry if you don’t have a Keurig, you can also use Dixie cups or other small cups for this project as well. This topiary will make a great addition to your holiday decor, and with the use of battery-powered lights you can put it nearly anywhere!

Project estimate:

• Blue tinsel garland, $1
• Silver tinsel garland, $1
• Styrofoam ball, on hand or $1 and up
• Packing tape, on hand
• Wired ribbon, on hand or $1
• Empty wrapping paper tube, on hand
• Dowel or bamboo stake, on hand or $1 and up
• Foam snowflakes, $1
• Battery operated snowflake lights, $1
• Silver poster board, $1
• Floral foam, $1
• Container, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand
• K-cups, emptied and dry, or small paper cups, on hand or $1
• Snowflake ornament, on hand or $1

Total:  about $8 and up

Cut and hot glue the floral foam to where it is 1″ below the top of your container. Cut extra foam to fill in around the sides.

Fold one of the wrapping paper rolls in half lengthwise and insert it and the dowel into the other roll. The dowel should extend each end by 3 & 1/2″.

Put a large amount of glue on top of the foam and force the roll into the foam. The roll needs to be straight and strong.

To keep the styrofoam from melting, wrap it in packing tape, covering it completely. Using a pair of scissors, poke a 3″ hole in the center. Put a large amount of glue on top of the dowel and force the foam ball on top of it down to the top of the roll.

Cover the roll with the piece of poster board and cover the base of the topiary with a piece of tinsel, your choice of color. The tinsel doesn’t need to be glued down, it stays put.

Starting at the top, glue the k-cups around the ball in a symmetrical fashion. My cat did this part.

 

Put a drop of glue on one end of the blue tinsel and carefully stick it to the ball. Zig zag it around the K-cups evenly until you run out, put a drop of glue on the end and stick it to the ball. At this point, do the same with the silver tinsel, covering the ball.

Take the lights and work them in and around the ball. Put the battery box on the back side.

The foam snowflakes came in three colors: white, medium and dark blue. They also came in different sizes, small and large.  Take the white snowflakes and glue them between the K-cups. Cut some of the large medium and dark blue in half and glue them to the sides of the K-cups.

Glue the blue snowflakes on the bottoms of the K-cups. Glue some of the white, small snowflakes on top of the blue ones to make them stand out.

Cut a slit in the bottom of the top K-cup and glue the large snowflake in the top of the topiary.

Tie a bow at the bottom and admire your work!