This DIY felt planter is the perfect way to beat the winter blues (and a great excuse to buy MORE houseplants!). The tutorial is easy to follow. use the same technique to make larger baskets or knick-knack baskets for your office desk area.
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DIY Eyeball Plant – Creepy Halloween Craft with Ping Pong Balls
Halloween crafts are the most fun when they’re a little bit spooky and a little bit silly. This DIY Eyeball Plant ticks both boxes—it’s quirky, creepy, and surprisingly easy to make. With nothing more than ping pong balls, pipe cleaners, and a flower pot, you can whip up a planter that looks like it came straight out of a mad scientist’s greenhouse.
It’s budget-friendly, kid-friendly (with a bit of hot glue supervision), and the kind of decoration you’ll want to bring out year after year. Let’s get crafting!
Supplies You’ll Need
- 12–20 white ping pong balls
- Permanent markers or acrylic paints (black, blue, green, yellow, red)
- Fine red marker or paint pen (for veins)
- Green chenille stems (pipe cleaners)
- Small pot, tin bucket, or Halloween-themed planter
- Floral foam or foam block
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Optional: fake moss, shredded paper, or Halloween spider webbing to cover the foam
- Optional: gauze or bandages to wrap the pot for a “mummy look”
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make Your Eyeballs
- Start with plain white ping pong balls.
- Use a black marker or paint to draw the pupil.
- Add a ring of color around the pupil for the iris—blue, green, yellow, and red all look fantastic.
- With a fine red marker, draw little squiggly lines radiating out from the iris to make veins.
- Set aside to dry.
Crafty Tip: Add a coat of glossy Mod Podge or clear nail polish to give your eyeballs a wet, realistic shine.
Step 2: Attach to Stems
- Use a thumbtack or skewer to poke a small hole in the back of each ping pong ball.
- Add a dab of hot glue into the hole.
- Insert one end of a green chenille stem into the hole and hold it until the glue sets.
- Bend the stems at different angles so your eyeballs “grow” like wild plants.
Step 3: Plant Your Eyeball Stems
- Place a block of floral foam inside your flower pot.
- Stick the eyeball stems into the foam, varying the heights and angles for a natural, chaotic look.
- Cover the foam with moss, shredded paper, or fabric scraps to finish it off neatly.
Step 4: Style and Decorate
- Mummy Wrap: Wrap gauze or white fabric strips around the pot and add a painted eye for a fun, spooky twist.
- Extra Creepy: Add small plastic spiders, snakes, or bugs crawling among the stems.
- Glow Factor: Use glow-in-the-dark paint for pupils so the eyeballs glow at night.
- Party Favors: Make mini versions in paper cups for table centerpieces or party giveaways.
Where to Display Your Eyeball Plant
- On your Halloween buffet table as a quirky centerpiece.
- By the front door to greet trick-or-treaters.
- In your living room with pumpkins and cobwebs for a full spooky effect.
- At the office desk or classroom for a non-messy, attention-grabbing decoration.
Variations to Try
- Bouquet Style: Tie stems together with black ribbon instead of planting them in foam.
- LED Glow Eyes: Use clear ping pong balls with mini LED lights inside.
- Rainbow Eyes: Paint each iris a different bright color for a fun twist.
This DIY Eyeball Plant is the kind of project that proves Halloween decorating doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. With just a handful of supplies, you can make something wonderfully creepy that gets people talking.
So, what do you think—will you stop at one eyeball plant, or make a whole garden of them?
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