Growing Home: DIY: Holiday Firecrackers

Hello, friends! It's been a long week around here already, and although my head is full of posts, my schedule just hasn't seemed to allow for sitting down and writing them. I'm hoping that by the end of the week, I'll get to share some thoughts with you. But for now, a bit of holiday inspiration!

A few weeks ago, I had an unprecedented opportunity to spend a few, unscheduled hours alone in the middle of the day. I took a latte to Anthropologie--just to peruse and drink in all the creative energy--and the first thing I saw was a collection of fantastic, icy stars, made of styrofoam balls and clear plastic prisms. I was so excited that I could have run out right then (although I think I stayed for over an hour:)). There are so many possibilities in a styrofoam ball--why did I never notice that before?

So this holiday firecracker is one of two fun styrofoam projects we've tackled this week--you'll see the other one soon. I didn't set out to make a Christmas decoration (I'm a big believer in celebrating Thanksgiving first), but these leftover straws from Big Brother's Buckaroo Birthday Party were too fun to pass up. Drawn by the colors, Big Brother sat down with me and was able to participate entirely--he fashioned his own out of cut straws and lollipop sticks and declared it a Star Wars planet (and honestly, it looked like one).

To make one, you'll need:

Paper straws. I used these fun red and white ones and cut half of them to three quarter length.
Styrofoam ball. Mine was approximately four inches in diameter and came from Wal-Mart.
Brass brad or nail and monofilament (fishing line) for hanging
Tacky glue

1. Use one of the straws to create holes all over your styrofoam ball. I started with a ring of four holes at the top of the ball and then created concentric rings of holes moving outwards all the way down the ball, keeping about a half inch of space between every hole (and I placed a few straws in the process, just to get an idea). The design and spacing should be your own, of course, but keeping them regular will help the finished firecracker to look planned (and less like a death star:)).

2. Squeeze a bit of tacky glue into each hole and place straws one at a time. I alternated full length and three quarter length straws throughout. Before you get too far, use the same method to place a brad or nail strung with monofilament--this will be the way that you hang the finished firecracker.

3. You'll find that the process becomes more difficult as you near the end, and that the hand holding the ball gets tired from all the manipulating! Use a wine goblet to give yourself a rest. Once you finish, the glue should be set enough on the top of the firecracker (your starting point) to turn it over and let it dry standing on a flat surface.

4. Admire!