Display mistletoe in a one-of-a-kind way this holiday season with this distinctive kissing-ball craft.
Tools and Materials
Green Dupioni silk (about 1/4 yard)
Iron-on matte vinyl
Iron
Binder clips
Leaf template
Scissors
Green permanent marker
Floral pins with 1/4- to 3/8-inch white pearl heads
Black permanent marker
Small pinecones (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in size)
S-shaped floral pins
Floral wire
Small (1-inch) white ball ornaments, enough to cover Styrofoam ball
Glittering glue
Glitter
Styrofoam ball (we used a 6-inch ball, but any size from 3 to 8 inches will work)
Large screw eye hook
Metallic silver floral spray paint (make sure spray paint is for use on floral items; regular spray paint will melt the Styrofoam)
Hot-glue gun and hot-glue sticks
Silk ribbon in a coordinating color
Mistletoe Kissing Ball How-To
1. Cut silk into an 11-by-17-inch piece. Apply an iron-on matte vinyl to one side of the silk, following the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Fold the silk into quarters accordion style, lengthwise, with the vinyl side facing out so there are 4 layers. Cut off any excess and clamp with binder clips.
3. Print leaf template and cut out. Trace leaves onto vinyl of folded silk with a green permanent marker. Cut out leaves with silk still folded, so you are cutting out four leaves at a time. Move binder clips as you cut to keep layers from shifting.
4. Use pearl head floral pins to make berries. Make a dot on each of the pin heads with a black permanent marker, and wrap pins together in twos with floral tape. Wrap silk leaves around the paired pins and secure with more floral tape to create small mistletoe sprigs. Repeat to make enough sprigs for your kissing ball (we made about 35 for a 6-inch ball).
5. Attach pinecones to S-shaped floral pins with floral wire.
6. Paint glue on the small ball ornaments, and glitter using an assortment of colors (we used White Gold and Coarse Crystal). Paint glue onto pine cones, and glitter. Set ornaments and pine cones aside to dry.
7. Insert a large screw eye into the Styrofoam ball and spray paint the ball with metallic silver floral spray paint.
8. Start assembling the kissing ball by inserting the small ball ornaments into the Styrofoam ball, side by side. Poke holes in the Styrofoam ball with the stem of the ornament, and add a little hot glue to the hole. Insert the ornament back into the hole. Repeat until the whole ball is covered. (Note: It's OK if there are some small blank spaces between some ornaments; these will be filled in with mistletoe and pinecones.)
9. Finish decorating the kissing ball by inserting the pine cones on pins and mistletoe sprigs into the foam all around the ball.
10. Attach a silk ribbon to the eye hook to hang the kissing ball.
Resources
Green Dupioni silk is available at fabric stores. Floral supplies and holiday ornaments are available at crafts or garden-supply stores. Glittering glue and glitter in White Gold and Coarse Crystal are from Martha Stewart Crafts.
