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05/25/2015

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope you’re enjoying the holiday weekend, and if you know American soldiers who gave their lives, that you’re honoring their memory in a really special way today.  It’s a great day for Patriotic crafts, and I love that today’s project is perfect for both Memorial Day and the 4th of July in another 6 weeks.  This red, white and blue craft makes for great decor on your summer mantel or as a centerpiece at your barbecue!

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece at www.happyhourprojects.com | Use FloraCraft foam balls and household items to create this red white and blue decor piece! #MakeItFunCrafts

This craft is part of a FloraCraft® Make It: Fun Foam Ball challenge, and I had so much fun partnering with FloraCraft® to make it!  They sent this fabulous box of goodies to see what I could come up with using their Make It: Fun® Foam Balls and Tools.  And if you like my idea, then you can get lots more foam inspiration at makeitfuncrafts.com.

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece at www.happyhourprojects.com | Use FloraCraft foam balls and household items to create this red white and blue decor piece! #MakeItFunCrafts

I added some paint and a few basic craft and household supplies to this box of foam goodies.  And some glitter.  Glitter makes everything better. ;)

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece at www.happyhourprojects.com | Use FloraCraft foam balls and household items to create this red white and blue decor piece! #MakeItFunCrafts

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam Balls (1″ and 1-1/2″ for the fireworks, and other sizes to fit your base)
  • FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam Cutter
  • Cotton swabs
  • Toothpicks
  • Spray paint and spray glitter
  • Scissors
  • Wood dowels and/or bamboo skewers
  • Patriotic base (check your local dollar store or dollar section!)
  • Craft glue
  • Paper shreds or confetti

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece at www.happyhourprojects.com | Use FloraCraft foam balls and household items to create this red white and blue decor piece! #MakeItFunCrafts

First, use 1-inch and 1.5 inch foam balls to create your fireworks.  I used cotton swabs with one tip cut off and toothpicks to create two different styles of pyrotechnics.  The larger the ball, the more swabs or picks you will need, but also, the fuller it will look when you’re done.  I recommend using a mix of sizes and supplies so that you get a variety!  When you’ve filled your foam ball, insert a slim dowel or a bamboo skewer into it.  Again, variety is key here, so using sticks of different lengths will help you build a great visual display.

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece at www.happyhourprojects.com | Use FloraCraft foam balls and household items to create this red white and blue decor piece! #MakeItFunCrafts

Next, I cut two larger balls up to line the bottom of my base with foam, using the foam cutter.  I cut one in half, and another into quarters.  Use craft glue (or hot glue) to secure the flat sides of the cut foam to your base.

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece at www.happyhourprojects.com | Use FloraCraft foam balls and household items to create this red white and blue decor piece! #MakeItFunCrafts

Next, take your faux fireworks outside and spray paint them.  I used a mix of red and blue, and finished them off with a silver glittering spray – but get creative!  When spray painting foam, use multiple light coats for best results.  I sprayed mine twice and allowed them to dry for 30 minutes between coats, and for 60 minutes to dry before assembling.  My total craft time was under an hour of active craft time, and 90 minutes drying time.

Faux Fireworks Patriotic Centerpiece at www.happyhourprojects.com | Use FloraCraft foam balls and household items to create this red white and blue decor piece! #MakeItFunCrafts

Finally, assemble it, topiary-style!  Poke the sticks into the foam base at various heights.  You can cluster them together more easily when they’re offset, so you can create a fuller display.  Cover your base foam with paper shreds or confetti, and it’s ready to share!

You can find other bloggers’ great crafts using FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam by following the #MakeItFunCrafts hashtag, and visit their website for more products and craft ideas.  Thanks for joining me today for this red, white and blue craft project!

Adrianne Surian Signature

Filed Under: Featured, Home Decor, Home Improvement, Patriotic, Seasonal, Tutorials Tagged With: 4th of July, blue, centerpiece, craft, decor, firecracker, fireworks, FloraCraft, foam, foam balls, glitter, Independence Day, mantel, Memorial Day, paint, red, topiary, white

copyright policy and terms of use

I love it when you love my work! All tutorials and photos published at Happy Hour Projects are copyrighted. If you would like to feature my tutorial on your website or share it on your social media you may use one photo to feature, as long as you provide a link back to the original post.

If you feature a photo, it may not be accompanied by the project tutorial or recipe, whether in my own words as it originally appears or paraphrased by you. This also includes personal sharing on social media and Pinterest. Publishing multiple photos from a project, or including instructions with an accompanying photo are not permitted and you will be asked to remove them.

I love to share my projects, and my tutorials, recipes, and e-books are ALL free for your personal use. However, photos and ideas that are published to this site are my protected intellectual property. You may print them at home, but please do not copy or distribute them. I also allow all designs to be made and sold at fundraisers, craft fairs, etc. If you are selling a piece made from one or more of my free tutorials in your online shop, I require that you use your own, original photography, and include a link back to my website to credit me as the designer.

I hope you enjoy what you read here, and please be fair when you share!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    05/27/2015 at 2:01 pm

    This just looks like a party! What a fun, festive idea! Happy summertime!

    Reply
  2. Alexandra says

    05/25/2015 at 4:15 pm

    Such a neat idea!

    Reply
  3. LAURA KELLY says

    05/25/2015 at 1:39 pm

    These are awesome sauce fun! We are totally making them. Craziness is we have all of the supplies already to go without a trip to the store. Yay!

    Reply
  4. Melanie says

    05/25/2015 at 1:20 pm

    This turned out so cute! Using the q-tips is great!

    Reply

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Hello, and welcome! I'm Adrianne, an artist, author, designer, and blogger in mid Michigan. I work from home, chase my two kids, and this once-city-girl is learning how to care for chickens and adjusting to life out in the country. I have a compulsion for daily creativity... sometimes it's jewelry-making, paper crafting, metal stamping, mixing and baking, or giving new life to recycled items. But with 2 young kids, time is short! My goal here at Happy Hour Projects is to share projects and tips that you can do in an hour or less. The ideas you find here are designed to add a little creativity in your day, no matter how much (or how little) time you have!

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