Painted Ping Pong Balls Wreath

Let's start with the ping pong balls: The first thing I did was to make holes in the ping pong balls. It was easiest for me to use an ice pick to gently punch a hole in one side, centering it through the ball and out the other side. This way the holes are evenly spaced on the ball. Then use a drill just to open the holes a bit wider on each side (one at a time) to accommodate the metal craft ring fit. Quick and easy!

Next, use a heavy duty wire cutter to open the ring where it was soldered together.

And then begin to push the balls onto the ring, one at a time - twenty-two total . . .

leaving space for a bow, floral stems and flowers. 

Next, paint the balls using a wood tone color acrylic paint. This color is called Cafe Au Lait by Anita's, an all purpose acrylic by Rustoleum that was 79 cents a bottle. Can you believe it? Hobby Lobby was out of wood tone colors in the more expensive and popular brands and I was desperate when I started looking at Anita's. But when I saw the Rustoleum label on the bottle, I knew it couldn't be that bad. And it wasn't. One coat was all I needed! 

I guess you're wondering why I didn't paint the balls first before putting them on the ring. Well, it was easier to prop the ring up using clamps while painting, allowing the balls to dry completely without touching anything. 

After the balls are completely dry, join the ring ends to close using hot glue. The hot glue will grab the metal ends right away and keep them together temporarily. Once the hot glue cools off, add a permanent glue or adhesive to the spot to keep the ring intact. Hot glue will not hold forever and will eventually loosen and cause the ends to separate. In addition, I covered the area with duct tape (can be painted) to further secure it.

Next, arrange the floral stems in opposite design directions around the open area of the ring. Use the faux beads as anchors, gluing the floral stems with leaves in place and wrapping the floral wire of the stems around the ring for extra stability.

And of course I had to use my  Bowdabra  to make a pretty bow with eight, 4" loops . . . folding and twisting the ribbon back and forth . . .

and attaching the finished bow to the metal ring using the  Bow Wire to secure. Then add additional faux fall florals like mums, and more stems with leaves, filling in gaps . . .

including a small raffia tie for hanging, to complete the look! 

Don't you just love how the ping pong balls look - just like the real thing - wooden balls! 

Lovely in any Fall Decor!