Creating Beautiful Flower Balls For Your Wedding Day

Hanging flower balls are a great way to add a pop of colour and texture to your wedding. They can be used as centrepieces or decor and can be made with fresh or silk flowers. Making your own flower balls is a fun DIY project that can be done in under an hour and will cost you less than buying pre-made ones. All you need are materials such as foam, flowers, wire, and ribbon, and you can create beautiful hanging flower balls that will impress your guests.

Using floral pins to secure the ribbon around the foam

Floral pins are essential for creating flower balls for weddings, ensuring that the ribbon stays securely in place. Here's a detailed guide on using floral pins to secure the ribbon around the foam:

Before you begin, prepare your floral pins. Floral pins come in different styles, lengths, and materials, so choose the type that best suits your project. Straight floral pins are ideal for securing the ribbon to the foam base. They can be inserted at different angles, providing versatility in your design.

To start, cut the ribbon to your desired length, depending on how long you want it to hang. Once you've cut the ribbon, create a knot at both ends and position it at the bottom of the foam ball. This knot will serve as the base for securing the ribbon.

Now, take your floral pins and start from the bottom of the foam ball. Insert the straight pins at a slight angle; this ensures a more stable hold and prevents slipping. Work your way around the foam ball, securing the ribbon in place as you go. Use as many pins as needed to keep the ribbon taut and securely attached to the foam.

When working with ribbons, consider using multiple pins, especially if you're dealing with thicker or heavier ribbon. This will provide additional stability and ensure that your flower ball hangs evenly.

As you work your way around the foam ball, maintain tension on the ribbon to avoid any slack. Continue pinning the ribbon until you reach the knot again, forming a secure loop around the foam ball.

With the ribbon securely in place, you can now move on to the next steps of creating your flower ball. Remember, floral pins are versatile and can also be used to attach flowers to the foam ball, ensuring a professional and polished look for your wedding decorations.

Trimming the flowers from their stems

Firstly, select sharp scissors or shears suitable for floral cutting. You want to ensure a clean cut that won't damage the delicate flower heads. Cut the flowers at a slight angle, approximately one inch from the flower head. This angled cut will increase the surface area, allowing the flowers to absorb more water from the wet foam.

Next, it's important to cut as many flowers as possible in one go. You'll need a substantial amount to cover the foam ball entirely, so it's efficient to trim multiple flowers before moving on to the next step. This way, you can focus on the delicate task of trimming without constantly stopping to adjust and cut more flowers.

Now, depending on the type of flowers you've chosen, you may need to remove some of the leaves. Leaves can be a beautiful addition to the flower ball, but too many can make it challenging to fully cover the foam. Carefully remove any large or bulky leaves from the stems, ensuring you don't accidentally cut into the flower heads.

After trimming, place the flowers in a vase of water to keep them hydrated and fresh. This step is especially important if you're using fresh flowers, as they will need to remain hydrated in the hours or days leading up to the wedding. It's also beneficial for silk flowers, as it will help to revive and reshape them if they've become crushed or damaged.

Finally, if you're using fresh flowers, consider adding a flower food preservative to the water. This preservative will help the flowers stay perky and vibrant for longer, ensuring they look their best on the wedding day. By following these steps, you'll have beautifully trimmed flowers ready to be attached to the foam ball base, creating stunning floral decorations for the wedding.

Poking flowers into the foam

To start poking flowers into the foam, you will need to cut the flowers from their stems, leaving about one inch of the stem exposed. This remaining stem will be used to pierce the foam ball. If you are using fresh flowers, you will need to add floral picks to the stems and use the sharp end of the pick to pierce the foam. Push the flowers all the way into the foam, leaving no space between the petals and the ball. If you feel that the flowers are not attaching well, you can use hot glue to further adhere them. Continue this process until the entire surface of the foam ball is covered in flowers.

If you are using silk flowers, you can add a small piece of floral wire to the base of the flower head before poking it into the foam. This will help to keep the flower stable.

Wrapping the foam with wire

To make flower balls for weddings, you'll need to start by wrapping the foam with wire. This step will give structure to your flower balls, so they hold their shape. Here's a detailed guide on how to do this:

To begin, you'll need a spool of 20-gauge floral wire. Unwind a length of wire about 2 feet long. You can either cut it off the spool now with wire cutters or leave it attached and trim it later after wrapping it around the foam ball. Take the end of the wire and pierce it about 2 inches into the foam ball. Now, start wrapping the wire around the circumference of the ball. When you reach the starting point again, trim the wire, leaving about 2 inches of extra wire. Push this excess wire down into the body of the foam ball, right next to the first piercing.

It's important to note that you should not use the same pierced hole for the opposite end of the wire, as it may come loose due to the enlarged opening in the foam. Instead, insert the excess wire into a different spot in the foam. This will ensure a secure hold.

Repeat this process to add more wire wrappings to the foam ball. You'll want to create a series of wire wrappings, with approximately four wrappings in total. Space them about 1 to 2 inches apart at the widest parts on the side of the foam ball. The reason for multiple wrappings is that a single long piece of wire wrapped in different directions may lose strength over time. By wrapping individual lengths of wire, you achieve a tighter and more secure configuration.

For the next step, unravel a 3-foot section of wire from the spool. Pierce one end about 2 inches into the centre of the foam ball, at a point where the previous wire wrappings are furthest from each other. Tightly wrap the wire around the ball several times, pressing the concentric wire wrappings firmly against the foam. When you run out of wire, push the opposite end into the foam ball to a depth of 2 inches.

By following these steps, you will create a sturdy structure for your flower balls, ensuring they maintain their shape and can support the weight of the flowers and ribbon. Now, you can move on to the next steps of adding the ribbon and flowers to complete your hanging flower ball decorations for your wedding!

Adding a middle section of wire

To add a middle section of wire to your flower ball, you will need to cut a 3-foot section of wire from the spool. Pierce the wire 2 inches into the foam ball, in an area where the previous wire wrappings are furthest from one another. This will ensure the structure is as tight as possible.

Wrap the wire tightly around the ball several times, pressing the wire wrappings tightly against the foam ball. Continue wrapping until you run out of wire, then push the opposite end of the wire into the foam ball, again piercing it 2 inches deep. This will secure the wire in place and provide a strong structure for your flower ball.

It is important to wrap the wire tightly and securely, as this will form the base for your flowers. The wire provides the necessary support to hold the weight of the flowers and ensure they stay in place. You can adjust the placement of the wire to best suit the flowers you have chosen. For example, if you are using larger flowers, you may wish to leave more space between each wrapping to accommodate their size.

By adding this middle section of wire, you are creating a sturdy base that will ensure your flower ball holds its shape. This step is crucial, especially if you plan to hang your flower ball decoration. The wire frame will ensure the flowers remain secure and in place, even when hung at various heights.

Frequently asked questions