Pretty Decoupage Bauble Flower Decoration
Instead of making baubles to hang on the tree, I've made some to display in a vase, like flowers. They even have a designer floral look. They have a Scandinavian feel and would fit in with all my other handmade Scandinavian Christmas decorations (see here).
I did make them for Christmas but these decorations wouldn't look out of place for the rest of the year.
I used a mixture of polystyrene balls in various sizes, ranging from 3cm-7cm in diameter. You can normally buy a mixed bag of foam balls in the dollar/pound store.
I used paper napkins to cover the baubles. I used Marimekko paper napkins as I love their designs. It is best to use a paper napkin with a busy design.
Measure the arc of the polystyrene ball from the top to the bottom, following the curve
Using this measurement, cut a length of paper napkins the same height. Then draw adjourning leaf shapes onto the back of the napkin. It is easy to decoupage a sphere using strips of this shape rather than straight rectangles.
Cut out the leaf shapes and separate the napkin layers. You only want to use the top printed layer.
Paste the polystyrene bauble with Mod Podge. Then carefully lay the paper napkin leaf onto the bauble. Use a scrunched up piece of plastic wrap to press the napkin down and to iron out bubbles. Then decoupage the next piece of paper napkin to the first segment.
Carry on until the whole bauble is covered. Finish off with a layer of Mod Podge to act as a varnish (more details on the blog, link in bio at the end).
Wrap some stiff floristry wire in green floristry tape, all along the stem. Make one for each bauble and then stick the decoupage bauble into the top of the wire.
Finish off by displaying the decorated baubles in vases, like flowers. I love these decorations on my mantle and I'm going to make more with different paper napkins.
I have used paper napkins before to make a gorgeous Nordic Christmas wood slice wall decoration (see here).
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