Fabric Ornaments

I know it’s only mid-Sept., but it REALLY feels like Fall in Seattle! So, I went to my local arts and crafts store the other weekend to buy 2 simple items. I ended up leaving with a bag full of foam balls, candy pumpkins, fake leaves, a sack of buttons, Mod Podge, the list goes on… And of course the 2 items that I was originally there for were forgotten, ancient history. :-}

Anyway, after getting all my supplies I thought up the idea of fabric ball ornaments. This is a fun weekend project; only 5-steps below. If anyone else tries it out, I’d love to see how it turns out!

Materials:

• Scrap fabrics – I used a charm pack (pre-cut 5” squares)
• Foam balls
• Wire
• Mod Podge
• Clear brush-on glaze finish (optional)
• Ribbon (optional)
• paint brush

All of the above can be found at your local arts and crafts store. For the wire, I used fabric-coated stem wire which can be found in the floral section.

Step 1 – Cut fabric scraps into 5” long strips no wider than 1”. If you’re using smaller foam balls, I wouldn’t cut them any wider than ½ ”.

Step 2 – Get your hands messy! (Tip: I covered my table with parchment paper). With a paint brush, apply a single coat of Mod Podge where you plan to place a fabric strip:
Place the fabric strip over the Mod Podge and smooth down with your fingers. Then, secure the strip by brushing it down with more Mod Podge. Don’t brush it on too thick:
Repeat the above steps but with another strip. Simply layer the fabric strips as needed until the entire foam ball is covered:
Let the fabric/Mod-Podged ball(s) dry on parchment paper overnight.

Step 3 – After the fabric balls have dried, apply a thin coat of clear brush-on glaze coating and then let it dry again overnight.

Step 4 – Create the ornament hanger. As shown below, cut approx. 4” of stem wire. Bend approx. 2” of one end over to create a ½”-1” loop, and using the remaining wire secure the loop by wrapping the wire around the main stem to create a little knot.

Step 5 – Using a thin blade (e.g. the tip of an old pair of appliqué scissors), make a small incision on the fabric ball so that the blade cuts through the fabric. Insert the end of the wire hanger (the end that doesn’t have the loop) into the incision until it stops at the knot. The foam secures the wire better than I thought, but you can also apply clear glue around the base of the knot to reinforce it. If desired, add a bow using ribbon at the base of the loop.
That’s it! I’d love to see someone use Christmas-themed fabric. In case anyone is wondering where I got the black tree in the first photo, it’s from JoAnne’s (an arts and crafts store in WA).

Also, I plan on posting a tutorial for the Halloween table runner (also shown in the first picture). Should have that up shortly!