How to Make a Faux Cotton Branch Centerpiece

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Bring a rustic accent to your home with a faux cotton branch centerpiece. Whether bundled by themselves in a tall vase, arranged with bouquets of fresh-cut wildflowers, or woven into golden stacks of wheat for autumn, they add a natural and earthy element to your floral displays.

Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Things You'll Need

  • Empty egg carton

  • Scissors

  • Brown paint (acrylic, craft or watercolor)

  • Paintbrush

  • Cotton balls

  • Hot glue gun

  • Long, thin branches or sticks

Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 1

Separate the individual egg cups from the carton by cutting them with scissors.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 2

Cut four petal-like shapes around the cup. This will form the pod of the cotton boll.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Tip

You can also do this step after painting the carton as the paint makes the fibers softer and easier to cut.

Step 3

Use brown paint to paint the entire boll, inside and out. Here watercolor paint was used, but you can use acrylic or craft paint.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Tip

Try mixing various shades of brown to give the cup more depth and dimension.

Step 4

Bend each "petal" of the boll towards the middle and set aside to dry.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 5

To make the cotton bolls more realistic, cut some smaller fragments around the petals of the boll.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 6

Prepare the cotton by taking two cotton balls and pulling the fibers apart. Combine the two cotton balls to make one large ball.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 7

Hot glue the cotton into the center of the boll.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 8

Shape the larger petals on the boll towards the center and the smaller fragments towards the bottom.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 9

Apply hot glue at the bottom of the cotton boll and attach it to the tip of the branch, holding it in place until secure.

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Image Credit: Lucy Akins

Step 10

Continue this process, varying the sizes of the cotton bolls for a more realistic appearance.

Image Credit: Lucy Akins

These faux cotton branches will add a touch of country-chic charm to your home decor. Gather your branches and insert them into vessel for an easy centerpiece. Alternatively, you can use the branches to make a wreath.

Image Credit: Lucy Akins
Image Credit: Lucy Akins

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