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coffee filter foof {tutorial}

    A few days ago the Nester posted about her fabulous coffee filter wreath.

    coffee nester

    Miss Nester posted links to other impressive creations like this one made with natural coffee filters

    coffee kimba

    and this pretty one

    coffee brown

    but I was in awe of this amazing light fixture

    coffee parlour

    She used a paper lantern ball and lots and lots of coffee filters. Very impressive.

    All of this gave me an idea for an ornament {or a hanging foof in my case – sorry, I couldn’t come up with a better name for it}. Now I’m sure there are great tutorials out there for how to make a project with coffee filters, but I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and share {just in case you haven’t seen how to do it}.

    foof

    Here’s what you need:

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    :: styrofoam ball

    :: coffee filters

    :: scissors

    :: hot glue gun & glue

    STEP ONE:Ā  cover the styrofoam ball

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    Simply flatten a filter and glue to adhere.

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    The styrofoam melts slightly when you use hot glue, which is why I covered it.

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    STEP TWO: create a foof

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    fold a filter in half

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    Then half again {quarters}

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    and again {eighths}

    Now snip off the end

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    and your piece is ready to adhere to the ball

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    STEP THREE: glue foof piece to ball

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    Put a glob of glue on the ball, then gently press the foof into place. Continue with another, placing them close to each other.

    Once your ball is half covered, you can turn it over and work on the other side. I was worried I would smoosh the coffee filter foofs, but they were just fine.

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    Keep going and going and going

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    you will probably be very excited when you come to this point:

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    STEP FOUR: trim

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    Your foof will be a bit uneven, so just go around and trim

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    STEP FIVE: create a hanger

    Here is what you need:

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    :: ribbon

    :: straight pin

    :: scissors

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    Cut a piece of ribbon to the length you want, fold over the ends and poke pin through

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    Then press into the ball and you are done!

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    Such beautiful ruffly goodness.

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    I started with a 6″Ā styrofoam ball and ended up with a 12″Ā foof. I used about 100 filters.

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    I’m guessing you can use the same technique to create a wreath or to cover a styrofoam cone to make an unexpected Christmas decoration as the Nester did

    image

    My next project to copy is this amazing garland by Pam Garrison

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    image image

    So pretty.

    56 thoughts on “coffee filter foof {tutorial}”

    1. Coffee Filters are my new favorite thing! Thank you for the idea! I am going to be re-doing my daughters room this winter and am thinking a series of different sized foofs close together, sort of like a canopy. Also, they can be easily dyed with food coloring, paint and mixed powder drinks. I place mine in the dryer after dyeing. If you need a lot of coffee filters you can buy them in bulk and extra large sizes at whare house shopping clubs.

    2. Awesome!!! Will have to try. I was also thing of colored tissue paper or putting 1 drop of food coloring on stack of white coffee filters for different variation? I like making crafts with the two boys I take care of. Found some awesome crafts to make with them!

    3. Could you estimate how many filters I would need to make a wreath? And a small ball? I want to do this with my Girl Scouts, so I don’t want to run out of filters on them!

    4. I just had a quick question… I’m looking at doing the big ball for a baby shower and was wondering if there’s an easy way of dying the coffee filters?

    5. I was thinking that if you used a half a ball (one that is flat on one side) that these would look like flowers that you could use as table decorations or hang in a girls room.

    6. I just wanted to say thanks for the idea! I did this yesterday to a lamp shade and it looks amazing! Although it took forever! You are much more patient than me. Thanks for the great ideas keep them coming!

    7. Can you possibly dye the coffee filters? i’m thinking about doing these for my wedding but would love them to be purple.

    8. I love them. So perfect. I am going to be a bridesmaid and the bride wanted these balls for her wedding. She thought I could make them for her. I found this tutorial and l feel so much better now. I know she won’t be let down. Thank you so much for posting this.

    9. I’ve been working on my foof for over an hour and am enjoying it! I found styrofoam balls at Hobby Lobby in the Christmas section, 50% off. So they were $1.25 each! I couldn’t find small ones though..these were about 4 inch diameter. But it’s looking awesome! Thanks!

    10. Thank you sooo much for posting this tutorial. This was such a good idea. You are sooo creative. I went and got the stuff at walmart this morning. I was a little suprised about how much a styrofoam ball cost. I think it was 4.50. But the coffee filters were super cheap.
      I love your blog! I am going to make this soon.

    11. How neat!! And you call it a foof. :D I love it. I thought only my sister and best friend used the word foof (foofy). :D What neat projects. I have thoroughly enjoyed all your projects and blog posts. Thank you for sharing!

    12. Wow…was jut thinking of how I could make one but maybe using different colors or something as an accent….I think I’m going to dip the ends that will be exposed in silver glitter paint to accentuate the interesting curves throughout. Thanks for the tutuorial!

    13. I used to admire the IKEA PS lampshade that looked almost like this Foof. But Foof is better it is fuller it can come in sizes and various colours i guess. .. It just gave me an idea for my daughter’s bedroom. Just to hang few of them of various sizes and lenghts above the bed. Brilliant, thank you!!!!

    14. Gorgeous! I posted a tutorial myself on how to make a coffee filter wreath only last week! What made my day was receiving a Provincial Licing catalogue who had wreaths advertised for A$80! What a bargain making your own. Its so wonderful to see people passing on little tircks like these to others to share. The light fitting is so pretty and girly … can’t wait to tackle this little project next! Happy foofing everyone!

      P.S. Emily your blog, style and talent is gorgeous – keep it coming! Its a feast for the eyes reading your blog updates and tutorials.

    15. How fun! I knew I needed those coffee filters I picked up the other day at target! And they were on sale to boot! Can’t wait to have one of my own foofs! Ha! And I have always loved that garland! I need one if those too! Thanks for sharing!

    16. Wow…another craft project I need to add to my list! I had a great idea seeing the ball that was glued onto a paper lantern, you could get a paper lantern that you can plug in and do the coffee filters on that, not sure about how hot it may get, but I bet with the coffee filters added it would be even prettier.

    17. so beautiful! i saw this on nester’s blog too and the brown filter wreath is on my list of things to make this week!! i just love when something unexpected {& so cheap!!} can be turned into something so beautiful {& expensive looking!!}!! :)

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