Foam Ball Christmas Crafts: 14 Dollar Store Ideas That Look Like Boutique Decor

Foam Ball Christmas Crafts might be the best kept secret in the whole craft aisle. A bag of plain white foam balls costs about a dollar, yet with a little paint, ribbon, beads or moss they turn into pieces that look like they came from a fancy holiday boutique. One dollar store foam ball video on Facebook was shared more than 88,000 times, so you are clearly not the only one who loves this idea. Below you will find 14 easy projects, from velvet ornaments and pearl orbs to a cheerful candy cane kissing ball. Each one comes with a short supply list and three simple steps. Grab a glue gun, ask an adult helper if kids are joining in, and pick your favorite..

Velvet Foam Ball Christmas Crafts for the Tree

Velvet ornaments sell for a small fortune in home stores, but you can make a whole set for the price of one. Cut scraps of velvet fabric or an old velvet scarf into circles a little bigger than your foam ball. Gather the fabric around the ball, glue it at the top and hide the bunched edge under a gold ribbon loop. Deep red, emerald and soft cream look the richest together. Hang a dozen on the tree and nobody will believe they started as plain white foam..

You will need: Foam balls (2 to 3 inch), velvet fabric scraps, gold ribbon, low temp glue gun, scissors, straight pins.

How to make it: 1. Cut a velvet circle about twice as wide as the ball. 2. Wrap it around the ball, pull it tight at the top and glue or pin it in place. 3. Glue a gold ribbon loop over the gathered top.

Faux Mercury Glass Orbs

Real mercury glass is pretty and pricey, and it breaks if you look at it the wrong way. These Foam Ball Christmas Crafts look almost the same and survive any toss into the storage bin. Paint each ball silver, then dab on a little black and gold paint with a crumpled paper towel to get that cloudy antique look. Pile them in a white dish or a glass hurricane on the dining table. Do you have a spot that needs a little shimmer this year?

You will need: Smooth foam balls, metallic silver craft paint, a little black and gold paint, paper towel, sponge brush, bamboo skewers.

How to make it: 1. Push each ball onto a skewer and paint it silver; let it dry. 2. Dab on a tiny bit of black and gold with a crumpled paper towel. 3. Let it dry and pile the orbs in a dish.

Pearl Covered Foam Ball Christmas Crafts

Strands of faux pearls from the dollar store turn a foam ball into something that looks like it belongs at a wedding or in a grand hotel lobby. Start at the top and wind a pearl strand around and around, gluing as you go, until the whole ball is covered. Add an ivory satin ribbon to hang it. These look lovely on a white or flocked tree, and a bowl of them makes a quick, classy centerpiece. Which room in your home could use a little old fashioned glamour?

You will need: Foam balls, strands of faux pearls on string, low temp glue gun, ivory satin ribbon, straight pins.

How to make it: 1. Pin the end of a pearl strand to the top of the ball. 2. Wind the strand around the ball in tight rows, gluing every few inches. 3. Pin on a ribbon loop at the top.

Foam Ball Christmas Crafts Topiary in a Gold Pot

Little topiaries make an entry table or a bookshelf look professionally styled, and this one costs a few dollars. Push faux boxwood picks into a large foam ball until no white shows, then tuck in a few red berry stems. Push a birch stick or a dowel into the bottom, set it into a small gold pot filled with foam and cover the top with moss. Make two for a pair on the mantel. Would one of these look good next to your front door inside the house?

You will need: A 6 inch foam ball, faux boxwood picks, red berry stems, a birch stick or dowel, small gold pot, foam block, sheet moss, glue.

How to make it: 1. Cover the ball with short boxwood picks, then add berries. 2. Glue the stick into the ball and the foam block into the pot. 3. Push the stick into the pot and cover the top with moss.

Faux Snowball Bowl Filler

Here is the easiest of all the Foam Ball Christmas Crafts, and kids love helping with it. Brush white glue onto foam balls and roll them in white glitter or fake snow. Make them in a few sizes so they look natural. Fill a glass trifle bowl or a big jar and add a strand of silver bead garland or a few pine sprigs. It looks like a bowl of fresh snowballs and never melts on the table. How many will you need to fill your biggest bowl?

You will need: Foam balls in mixed sizes, white craft glue, white glitter or fake snow, a paint brush, glass bowl, bead garland.

How to make it: 1. Brush glue all over a ball. 2. Roll it in glitter or fake snow and set it on wax paper to dry. 3. Pile the snowballs in a bowl with garland.

Jingle Bell Covered Ball

Of all the Foam Ball Christmas Crafts here, this one sounds as good as it looks. Small craft jingle bells come in bags of fifty or more at the dollar store. Pin or glue them onto a foam ball, packing them close so no white peeks through. Mixing silver and gold gives a rich look, while all red feels playful. Hang it from the tree, a door knob or a chandelier and it will jingle every time someone walks by. Could you hang one where guests come in so they hear a hello?

You will need: A foam ball, 60 to 100 small jingle bells, short straight pins or a low temp glue gun, red velvet ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Glue or pin a ribbon loop at the top first. 2. Attach bells in rows from the top down, packing them tight. 3. Fill any gaps with smaller bells.

Foam Ball Christmas Crafts Moss Trio

Moss balls are everywhere in farmhouse decor, and the store bought ones are surprisingly pricey. Make your own by brushing glue on a foam ball and pressing on sheet moss or loose reindeer moss. Make three in different sizes so the group looks balanced. Set them in a wooden dough bowl with a few pinecones and a plaid ribbon, and you have a table centerpiece in under an hour. This one stays pretty right through winter, so it can stay out after Christmas too. Where would your trio go?

You will need: Three foam balls in different sizes, sheet moss or reindeer moss, craft glue or low temp glue gun, a dough bowl, pinecones, plaid ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Brush glue over a section of the ball. 2. Press on moss and repeat until covered. 3. Arrange the balls in a bowl with pinecones and ribbon.

Ribbon Wrapped Vintage Style Orbs

If you love old fashioned ornaments, these ribbon wrapped orbs will make you smile. Wrap foam balls in faded red, sage and cream ribbon, crossing it like you would wrap a gift. Hold each strip in place with small brass pins and finish with a band of lace. These Foam Ball Christmas Crafts look like something from your grandmother’s attic. Set them in a wooden crate, a bread bowl or on a cake stand. Do you still have a box of ribbon scraps you have been saving?

You will need: Foam balls, ribbon in muted colors, lace trim, small brass or pearl head pins, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Pin a strip of ribbon at the top and wrap it down and around the ball. 2. Keep wrapping in different directions until covered. 3. Add a lace band and a ribbon loop.

Gumdrop Garland

This garland is one of the sweetest Foam Ball Christmas Crafts. It looks good enough to eat, but it lasts year after year. Cut small foam balls in half so they have a flat bottom like a gumdrop. Brush on bright craft paint, then dip them in clear sugar style glitter while wet. String them on twine with a big needle, leaving a little space between each one. Drape it across a mantel shelf, a mirror or the tree. It is a sweet project for a family craft night with an adult handling the cutting. What colors would you pick?

You will need: Small foam balls, a serrated knife (adult use), craft paint, clear chunky glitter, twine, a large needle.

How to make it: 1. An adult cuts each ball in half. 2. Paint the domes and dip them in glitter, then let them dry. 3. Thread them on twine with a large needle.

Foam Ball Christmas Crafts Peppermint Wall

Big peppermint candies on a wall make a room feel cheerful right away, and kids think they are real. Buy foam half balls or cut whole balls in half with adult help. Paint them white, then paint red swirls from the center out. A coat of clear gloss makes them shine like hard candy. Stick them to the wall with removable mounting strips in a loose cluster above a bench or a bed. It is a fun look for a playroom or a kitchen. Would you try it?

You will need: Foam half balls in two or three sizes, white and red craft paint, clear gloss sealer, small brush, removable mounting strips.

How to make it: 1. Paint each half ball white and let it dry. 2. Paint red swirls from the center to the edge. 3. Seal with gloss and hang with mounting strips.

Cinnamon Stick Wrapped Ball

These Foam Ball Christmas Crafts smell like Christmas morning. Snap cinnamon sticks to the same short length and glue them around a foam ball in rows, like little logs. Tie a strip of jute around the middle and add a tiny sprig of faux greenery on top. They look perfect in a wooden bowl on the kitchen counter with dried orange slices, and they make a sweet handmade gift too. You can find simple ideas like this one shared daily on Hometalk. Who on your list would love a set?

You will need: A foam ball, 20 to 30 cinnamon sticks, jute twine, faux greenery sprig, low temp glue gun, kitchen shears.

How to make it: 1. Trim the cinnamon sticks to the same length with shears. 2. Glue them around the ball in rows. 3. Tie jute around the middle and add a sprig on top.

Faux Pine Cone Ball

No pinecones in your yard? Make your own from paper. Cut small petal shapes from brown kraft paper and a little gold paper. Starting at the bottom of the ball, pin or glue the petals in overlapping rows, like roof shingles, all the way to the top. The result looks almost exactly like a real pinecone, only rounder and neater. Pile them in a white bowl or hang them on the tree. If you like cozy round decor, our Yarn Ball Christmas Decor has more easy ideas. Ready to cut some paper?

You will need: Foam balls or egg shapes, brown kraft paper, gold paper, scissors, glue, short pins.

How to make it: 1. Cut lots of small rounded petals. 2. Glue rows of petals from the bottom up, overlapping each row. 3. Finish the top with a small circle of petals.

Button Foam Ball Christmas Crafts

Grandma’s button tin finally has a job. Pin or glue buttons all over a foam ball, layering small ones over gaps until it is fully covered. Sticking to red, cream and gold makes it look like a planned heirloom piece, while a rainbow mix feels cheerful and old fashioned. Add a red velvet ribbon to hang it. These make lovely keepsake gifts for family because the buttons can come from old clothes with memories. Whose buttons are hiding in your sewing box?

You will need: A foam ball, lots of buttons, short pins or a low temp glue gun, red velvet ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Add a ribbon loop at the top. 2. Glue or pin large buttons first, spacing them out. 3. Fill the gaps with smaller buttons.

Candy Cane Kissing Ball

A kissing ball is an old tradition that never goes out of style. This sweet version uses mini candy canes pushed straight into a foam ball, with faux holly tucked in between. Hang it from a wide red satin ribbon in a doorway or over the dining table and watch everyone smile. Like most Foam Ball Christmas Crafts, it makes a fun hostess gift too. Keep it away from pets that might nibble the candy. Would you hang one over your front hall this Christmas?

You will need: A 5 inch foam ball, about 40 mini candy canes, faux holly picks, wide red satin ribbon, a long floral pin.

How to make it: 1. Pin the ribbon loop to the top with a long floral pin. 2. Push in candy canes all over, keeping the wrappers on. 3. Fill gaps with holly picks and hang it.