Plastic flowers are the best option for outdoor use since the material is naturally waterproof and durable. We love these artificial daisies from Walmart — you can buy eight bundles for under $18. That’s a lot of flower balls! They come in five colorways (fuschia, orange-red, purple, white, and yellow) and are UV-resistant. If you’re planning to hang the balls somewhere outdoors yet sheltered from weather extremes, are making them for a special occasion, or are okay with taking them down whenever you come inside, invest in fancier fake flowers. Go romantic with silk peony flowers in pink and cream — one bundle is about $9 from Hobby Lobby. (They also come in a bunch of other pretty hues.)

Could you use fresh blooms? Unless you can find flowers with extremely sturdy stems, it would be difficult to use fresh flowers. Plus, the bouquet wouldn’t last very long, and the styrofoam ball inside isn’t reusable once poked through with holes. You could, however, use dried flowers — the stems are sturdy and the blooms are arguably as long-lasting as plastic in the right conditions. You might have to pre-poke holes with a bamboo skewer and use glue (more on this later). This would be a great idea for anyone looking to reduce the amount of plastic used in this project. You can buy the blooms, or learn how to dry and style your favorite flowers from your garden and save money!