!#5: Low Cost C7 Christmas Light Bulbs: January 2012

!±8± How to Make Christmas Ornaments With Styrofoam Balls and Fabric

A few years ago I discovered a very simple and fun technique for making beautiful and unique Christmas ornaments. These can be made for presents or for your own tree. You can make them in one afternoon with your kids or friends.

Materials:
Styrofoam Balls: assortment of sizes, but no bigger than a baseball.
Fabric Squares: assortment of sizes and various types of fabric, try glitzy and velvets.
Bits and Pieces: of ribbon, beads, sequins, buttons, rickrack, costume jewelry, ribbon roses or and anything else you would like to embellish your ornament with.
Hot Glue Gun and Scissors: to cut and glue all of your bits and pieces.
Thread: for tying and tightening
Small Pins and Tacks: to apply ribbon and beads.

Basic Techniques:

Step 1:
Choose a gorgeous square piece of fabric. Place a Styrofoam ball in the center of the square.

Step 2:
Take all four corners and gather them towards the center of the Styrofoam ball (this is also how you can decide which size square works for which size ball).Take your piece of precut thread and tightly wrap it around the gathered area , dab it with a little bit of hot glue so it doesn't unravel.

Step 3:
Now you can decide if you should cut the gathered area of the fabric or leave it. It totally depends on how it looks. If the fabric seems too bulky in that area then you can shear it flat. If you do decide to cut the top portion off then you must cover that area with a ribbon rose or beads.

Step 4:
You must make a loop with ribbon, or beads on a wire, and attach it in the center of the Styrofoam ball with a pin or tack and again a little bit of glue; in the same area where you gathered and cut the fabric. This loop is how you will hang the ornament on the tree.

Step 5:
Now the real fun begins. Start attaching ribbon or beads or buttons; any of the embellishments that you have chosen. You can use little sequin pins or tacks and stick things in through the fabric and into the ball. Always use a small dab of glue; you don't want anything falling off!

When you think your ornament is complete twirl it around and make sure it looks wonderful from all angles. Make sure to cover or hide anything that doesn't look attractive. You can make all different sizes of ornaments. They are quite light and easy to hang.