| Make Pretty, Small Balls |
Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza, cohosts of Creative Juice, provide instructions for making Indian paper poms.
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Indian paper poms with potpourri and spices are a great way to add a little exotic scent to any room or outdoor area.
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By Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza
June 2, 2008 — Indian paper poms with potpourri and spices are a great way to add a little exotic scent to any room or outdoor area. The poms are designed to hang above doorways, opened windows or from shepherd's hooks where a gentle breeze will activate the spices and fill the area with warm and rich scents. If you prefer to not hang the poms, they can be gathered in a large bowl and placed on a coffee table or perched on top of candleholders. You can decorate poms with traditional bright colors or opt for a more organic look and paint them in earth tones. The poms can also be decorated with rhinestones, small stickers and little beads. The spices to create the potpourri are easily found at any grocery store and when blended together, they create a rich and spicy scent. You can add a little extra essential oil to the spices if desired. Materials: small rubber balls (such as racquetballs)
petroleum jelly
newspaper
white glue
disposable drinking cups
rubber band
pencil
craft knife
awl
small craft cork
primer
craft paint
spray varnish
funnel
ribbon
rhinestones
hot glue
potpourri and spices, such as star anise, cloves, fennel, and ginger Steps: 1. Coat each ball with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Make a glue solution of one part white glue and one part water. Tear small strips of newspaper, coat each strip with glue solution and layer over the ball. Coat each ball with six layers of papier mache before setting in a disposable drinking cup to dry. 2. Place a rubber band around the center of each ball; draw a line around the center with a pencil. Carefully cut paper ball in half and peel each paper shell away from the rubber. Set aside and allow interiors to completely dry. 3. Align the edges of the dry halves and use white glue to reattach the halves. Cover the joints with thin layers of papier mache and let dry. Crisscross the ball with two rubber bands to divide it into quarters. Using the awl, carefully pierce a circular grid of holes in each quarter. Cut around the grid to make a hole for a small cork at the bottom of each ball. 4. Prime and paint the paper balls, being careful the paint doesn't spill into the holes, and allowing for drying time between each coat. When dry, apply a light coat of spray varnish. 5. Fill each ball with potpourri and spices and replace corks. Secure a decorative ribbon to each ball with dots of white glue. Add rhinestones and hang. (Emmy nominated Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza cohost Creative Juice. For more information log on to www.cathiefilian.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.) | Get DIY On Your TV. Just follow the instructions to see if DIY Network is available through your cable or satellite provider. |
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