Williamsburg Topiary

Debbie Matenopoulos and Cameron Mathison welcome real-life couple Chris Dempsey and Heather Krueger who inspired the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original "Once Upon a Christmas Miracle." Actress and cookbook author Tiffani Thiessen makes holiday granola and spiced nuts. Actor Kevin Sorbo talks about his movie “Bernie the Dolphin.” Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb and knitting expert Vickie Howell are here with DIY bubbly bottle sleeves. Licensed psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser shares how to de-stress during the holidays. Larissa Wohl is joined by Ellie Laks Weiner from The Gentle Barn to discuss connecting and helping special needs children and animals. Cameron and his wife Vanessa cook pork tamales. Paige Hemmis shows us DIY gingerbreading for our homes. Ken Wingard has a DIY fruit tree centerpiece. Cameron and Vanessa answer viewer questions. Credit: © 2018 Crown Media United States, LLC | Photo: jeremy lee/ Alexx Henry Studios, LLC.

Going to school in Colonial Williamsburg as a kid, I was always blown over by the decorations during the holidays.  Most of them centered around greenery and produce - so simple yet so stunning.  Back then,  no formal holiday dining room was complete without a sugared fruit topiary.  So, I’m brining ‘em back!!

MATERIALSStyrofoam coneNon-weighted Styrofoam fruit (some frosted)Small fruit and berriesMossGrapevineStyrofoam spray gluedHot glueBread knife or saw

STEPSCut your large fruit in half. It should cut pretty easily using a hack saw or even a bread knife if you have the unweighted fruit.

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If you’ve got fruit with some heft in it, you’ll probably run across ones with weights in them.  Just cut around the “pit” like you would a mango and they’ll eventually come apart.

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Coat your cone with the Styrofoam spray glue.  Follow the instructions on the can, but usually you let it sit for a few minutes to let it reach maximum stickiness.  Now place your fruit halves onto the cone.  They should stick right on.

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Continue placing fruit until your cone is covered.Add hot glue between your fruit...

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and fill in with moss.

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On top of the moss use hot glue to add little berries..

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...and any other little fruit you have. .

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Take a length of grape vine and stick one end into the Styrofoam near the base. Twist and turn the grapevine up and around the cone and tuck in the opposite end near the top.

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You’re all done!  

Debbie Matenopoulos and Cameron Mathison welcome real-life couple Chris Dempsey and Heather Krueger who inspired the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original "Once Upon a Christmas Miracle." Actress and cookbook author Tiffani Thiessen makes holiday granola and spiced nuts. Actor Kevin Sorbo talks about his movie “Bernie the Dolphin.” Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb and knitting expert Vickie Howell are here with DIY bubbly bottle sleeves. Licensed psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser shares how to de-stress during the holidays. Larissa Wohl is joined by Ellie Laks Weiner from The Gentle Barn to discuss connecting and helping special needs children and animals. Cameron and his wife Vanessa cook pork tamales. Paige Hemmis shows us DIY gingerbreading for our homes. Ken Wingard has a DIY fruit tree centerpiece. Cameron and Vanessa answer viewer questions. Credit: © 2018 Crown Media United States, LLC | Photo: jeremy lee/ Alexx Henry Studios, LLC.

For a more majestic display I sat them on top of a pair of pillar holders - Colonial Williamsburg would be proud!