How to: Festive Hanging Mesh Pom Pom/Puffs

Recently traditional paper flowers have been stylishly transformed into elaborate huge paper puffs. Hung from the ceiling, made into garland or grouped as a chandelier, these poofs are turning up at all sorts of chic events. This photo below from Martha Stewart Weddings shows paper puffs dangling from the ceiling at an elegant wedding. These versatile puffs are also showing up at casual pool parties and festive children’s birthday celebrations.


Although popular and easy to make, these paper puffs are very fragile. Inspired by Martha Stewart's delicate paper puffs, I created a similar festive puff  that is much more resilient out of  21” wide decorator synthetic poly sinamay mesh. This wide fabric like mesh is far less susceptible to wear and tear, enabling you to make this style puff far in advance of your event. This new style of mesh puff is waterproof  and reusable from event to event. In addition,  the weight of this mesh would hold up well to additional accents in these puffs. You could add twinkle lights, floral sprays or wire accents into the puff. Simply wire in what ever accent you choose.

Decorator poly mesh is so versatile.It was a natural choice to make these puffs out of. Some of the benefits of the mesh are ease of use and low cost. Being water proof makes it is perfect for outdoor events. There are no worries of limp paper puffs once the humidity hits the delicate paper (a real problem in the south). 

For more pictures of poly mesh puffs and more decorations using this decorator mesh product, see the post Draped poly mesh ceiling transforms gym from Drab to Dramatic.



To make these mesh puffs, we used 6’ of the 21” mesh fabric/ribbon. A standard 10 yard roll will make 5 puffs (2 yards per puff). You can assort the color mesh in a single puff or use a single solid color per puff. I think the solid puffs are more elegant and the multicolored puffs are more Mexican paper flower inspired and festive. Either way, coordinating your colors with other decorations and garland gives your event a cohesive look. For our project, we used lime green, hot pink, bright yellow, orange and a turquoise blue 21" wide mesh.

For this project you will need the following supplies:

21” wide decorator poly mesh rolls in your chosen color scheme (1 roll =5 puffs)
Scissors
Straight edge ruler
Floral wire in a matching shade  (if not standard green is fine)
Wire cutter
Mono-filament/ fishing line (to hang the puffs)

Tutorial : poly mesh hanging puffs/pom poms

1. Cut strips of floral wire in approximately 12” long sections

2. Unroll the poly mesh on a flat surface. Using a straight edge ruler as a guide measure out 24"(2') sections and cut in a straight line.

3. Cut 2 more 2’ sections (total of 3 per puff). If you are making multiple puffs, I recommend cutting all you 2’ sections at this time.

4. To assemble the puff, pick up a 2’ section of mesh. In the center of 2' section of mesh, gather the mesh up in your hand as shown, one piece at a time.

5. Layer on another piece of mesh, gathering in the middle just like the first. Finish off with the last (3rd) piece of mesh.

6. Wrap floral wire around the center gathered sections. Pull tight and fasten.

7. Make a small loop in the floral wire so you have something to hang the puff from.

8. Fluff the separate pieces of mesh in the puff to make a uniform ball shape.

9. Hang your puffs and enjoy your creation!

I hope these fun mesh puffs inspire you to create some festive event decorations of your own! If you come up with a creative new use for these puffs, send us your idea! We would love to see them.

Draped poly mesh ceiling transforms the school gym from Drab to Dramatic!

Remember being on the prom decorating committee?

The huge task of creating something magical out of something mundane seemed overwhelming back then. Movies like Footloose and High School Musical make it look so easy to transform plain school buildings into the extraordinary.

This week I was part of a group given the task of transforming our children’s plain school gym for a festive Cinco de Mayo themed fundraiser. Lowering the towering dimensions of the high ceiling gym was a priority, as was making the old gym feel new for all the adults attending. To accomplish both goals, we created a new draped ceiling with white strand lights and rolls of brightly colored poly mesh. I think the end result accomplished all of our goals. The gym was transformed into an event worthy venue.

The synthetic simamay poly mesh we used for this project is my new favorite product. In previous posts, I used natural sinamay for wreaths and wrapping projects. This new poly mesh sinamay comes in 21” by 10 yard rolls and is very inexpensive. It is so easy to use that it makes any one look like an experienced event designer. The mesh is not only durable, but also waterproof. It would work well for events both inside and out. This product is available in a huge assortment of colors and a few different widths.

For our project we chose bright lime inspired colors from our invitation: hot pink, lime green, bright yellow, orange, and turquoise. Our plans included draping the ceiling in alternating color bands of these colors with white lights hung between the poly mesh. To add another layer of fun we hung paper lantern inspired puffs from this false ceiling.

Initially, we were going to hang paper flower puffs from the center of the ceiling, but after working with the poly mesh we changed our minds. The poly mesh has enough weight and stability to hold a shape. The paper flowers would have to be made on site at the last minute to retain their shapes. The mesh puffs could be made days in advance and were much easier to transport. In the end, we decided to make lots of mesh puffs in advance for the ceiling and saved a few of the more fragile paper flowers for last minute table decorations.

To see a detailed tutorial on how to make the mesh puffs check out this post: Festive hanging puffs made of poly mesh.

ADDED April 2011: After repeated requests for a tutorial on this ceiling treatment, we posted the directions here, Draped Deco Mesh Ceiling Tutorial. If you are planning an event in a large room check out the tutorial.  The poly mesh rolls are great way to decorate a large space on a limited budget!

I think my prom committee would be proud!

Cinco de Mayo Celebration!

Cinco de Mayo (fifth of May) is right around the corner. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year with a bit of Mardi Gras sparkle by adding beads, costumes and red hot lights to your party!

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the day Mexican forces overcame the French army. Even though it is not the true Independence day for Mexico (September 16th), Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated in Mexico and here in the United States by people regardless of their nationality. This day has become a holiday to celebrate Mexican culture and the wonderful food and beverages it encompasses! Restaurants and homes will be filled with margaritas and scents of simmering Mexican dishes for Cinco de Mayo. Mix up a batch of your favorite margaritas, on the rocks or frozen, and invite some friends over to celebrate.

MardiGrasOutlet.com offers lots of fun styles of Fiesta inspired Mardi Gras beads. Beaded necklaces with Cinco de Mayo medallions, metallic chili peppers, bobbling cactus and even fat tequila worms are some of the fun Mardi Gras style beads available. Hand out these fun Margarita glass beads to all your guest to get everyone in a festive mood.

Want to really get in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo? Dress up in a brightly colored Cha Cha girl costume. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

And no party would be complete with out twinkling chili pepper lights. Wrap porch columns, door frame or an arbor with these fun red pepper lights.  Another option is to run them down the center of your buffet food table. Layer sparkly metallic chili pepper beads on top and the table with really sparkle.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo your way and enjoy the day!