Honeycomb Balls

• Posted on 24 January 2025
• By Kathrin
• Posted in Christmas, Decoration, Freebie, Spring/Easter, Upcycling
• 0

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Honeycomb balls made from coffee filters  

Here I have put together detailed step-by-step instructions for making honeycomb balls made from coffee filters for you. Making the balls is really fun. ATTENTION, there's a serious risk of addiction! 

Why coffee filters? Coffee filters make the job easy because they are already double-layered. I also like the structure of the paper. Once you've figured out the trick with the honeycomb balls, you can use any other paper.

Honeycomb balls are the perfect upcycling project to creatively use leftover paper! You can find tips for upcycling honeycomb balls further down the page.

In the template below you will find stencils in two sizes. I used the larger one for the instructions. I recommend you start with the larger ball too. You can find information about the small version at the bottom.

By the way, my first homemade honeycomb ball was a complete failure. So please give yourself another chance if everything isn't perfect on the first try!

Look!

Here is my Youtube-Video  on how to make honeycomb balls.

Click here for material for honeycomb balls. I especially recommend my Honeycomb Ball Starter Set , with which you can start your honeycomb ball production immediately, as well as the Honeycomb Ball Upcycling Set with which you can transform your own paper into great honeycomb balls.

1. You need:
> 8 coffee filters
> Pencil
> Scissors
> Thin double-sided adhesive tape or glue stick
> Decorative ribbon for hanging your ball
> Template (see below)
> helpful, but not absolutely necessary: ​​folding bone, eraser

If you want to make honeycomb balls from your favorite paper, a circle cutter will help you cut out paper circles
Here you can find material for honeycomb balls.

You can make the honeycomb ball with a glue stick. However, I prefer to work with double-sided adhesive tape (3 mm) for the honeycomb balls. You can work cleanly with it and don't have to wait for the glue to dry.

1. Prepare the template

Downoad the free printable for your template here (PDF).
The files may only be downloaded and used for private use!

The file contains templates for a large and a small honeycomb ball.

You can print out the PDF on (strong) paper, cut it out and use it as a stencil. If you like, transfer the cut out paper template onto a piece of cardboard. Then you cut out the cardboard and have a solid template that you can work with comfortably and make lots of honeycomb balls.

The small prongs on the long side of the template are used for marking. More on this below.

2. Fold coffee filters

Fold all eight coffee filters in half.

Tip: You can easily create clean folds with a folding bone.

3. Transfer semicircle to folded filters

Place the long edge of the template against the folded edge of the filter bag and use the template to draw a semicircle on the filter. Also mark the notches on the long edge with two lines. They show you where you have to add glue/tape later.

Do this with all eight filter bags.

4. Cut out circles

Now cut out the semicircles you drew along the curve you drew. Four layers - i.e. two folded paper circles - are cut out per filter bag.

5. Unfold circles

With each semicircle cut out you will get two paper circles. Remove the inner circles from the outer ones so that you have 16 paper circles in front of you.

6. Glue individual paper circles together

Take a paper circle and unfold it. The inside is on top, the fold is vertical in front of you. Now use the double-sided adhesive tape to stick a strip horizontally from the middle of the circle to the outer edge. Trust your sense of proportion. Cut the tape so that it doesn't stick out.

Remove the protective strip from the tape and fold the circle back up. The paper circle is now stuck together in the middle.

Glue all the circles together this way.

If some of the circles still have pencil marks on the curve, you can carefully erase them. (The markings on the long side are still needed!)

7. Glue all the paper circles together

In front of you are 16 folded and glued semicircles. Half of them have pencil marks on the long side.

Now all the prepared semicircles are glued to each other layer by layer:

To do this, take a semicircle with a mark and place it in front of you so that the mark points upwards. Use the adhesive tape to stick two strips onto the semicircle: one from the marking horizontally to the outer edge. Cut the ends of the ribbons so that they don't stick out.

Remove the protective film from the adhesive tapes, place another semicircle exactly on top and stick the upper semicircle to the one below.

Glue all the semicircles together layer by layer. For the first layers, use circles with markings. If you stick on unmarked semicircles after a few layers, you will be able to see the position for the tape on the side.

If all the circles stick together, you're almost there!

8. Attach decorative ribbon

Place two strips of tape on the long side of your paper circle tower and peel off the protective layer.

Place your decorative ribbon on top - simply or as a loop, as desired - and press it lightly onto the adhesive strip.

9. Unfold the ball and glue it together

On the top layer, as before, stick two more adhesive strips at the markings. Then you unfold the ball and glue the top side together with the bottom. Reach into the honeycomb to press the two layers together. If you are working with a glue stick, you can hold the layers together with a clip (clothespin, paper clip, etc.) until the glue dries.

Tip: If you want to fold up your honeycomb ball again later and store it, don't glue the last layer on, but unfold the ball and close the ends with a paper clip.

Your honeycomb ball is ready!

Notes on the small honeycomb ball

For the small balls, you can transfer the template twice next to each other per coffee filter. This way you get four paper circles from one filter and you only need four filters for a honeycomb ball.

 Upcycling honeycomb balls

Of course, you can also make honeycomb balls out of other paper. They are perfect for processing found paper or paper scraps, such as old newspapers and books, wrapping paper, envelopes and so on. Just try out what you like!

To draw circles and then cut them out, use an inverted bowl or glass of the desired size. Or you can use a circle cutter. This means you can cut out circles in no time.

Alternatively, fold your paper in half (ideally with a folding bone) and then draw your semicircle using a template (see above). Then you continue as described above.

You can get material for your balls in the Honeycomb Ball Upcycling Set.

You can also make honeycomb balls in other shapes, such as honeycomb Easter eggs or Christmas ornaments. Only the shape is different, the implementation corresponds to that of circular honeycomb balls.

You can also easily make 3D pop-up cards with honeycomb balls! To do this, simply stick a honeycomb ball into a card. It's super quick with ready-made honeycomb balls. If you make the honeycomb ball yourself, half is enough!

Links

Click here for the Starter Set for Honeycomb Balls.

Click here for the Honeycomb Ball Upcycling Set.

Here I have put together material for honeycomb balls for you.

♥ Have you made your own honeycomb balls? Share pictures of it on Instagram and mention @miom_studio so I can see them and share your post! ♥

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