Butterfly Baby Shower- Pomanders

Way back on my 2012 Projects list, I mentioned wanting to a add a window seat in front of the windows between the Master bedroom and the kitchen. For once, my lack of motivation ( and finances) to complete this project paid off! See right when we decided to have the baby shower for my friend Lee Anne at my house, I knew it would be the perfect place to set up a gift table. It is about a 10 foot stretch of wall with two large windows taking up most of it. I had an 8 foot table that fit perfectly in the space and that could serve as our gift table.

I also knew that I wanted to make some of the ever popular tissue paper flowers/ pom poms for the shower. I got the idea to hang pomanders at various lengths along the ceiling above the gift table. So, I got creative. It started with a trip to the best store ever: Hobby Lobby. This is what I brought home in my first round of shopping.

I decided to use different every day craft supplies and varying size Styrofoam balls to make the pomanders. I purchased: streamers, felt, tissue paper, tulle, cupcake wrappers and scraps of fabric. Oh and sewing pins.... lots and lots of sewing pins.

I picked up these pink and green cupcake liners at Joann's. They ended up making adorable pomanders that were super easy to construct. I used a 4 inch Styrofoam ball ( A 6 pack at Hobby Lobby will run you $4.99 before a coupon). And one pack of cupcake liners covered the 4 inch ball perfectly. I simply pulled the bottom into a point and pinned then into the ball.

 Leaving me with this. I also completed a 2nd one with the green cupcake liners.

Pink Cupcake Liner Pomander 

By far the most tedious and painful pomander was the one I used as my center. Part of the problem was I used a HUGE Styrofoam ball so I am convinced it wouldn't be so bad if I had stuck with a 4 inch ball. I purchased come scrap fabric and fabric quarters.

I cut them all into 12 inch strips and assembled flowers from each one. Very similar to the method Katie Bower posted yesterday. Only difference was that I secured mine with hot glue since I already had the hot glue out to glue the assembled flowers to the Styrofoam ball.

I attached the ribbon with a BUNCH of sewing pins due to the weight of the completed pomander. While I love the finished product, my glue burnt finger prints were singing a different tune!

The felt and tulle pomanders were all assembled the same way. I cut circles out of the material and pinned them onto the ball.

I attached ribbon at varying lengths after  I completed each pomander. You could hold off on that step until you are ready to hang them. Luckily, my method worked out fine for me and hanging them up was a breeze!

So how did the finish product turn out?

I did end up picking up a three pack of pink lanterns ( $5.99 before coupon at Hobby Lobby) to throw into the mix. I LOVE it so much I want to leave it up. Of course, Tim vetoed me on that one. Here are a few more close ups.

I attached them all to the ceiling using thumb tacks. Everything stayed in place and we had no issues, even with my heavy centerpiece! Oh and I constructed the tissue paper pom poms using the method outlines in this tutorial. 

Now, someone else I know needs to have a little girl so I have an excuse to reuse these decorations! ;)