Creating Wedding Pomander Balls With Tissue Paper

Tissue paper pomander balls are a fun, easy, and inexpensive DIY project that can be used as decorations for weddings, baby showers, and bridal showers. They can be made with tissue paper or crepe paper, and a styrofoam ball or wads of magazine pages as the base. The process involves cutting and folding the tissue paper into strips or squares, creating an accordion fold, and then gluing or pinning the tissue paper to the base. The result is a beautiful and unique decoration that can be customised to fit any colour scheme or theme.

Cutting and stacking tissue paper

To make wedding pomander balls with tissue paper, you'll need to cut and stack your tissue paper. Here's a step-by-step guide:

First, cut your tissue paper into the desired shape and size. You can cut it into strips, typically around 1-2 inches wide, or you can cut it into squares. The number of pieces you'll need depends on the size and style of your pomander balls. For smaller pomander balls, you may only need a few pieces of tissue paper, while for larger or more intricate designs, you might need 8 or more pieces.

Once you have your tissue paper cut to size, it's time to stack the pieces. If you're creating rosettes or flowers, you'll want to stack multiple pieces of tissue paper, usually around 4-10 sheets, depending on the desired fullness. If you're making accordions or fans, you'll need to stack and fold the tissue paper together. For this style, make 1 1/2 inch wide accordion folds, creasing each fold as you go.

After you've cut and stacked your tissue paper, you can move on to the next steps of assembling your pomander balls. This may include securing the tissue paper with wire, glue, or pins, and then shaping and fluffing the tissue paper to create the desired effect.

Remember, you can get creative and experiment with different cutting and stacking techniques to achieve unique looks for your wedding pomander balls.

Curling and layering petals

To curl the petals, use a round pen or pencil to curl the petals of one flower "in". You can also use scissors to trim the edges of the tissue paper into rounded or pointy shapes.

For layering, stack two flowers on top of each other, with the smaller one on top if you are using different sizes. Try to offset the petals. Hold the compound flower in place on your styrofoam ball and stick a pin through the flowers' centre and into the ball.

Continue making compound flowers and adding them, ensuring that the flowers are slightly crowded to eliminate gaps and give the pomander a fuller appearance. When you're ready to add another row, try to offset the flowers so they nestle in with one another.

Using glue to secure tissue paper or flowers to a ball

To make wedding pomander balls, you can use a styrofoam ball as your base. If you want to save money, you can wad up old magazine pages into a ball shape and secure it with tape.

To attach tissue paper to your base, you can cut the tissue paper into strips or squares and then roll or fold and secure with hot glue. For strips, fold the strip in half and roll it up, securing with hot glue. Keep twisting, rolling, and securing, and it will form a rosette shape. For squares, stack about 10 squares on top of each other, then poke a pin through the middle and pinch the papers.

Once you have your tissue paper shapes, you can start gluing them to your base. For rosettes, simply glue them all over the ball until it is covered. For squares, use a pin to secure the stack of squares to the ball, then ruffle the papers so they stand and fall as you want them to. Trim the corners and ends of the tissue paper to make all the ends about the same length, and keep stuffing and pinning the tissue paper until the whole ball is covered.

If you are using flowers, you can use hot glue to attach them to the styrofoam ball. Trim the stems of the flowers to about 1 inch and remove any rubber from the stems so that only bare wire remains. Put hot glue on the bottom of the flower at the top of the wire stem, then insert it into the styrofoam ball and add more hot glue around the site for reinforcement.

You can also use tissue paper flowers instead of fresh or fake flowers. To make tissue paper flowers, cut your tissue paper into strips and fold them into an accordion. Wrap floral wire around the centre and twist the ends to secure, then round the edges with scissors. Fan out the tissue paper and separate the layers with your fingers, then fluff it to finish the flower.

Trimming and shaping tissue paper edges

Trimming and shaping the edges of your tissue paper is an important step in making wedding pomander balls. This step will give your pomander balls a polished and uniform look. Here is a detailed guide on how to do it:

Start by unfolding your stacked and folded tissue paper. You will now have a long strip of tissue paper with accordion folds. Using scissors, carefully round off or curve the edges of the strip. You can choose to make the edges rounded or pointy, depending on the look you want. If you are making the pomander balls with others, this is a simple task to delegate to others to speed up the process.

If you are using the tissue paper rosette method, you will need to trim the corners and ends of the tissue paper after securing it to the ball. Cut the tissue paper so that all the ends are roughly the same length. This will give your rosettes a neat and uniform appearance.

For a more textured look, you can curl the edges of the tissue paper outwards. This will create a ruffled effect on your pomander balls. You can use a round pencil or pen to easily curl the tissue paper. Simply run the edge of the tissue paper along the pencil, gently pulling as you go, and it will curl around the shape.

Remember to take your time and be careful when trimming and shaping the tissue paper. Tissue paper is delicate and can tear easily, so a gentle touch is important.

Hanging the pomander balls

Now that you've crafted your beautiful tissue paper pomander balls, it's time to hang them up and create a stunning display! Here are some tips and ideas for hanging these decorations to perfection:

Decide on the Display Area: Choose the area where you want to display your pomander balls. They can be hung over the dance floor, above the cake, as aisle decorations, or even from a light fixture to create a stunning centrepiece. You can also hang them at varying heights to create a whimsical effect.

Choose Your Hanging Material: Decide what material you want to use to hang the pomander balls. Ribbon, burlap, twine, and string are all excellent options, and you can choose colours and textures that complement your wedding theme. Cut the hanging material to your desired length, allowing for some excess to tie knots or bows.

Attaching the Hanging Material: Take your chosen hanging material and tie it securely to the paper clip or floral wire at the centre of your pomander ball. If you're using hot glue, you can also glue the ribbon directly onto the ball. Make sure the knot or glue is strong enough to bear the weight of the pomander.

Creating Bows or Embellishments: If you want to add a decorative touch, you can create bows or embellishments with the hanging material. This is a great way to add a bit of flair and hide any knots or glue. Ask a friend or family member to help you tie beautiful bows if needed!

Adjusting Height and Position: Once your pomander balls are hung, take a step back and adjust their heights and positions as needed. Play around with different arrangements until you find the most aesthetically pleasing display. You can also fluff the tissue paper to give the balls a fuller appearance and cover any gaps.

Safety and Stability: Ensure that your pomander balls are securely attached to the hanging material and that the hanging material is firmly attached to the chosen display area. You don't want any unexpected drops! If hanging them outdoors, consider the wind and use appropriate fixtures to keep them in place.

With these tips, you'll be able to create a breathtaking display that will wow your wedding guests!

Frequently asked questions