How to Make a Christmas Ball Tree for the Holidays

The holidays are a magical time of year, filled with beautiful decorations, festive music, and time with loved ones. One fun way to spread some holiday cheer is to make a Christmas ball tree! These whimsical trees are made by stacking painted styrofoam or plastic balls on a central pole. With some craft supplies and a bit of creativity, you can easily make a Christmas ball tree to display in your home this season.

Supplies Needed

Making a Christmas ball tree is a fun craft that doesn’t require too many supplies Here’s what you’ll need

• Styrofoam or plastic ornament balls in various sizes – these will form the “layers” of your tree. Buy packs of uniform sizes/colors or mix and match!

• 1″ diameter dowel, chopstick or pipe cleaner – this will serve as the trunk and support structure. Length depends on desired tree height.

• Acrylic craft paint in festive colors like red, green, gold, silver, white

• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

• Decorations like glitter, sequins, ribbon, etc. to embellish balls

• Strong adhesive like e6000 if using lightweight plastic balls

Painting the Ornaments

Painting your ornament balls is the fun, creative step! Set up a painting area protected by newspaper. Use acrylic craft paints in holiday hues like red, green, gold, and white. Paint some balls solid colors, and get creative with patterns like polka dots, stripes, or swirls on others.

Set aside balls to dry completely before handling. Once dry, add any embellishments like glitter, sequins, ribbons, etc. by applying a small amount of hot glue and sticking them on.

Assembling the Tree

Once your colored and decorated balls are dry, it’s time to assemble your Christmas ball tree! Work on a protected surface like cardboard or craft mat.

Cut your dowel/pipe cleaner to the desired tree height, leaving a few extra inches at the bottom for stability. Apply hot glue to the top of the pole.

Glue on your largest ball, holding for 30 seconds as it sets. Repeat gluing on successively smaller balls, working from largest to smallest from bottom to top.

Use e6000 adhesive for more lightweight plastic ornaments if needed. Allow a full 24 hours for the structure to dry completely before displaying.

Display and Decorate

Find a sturdy base for displaying your handmade Christmas ball tree. Place your pole in a tall glass vase or cylinder, securing with rocks, marbles, or sand at the base for support.

Admire your handiwork or add some final embellishments! Wrap garland around the pole, decorate with Christmas greenery, top with a bow or tree topper, add a tree skirt at the base – get creative and festive!

Place your ball tree on a side table, mantel, or anywhere that needs a dose of holiday magic this season. Enjoy the creativity and joy of crafting as you spread Christmas cheer with this fun ornament craft. Your homemade Christmas ball tree is sure to become a treasured seasonal decoration for years to come!