How to Make Giant Foam Fruit Decorations for Parties

DIY Giant Foam Fruit

Total Time: Varies by project (about 30–60 minutes per piece)

Supplies

Smooth foam half-spheres (we used 8″, 10″ and 12″)
Foam spheres (one dozen for grape clusters)
Acrylic paint and paint brushes
Cardstock in fruit colors
Scissors and a craft knife
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Green pipe cleaners (for grape stems)

Directions

Fruit Slices (watermelon, citrus, etc.)

1. Trace the flat face of a foam half-sphere onto the cardstock you’ll use for the fruit face. Use the photos for reference on size and color choices.
2. Cut additional cardstock pieces as needed: a white inner ring for citrus, wedge shapes, watermelon seeds, or an extra colored circle for rind detail.
3. Assemble the cardstock pieces with hot glue and set them aside.
4. Paint the curved side of the foam half-sphere to match your fruit. For watermelon, start with a light green base and, while it’s still wet, blend in rough dark-green stripes for a natural look. Allow paint to dry completely.
5. Apply hot glue around the foam’s flat edge and press the cardstock fruit face onto it. Smooth to secure the pieces together.

Citrus Wedges

1. Trace the foam half-sphere onto cardstock and cut two matching semicircles — each half-circle will become one wedge.
2. Cut the white pith ring and inner wedge shapes from cardstock; make duplicates so you have parts for both halves.
3. Glue the cardstock pieces together to form full fruit slice faces and set them aside.
4. Paint the curved side of the half-sphere and let it dry.
5. Cut a full foam sphere down the middle (or cut a half-sphere in two if using a larger shape) to create two wedge-shaped halves.
6. Glue one foam wedge face with hot glue and attach the cardstock slice. Put glue on the opposite cut edge, fold the cardstock over the edge and press to adhere. Repeat for each wedge.

Grapes

1. Paint a dozen small foam spheres in a grape color (purple, green, etc.) and let them dry.
2. Cut two small leaf shapes from green cardstock.
3. Arrange the painted spheres into a cluster and glue them together with hot glue until you’re happy with the shape.
4. Attach a straight pipe cleaner for the stem, curl a short length for a tendril if desired, and glue the cardstock leaves at the top to finish the cluster.