Who Needs an Excuse to Kiss?

Browsing Pinterest, looking for new Christmas decor ideas, I came across a "Kissing Ball".  I was intrigued by this Christmas symbol I had never heard of and did some research.

The history of the Kissing Ball, according to ask.com, dates back to the middle ages in England and is the precursor to mistletoe.  It was originally known as a Holy Bough made of evergreen branches and containing a picture of Jesus, the Holy Family or a passage from the Bible and was hung in an entryway as a sign of goodwill.  By the Victorian era it began to be decorated with an apple or potato along with herbs and foliage.  Mistletoe was often added as a symbol of good fortune and fertility.  It was then renamed the Kissing Ball as kissing underneath it was the custom.  Over time the Kissing Ball was seen as a romantic symbol and mistletoe was the most commonly chosen herb.  Even more recently the rest of the "ball" was dropped and we were left with just the mistletoe under which those caught standing are expected to kiss.

The history struck a chord with me because I grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California which are known for their abundance of Oak Trees.  Nothing loves Oak Trees more than Mistletoe - though the feeling isn't mutual as Mistletoe is a parasite that chokes and eventually kills the tree it takes over.  Every Christmas as a child I climbed one of the dozens of Oak Trees on our acreage and plucked a large bunch of Mistletoe that I tied up with a big ribbon and hung in our dinning room entryway.  I knew nothing of the history other than it was a big part of the old tavern scene in the Micky Mouse version of A Christmas Carol when a shy, young Ebeneezer Scrooge is confronted by his love who wants a kiss.  At eleven that seemed like as good a reason as any to hang some myself. 

Since there isn't an oak tree in any part of Arizona I've seen, and I am not likely to run across any Mistletoe, I decided to give this historical symbol a whirl and see if I could make one to match my Christmas decor for this year.

I am going with a sort of glam vintage look mixed with a bit of rustic charm this year and decided that silver and white would work out perfectly.  Not to mention I have an affinity for Mercury glass and decorate with it year round, not just at the holidays.  I found some beautifully affordable large Mercury glass balls at Tuesday Morning along with white wired satin ribbon.

I started by attaching both large glass balls together at staggered heights with the ribbon they came on.

Then I cut two lengths of the satin wired ribbon and strung it through the hanging loops on top of each large ball and left them to drape down the sides.

The smaller balls are shatterproof and came in a set of four, also from Tuesday Morning.  I tied these on at staggered heights, cascading down the sides of the two large balls.  As you can see, I started with twine, thinking I would incorporate the rustic look but it looked terrible by the time I was done - there was too much contrast between the twine and the white ribbon and silver balls.  I cut it all off and used the sheer white ribbon that had been tied around the box of four balls.  Re-purposing at its finest!

Once I had finished the balls, I used a large piece of burlap and woven cotton ribbon from Hobby Lobby to make a huge bow.  I attached this at the top to conceal the conjunction of all the ribbons and knots.

Here is the finished product - pucker up!

It looks a little different hanging in an entryway rather than against the wall because the smaller balls cascade around the back as well.  It was a very inexpensive - under $15 total - and quick project.  It only took me about 10 min. not counting all the time to stop and take photos.  I think it would also make a great hostess gift if you are visiting friends and family this Christmas.