Pinecone DIY Kissing Ball

Hey friends! How many of you are starting to work on your DIY Christmas decor? Or just decorating for winter in general? I have a fun wreath alternative to share with you today, a DIY kissing ball designed with pinecones and faux greenery that’s easy to make and hold up well to the weather. I created this project for Consumer Crafts a couple of winters ago, and it’s still going strong.

You will often see kissing balls in weddings, but I love that it’s being adapted more and more to other occasions, like the winter holidays! (Maybe it’s just that any excuse to share some love and affection appeals to me!)

How to make a Pinecone DIY Kissing Ball:

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• 6-inch Foam Ball
• 5/8 inch Coordinating Ribbon
• White Tipped Pine Cones, 20-30 depending on size (approx 1 lb.)
• Greenery Picks (4-6)
• Brown Berry Picks (4-6)
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Wire Cutters

First, cut a length of ribbon 3 feet long (longer is ok! you can always start with more and trim it down.) Double the length in half, and about 8 inches from the fold, tie an overhand knot to create the hanging loop. This is where you can adjust the loop’s length, if you need to.

Then, tie the long ends around the foam ball. Secure them in place with hot glue or even pins. This will be covered in the next steps, so it’s ok if this gets messy.

Now, begin gluing your pine cones onto the foam ball.  You may find as you work that they leave some gaps, or don’t fit snugly against each other.  This is okay!  We will be filling in the gaps with the picks in the next steps.

When your ball is covered with pine cones, clip your greenery and berry picks apart with wire cutters, so that you are working with stems 1-2 inches long. You can see in this photo that the picks are grouped into 2-3 pine sticks, with a wire connecting it to more pine sticks. You will want to use these smaller groups to fill your empty areas. Fill the gaps in first with your greenery, angling the picks mainly toward the sides and bottom (this will make it look more natural, giving it more of a heavy, drooping effect, rather than having greenery sticking straight up). Continue adding greenery until the ball looks full, and you’re happy with the effect. You can move picks around as necessary until you’re satisfied!

Finally, add in the berry picks anywhere you like. My berry picks stick straight out, so that they’re more visible, but this is where you make it your own! All of the pick wires should push right into the foam, but for extra security you can always add a dab of glue when you place it.  When you’re finished, tie a loose bow at the bottom of the ball, and it’s ready to hang!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY kissing ball project. Are you already working on your DIY Christmas decor? I’d love to hear your favorite things to make in the comments!