Learn How to Craft Dried Botanical Spheres

Learn how to craft dried botanical spheres. Botanical spheres make great home accents and their wonderful aroma will keep your home smelling fantastic. To create a table display, simply place different size botanical spheres into a decorative bowl. You can also design your botanical spheres, as a hanging ornament. By turning your botanical spheres into ornaments, you can craft a special sphere with specific dried botanicals to suite each room in your home. Just follow the easy steps below, to create your own scented botanical spheres.

Materials:

Styrofoam balls (any size)
your choice of dried botanicals
craft glue
craft stick
waxed paper
(1/4" wide) ribbon

What are dried botanicals? Botanicals come with a broad definition and serve many purposes. For this particular project the botanicals you will be using are: dried plants or plant parts. You can use dried rose petals, lavender, eucalyptus, sweet Annie etc. Spices and herbs are also dried botanicals that can be used. The ones that work great for creating botanical spheres are star anise and whole cloves.

Directions:

The amount of dried botanicals that you need will vary, depending on the size of your Styrofoam ball and the botanical you are using. It is best to start out with at least a cup of dried botanicals. If the botanicals you are using are larger than a rose petal, you will need to crush them in a blender or coffee grinder. Now pour the cup of dry botanicals into a glass bowl.

You are now ready to begin attaching the dried botanicals to the Styrofoam ball. Begin by coating a small area of the ball with the craft glue. Next, dip the area coated with glue into the bowl of dried botanicals and press hard. Continue coating the Styrofoam ball in this manner, until it is completely covered.

No wrap a piece of waxed paper around the botanical sphere and press it with your hands to flatten the surface as much as possible. Set the botanical spheres aside until they are thoroughly dried.

To turn your botanical sphere into a hanging ornament, cut a 12" piece of ribbon and tie it in to a loop. Using a pencil poke a hole into the botanical sphere approximately a 1/2" deep. Fill the hole with glue (I recommend hot glue for this step). Use the pencil to push the knotted end of the ribbon into the hole. Cover the top of the hole with the dried botanicals. Now hang and enjoy your botanical sphere.

Tips: To attach star anise or whole cloves, lightly cover the Styrofoam ball with glue, working a small section at a time. Then press the anise or cloves into the surface of the Styrofoam ball. To keep your dried botanical spheres well scented, add a few drops of essential oil that matches the dried botanicals of your sphere. Example: Your sphere is covered with lavender, re- freshen the scent of the sphere with lavender essential oil.

These pretty scented botanical spheres, would make a wonderful gift idea for family and friends!