HOW TO: Decorative Flower Balls

Skill Level:  Easy

Time to Complete:  4+ Hours

Supplies Needed:  

• Patterned Papers
• Scallop or Circle Punch
• Scissors
• Hot Glue & Glue Gun
• Foam Ball
• Fishing Line
• Glitter, Mists or Ink (optional)
• Ribbon (optional)

I have made several of these balls to put in my shop, but wanted to get this how to up before listing all of them.  It has been a long labor of love as each ball has taken me at least four hours to complete and many stops and starts with each of them.  One of the great things about this project is that some of the steps are easy enough to do in front of the TV or when you have just a few minutes here and there.

Step 1:  Grab an assortment of patterned papers and punch at least 175 scalloped circles.  This will cover approximately 4" diameter foam ball.  Whether the paper is single or double sided does not make a huge difference.  My color scheme here was teal and lime green for my base colors.

Step 2:  Use a nice sharp pair of scissors and cut a spiral in each scalloped circle.  Try to keep your spiral even if you can, but having some parts thicker than others will be fine in the end.  You can stack a few of these at a time for faster cutting.

Step 3:  Roll up each spiral starting from the inside out.  Make sure your roll is very tight.  Once you've completed the roll, squeeze it between your fingers to make sure you have a tight round cone shape.  This will make the spiral keep its shape as we move on to Step 4.

Step 4:  Once you have all of your spirals rolled up tightly, go back and loosen each one up just a bit until you have a nice flower shape. 

Step 5:  Take your foam ball and tie fishing line around it.  Create a loop for hanging and keep it visible.  I have used a few methods here, including tape to help secure the fishing line, and hanging my ball while moving on to the next step.

Step 6:  Using a hot glue gun (mine is low temp), simply add a dime sized spot of glue to your foam ball and firmly press a spiral flower into it.  Repeat this step until your ball is full, trying to vary the color so that you get a nice mixture in the completed project.  

Step 7:  Check to make sure all of the flowers are secure.  If there are any loose areas, carefully insert the glue gun in that area and add a small amount of glue to secure them.

Step 8 (Optional):  Spray your ball with glimmer mist, roll in ink or add glitter to the edges of your flowers.  

Step 9 (Optional):  Tie ribbon at the top of your ball.  Enjoy!

The ball shown above is 5" diameter. 

To see the selection of balls I have available for purchase, click here.  Thanks for looking!