kissing ball

Off of the porches and in the yards around here I noticed people hang kissing balls for the holiday season.

Much like mistletoe, the kissing ball has a rich history as a nostalgic symbol of holiday goodwill and romance. With origins in the Middle Ages, evergreen kissing balls were hung in passageways and doorways to bring good fortune and blessings to all who passed beneath them. Centuries later, these evergreens evolved into bundles of holly sprigs and sweet herbs to symbolize various well-wishes. The kissing ball we know now is joined by flowers and foliage for a fragrant ornament, still symbolizing kindness and love .- shopterrain

They have been around for centuries, these balls of mistletoe, holly, evergreen , or whatever suits your holiday decor and if you pick them up at the local nursery, they can be quite expensive. So I searched for some DIY tutorials and came up with a couple....

One from Southern Living on how to make a mistletoe ball like the images above...

And one from The Gathering Place Design, that is applied to make a variety of kissing balls. The one pictured above is my favorite.

Images: christmaswreathfarms, marthastewart, henslernurseryindiana, thegatheringplacedesign