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Ideas For DIY

How To Decorate Your Mantel With DIY Ideas

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This Christmas fireplace mantel was decorated with 100% DIY ideas! It is packed with tutorials and easy ways to decorate the home for the holiday season. A rustic wreath, large wood snowflakes, plaid wall decor, glass vase upcycle and more are included with full tutorials.

The crafts are perfect for the whole family! The end result for this fireplace mantel is a warm, bold, whimsical, and rustic look; ready to bring on the Christmas cheer and share in the magic of the season. Even a few DIY snowballs are ready for a winter snowball fig

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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

  1. Start with plain white ping pong balls. 
  2. Use a black marker or paint to draw the pupil. 
  3. Add a ring of color around the pupil for the iris—blue, green, yellow, and red all look fantastic. 
  4. With a fine red marker, draw little squiggly lines radiating out from the iris to make veins. 
  5. 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

  1. Use a thumbtack or skewer to poke a small hole in the back of each ping pong ball. 
  2. Add a dab of hot glue into the hole. 
  3. Insert one end of a green chenille stem into the hole and hold it until the glue sets. 
  4. Bend the stems at different angles so your eyeballs “grow” like wild plants. 

Step 3: Plant Your Eyeball Stems

  1. Place a block of floral foam inside your flower pot. 
  2. Stick the eyeball stems into the foam, varying the heights and angles for a natural, chaotic look. 
  3. 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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