DIY Flamingo Straws

Alice In Wonderland Inspiration

    One of my boards on Pinterest is ‘Alice in Wonderland Party‘.  I have wanted to plan a party with an Alice in Wonderland theme for years.  Well, when I asked Danielle if she had any thoughts on a theme, she said ‘Alice in Wonderland’!  Just imagine my excitement!  

   Okay, so I have a lot of plans, which will need to be finished in the coming weeks.  I want the party to be whimsical, so the flamingo straws were perfect!  They were one of the first projects that could be completed ahead of time!   These DIY Flamingo Straws were inspired by a pin on Pinterest.  The flamingo straws on that pin were made by Abby Hunter.  I thought they were absolutely adorable.  Her original post can be found on Fete Gazette.  

 

A Few Changes To Change A Swan Into A Flamingo

   

When I made the first flamingo, it looked more like a beautiful pink swan.  It needed a head and a beak, so I changed Abby’s design a little bit.  The head looked better with my change, but I felt it also needed black on the tip of the beak.  I wanted to be sure it was, unmistakably, a flamingo.  The wings also have to be positioned more downward to mimic a flamingo.  After making a few little adjustments, I was tickled with the results.

Supplies Needed For The Flamingo Straws

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    The supplies for this are simple.  You will need a one and one-half inch Styrofoam ball for each bird.  I used the smooth ones.  (I think Abby used the other kind.)   The glitter used on these was from Hobby Lobby.  The color is ‘Pink Ice’ and it is the extra fine glitter.  You will also need pink marabou feathers, pipe cleaners, a toothpick to make a hole in the Styrofoam ball for the pipe cleaner, a black felt tip pen, a ruler, Mod Podge, Tacky glue and a pair of scissors.  I found these straws at Michael’s for $9.99.  With a forty percent off coupon, I paid six dollars for one hundred straws.  Don’t you love the polka dot and stripes together?

How To Make The Flamingo Body

    To begin with, you need to make a hole in the ball.  The smooth ones that I bought already had a hole about a half-inch deep in them.  I used my handheld drill and a 7/16″ drill bit to gently drill through the premade hole to the other side.  (The regular Styrofoam balls would be much easier to push a sharp awl or screwdriver through.)  In order for the straw to slide onto the ball relatively easily, I had to slide the drill back and forth a few times.  Be sure the straw fits completely through the ball before going on to the next step.

Add The Glitter

    Paint Mod Podge onto the ball and sprinkle the glitter onto the ball.  I rolled the ball into a bowl of glitter but found that holding it on the end of a round handled paintbrush and pouring the glitter over it worked better for me.  Let the glue dry.

    Using the toothpick, make a hole in the ball where you want the neck to be.  Then, cut a 12″ pipe cleaner in half, making two six-inch pieces for the neck.  On one end, bend and loop the pipe cleaner to create the head and an ‘S’ curved neck.  (Click here ► for detailed instructions on shaping the pipe cleaner.)  

Using the felt tip marker, tip the end of the beak with black.   Insert a pipe cleaner into the hole made with the toothpick.

Add The Straw And Feathers

   Insert the straw into the hole in the ball at the desired height.  Choose two feathers approximately the same size, trim if necessary.  With the Tacky glue, attach feathers to the ball on each side.  Flamingo wings usually are positioned down rather than up like the swan. 

   That is all there is to it!  How cute these DIY flamingo straws are going to look at the table next to the beverage dispenser!