There are just a few more days left for you to enjoy the 2021 Taste of Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. But even with all of the wonderful Epcot excitement yet to come this year, I can’t help but think about how special the Flower & Garden Festival is.
This festival offers beautiful flora, foliage, food, and more. One of the best aspects of the Flower and Garden Festival remains the character topiaries placed throughout World Showcase and at the park entrance. Tinker Bell’s topiary is always my favorite, and my youngest son loved greeting Kermit on his bike during our recent WDW visit.
In a DisneyParks video, Director of Disney Horticulture Eric Darden explains the topiaries created for the Flower and Garden Festival as “individual pieces of Disney art.” So, we gathered some of our most fun craft supplies to make our own Disney-inspired topiary art — and so can you! This family-friendly project can be modified for different ages, from toddlers just learning to squeeze glue to seasoned crafters familiar with glue guns. Follow the instructions below to create your very own “topiary” masterpiece.
Our main mouse, Mickey, is the inspiration for this particular creation, but feel free to be inspired by other characters and materials!
For this project, you will need:
-Small terra cotta pot
-Three styrofoam spheres (1 large, 2 small)
-Wood skewers
-Faux flowers
-Glue gun and glue sticks (modify for age)
Also consider:
-Small craft accessories like poof balls, googly eyes, pipe cleaners
-Ribbons, yarn, and twine
-Construction paper
-Tissue paper
-Clear glue or mod podge
-Recycled materials
Step 1:
Create Mickey shape with the three styrofoam balls! Glue the largest ball to the terra cotta pot. Skewer smaller balls to large ball in place of Mickey ears.
Step 2:
Decorate! Use glue to attach chosen materials to the styrofoam. For faux flowers, I used minimal glue by pushing them directly into the styrofoam. The hot glue gun worked best for most of materials used, but supervision is necessary.
Step 3:
Add final touches and display! Consider tying a ribbon to the terra cotta pot or adding a bow to make Minnie Mouse.
Our family had a lot of fun gluing materials on our topiaries. My faux flower creation adds a nice addition to my Disney decor, and I’m considering creating festive berry versions for the holidays.
My son utilized all the poof balls and made pipe cleaner ears for his smaller “topiary.” I love how colorful and whimsical it turned out!
Until the next Flower and Garden Festival, we’ll enjoy our very own Disney-inspired topiaries!
Tiera Tanner lives her life spreading pixie dust. Whether creating art in her studio, or raising her two young sons, Tiera is inspired by the magic of Disney, and is always encouraging her husband to plan their next trip to the parks.
