How to Make a Tissue Paper Ball

Last Updated: February 15, 2022 References Tested

Tissue paper wins the thrifty decoration contest every time. Turn one of the cheapest items at the craft store into a bright, beautiful art project.

Steps

1
Stack tissue paper sheets. Make a stack from 8–14 large sheets of tissue paper. Alternating two different colors leads to a pretty design.
- 20 x 30 inch (51 x 76 centimeter) tissue paper sheets will make a ball slightly larger than your head.^{[1]
  X
  Research source} 10 x 5 in. (25 x 12 cm) sheets make roughly fist-sized balls.^{[2]
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  Research source}
2
Fold the sheets accordion style. Fold the edge of the stack over by roughly 1½ to 2 in. (3.75–5 cm) and crease.^{[3]
X
Research source} Turn the tissue paper upside down and fold the same edge back the other direction. Repeat until the entire sheet is folded into equal accordion folds.
- If you're using small sheets of tissue paper, make roughly ½ in. (2.5 cm) folds instead. You should be able to make at least 16 folds (eight forward, eight back).
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3
Tie in half with wire. Fold the tissue stack lengthwise, to make a crease in the center. Unfold it back to a long strip. Tie a length of craft wire around the crease. Squish the fold between your fingers and pull the wire as tight as you can.^{[4]
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Research source} Twist the wire around itself and snip off the excess.
- You should end up with a long "bow tie" shape. Don't tie the wire around both halves, or you'll end up with a fan shape instead.
- Leave ½ in (2.5 cm) of extra wire if you want to attach the balls to other objects.^{[5]
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4
Cut the edges to a point or semicircle. Cut both ends of the tissue paper with a pair of scissors. Pointed ends make a more dramatic, ruffly ball. Rounded ends create a more natural floral look.
5
Pull sheets of paper to the center. Lay your project on its side, with the peaks of the accordion fold sticking upward. Gradually pull the tissue paper to form a puffy flower shape:
- Bring the fold around to form a circle.
- Tug the top sheet of paper gently upward to start the ball. Do this on both sides of the fold.
- Repeat for the top ⅓ of the stack (roughly).
- Flip the stack over. Repeat for the top ⅓ on the other side.
- Turn the ball on its side. Tug apart the remaining sheets of paper to complete the ball.
6
Decorate. Now it's time to decorate with your tissue paper ball. Toss it on windowsills and mantels, or add a little pizazz:
- Tie a length of fishing line or string around the ball's wire. Hang it from a ceiling fixture, or attach to the ceiling using tape or an adhesive hook.
- Place them on top of vases to make "Dr Seuss flowers."
- Make miniature balls and tie them around napkins for a pretty place setting.
- Stick small balls on wooden skewers to top a birthday cake.
7
Finished.

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Community Q&A

Question

Can I make this with paper, too?

Community Answer

Yes, as long as it is sturdy paper and won't rip it will be fine to use paper.

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Things You'll Need

Tissue paper, 8–14 large sheets
Floral wire or craft wire
Scissors
Fishing line (monofilament) or string

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References

About This Article

Tested by:

wikiHow Video Team

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 58,071 times.

14 votes - 67%

Co-authors: 11

Updated: February 15, 2022

Views: 58,071

Categories: Paper Craft

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