Project: Victorian Kissing Ball

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Tools:

- Needle nose pliers
- Craft scissors

Materials:

• 6-inch floral-foam ball
• 12 inches of florists’ wire or 24-gauge wire
• 30 inches of ribbon
• Roughly 75 3-inch mistletoe stems (pine* and fir* can substitute or be added to the mistletoe)
• Roughly 50 to 60 3-inch rosemary stems (rosemary can be substituted for thyme*)
• 15 French lavender stems
• Small bell (optional)

* NOTE: If mistletoe or rosemary stems are substituted for other herbs or shrubs, take into account their size and adjust the number of clippings accordingly. 

Directions:

1. Soak the floral-foam ball in water.

2. Cut the herbs and shrubbery into 3-inch pieces at an angle. (Eyeball the 3-inch length.)

3. Remove the floral-foam ball from the water and place on a towel. The ball should be moist but not dripping any water.

4. Using the needle nose pliers, cut 2 inches of wire. Twist a loop at the end of the wire.

5. Thread the wire through the center of the floral-foam ball until the wire loop is touching the ball. Measuring 3 inches from the ball, string the bell onto the wire and make another wrap loop as in step four. (It is essential that the loop be made at the 3-inch mark to ensure the bell’s visibility once the ball is covered in clippings.) The floral-foam ball should be secure between the two wire loops, without any room to move. 

6. String the ribbon through the first wrap loop made and tie the ends together in a small bow.

7. Stick the mistletoe, rosemary and lavender stems into the floral-foam ball. Evenly distribute the herbs. Make sure each stem is securely logged in the floral-foam ball.

8. Gently move the bow you made in step six so it sits on top of the ball.

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