Wed 14 Dec 2016

Make Poinsettia ball for Christmas

If you are looking for something new and exciting to decorate your home this Christmas, then how about a different kind of floral disply? Poinsettias aren’t exactly flowers but rather leaves that are so brightly coloured that they can easily be compared to flowers. The red variety in particular is a popular part of Christmas décor. Flowers are traditionally displayed on tables but if you want to do things a little differently, you can make your very own poinsettia ball!

You need:

  • A ball of floral foam (a 20cm diameter will make a nice sized arrangement)

  • Enough poinsettias to cover the entire surface area of the ball. The larger the ball, the more flowers you need.

  • A strong fabric ribbon (either green or red)

  • Scissors

Method:

  • Start by wrapping your ribbon around the ball of floral foam and make a twist where the two ends meet.

  • Wrap the ribbon back up to the top in such away that your ribbon divides the sides of the foam ball into four equal sections. Knot the ribbon at the top before making a loop.

  • If you are planning on using fresh poinsettias, then you should soak your floral foam in water before you proceed. If you are using artificial poinsettias, you need not soak the foam in water.

  • Take your first poinsettia stem and trim it down to approximately 3cm.

  • Insert the stem at the top point of the ball (near the loop) and place it as close to the ribbon margin as possible. Continue down this margin until you reach the bottom.

  • Then continue back up and down along each side of the ribbons until you have come full circle. You want the poinsettias to overlap the ribbon in order to conceal it.

  • Now you can fill up the spaces in the middle sections to complete your design.

  • If you like you can add some festive accessories like berries or glittering beads but this is optional.

  • Suspend your poinsettia ball on a secure hook or nail. Remember, when the foam is dry it will be really light. However, when it is wet it can get quite heavy. This is why you need to use fabric ribbon and not paper ribbon. It’s also the reason behind the use of a strong and steady hook or nail. You need to make sure that you suspend the poinsettia ball from a surface that will hold the weight without question.

  • Fresh poinsettias will need to be watered regularly so make sure that you check on the foam every day and wet the foam when you notice it has started to dry out.