Christmas Ornaments Tutorial

Over Thanksgiving weekend when we were closed for a few days I found some time to clean out my sewing/craft room, finish some quilts, watch some movies and decorate our Christmas tree at home. 

In the process of all that I had a little idea pop in there somewhere when I came across a bag of styrofoam balls I had purchased many years ago which were originally intended to be a solar system model for the kids. I like the new direction the styrofoam balls are rolling in though.... Christmas ornaments using scraps from this quilt and the Christmas towel tutorial!

Gather:

4 inch styrofoam ball

24 inches of white velvety rick rack

2 complimentary fabrics ( Christmas themed) measuring 4" x 13"

Matching thread

Yarn needle

1 yard of sturdy thin string or twine

Basic sewing supplies

Glue or hot glue and hot glue gun

Sturdy 2 inch pin

1. Pin 2 fabric pieces together and sew along one long side. Press seam open. (I used black thread so you could easily see in the pictures you should use what matches your fabrics.)

2. Fold one of the unsewn raw edges  down towards the back of the fabric 1/2" and press. Repeat with the other.

3. Pin and sew a generous 1/4"  from the folded edge. Repeat for other edge.

4. Next fold the fabric in half bringing the short edges together (fabric right sides together) and sew from one turned under seam from step 3  through the center seam and down to but NOT over the bottom turned under seam. Do not sew over your seams from step three or you won't be able to gather your fabric at the top and bottom of your ball.

5. Thread your yarn needle with your twine or thin yarn. Run needle through the tube created when folding down the top edge. Leave a little extra so you can pull it and draw it up later.  Repeat for bottom edge. These are your drawstrings.

6. Flip fabric right side out. and insert the ball into the tube you have created. Try to place the seam at the fattest part of the ball and then snugly draw in the bottom drawstring knot in place and tuck ends in to hide them. 

Repeat for the top drawstrings.
Here is what you'll have:

7. Glue your trim around the middle- use your seam line as a guide. This part is really fun for the kids to do, plus what is a Christmas craft without glue????

8. Fold the remaining trim in half and  stick your pin through the two ends.

Squirt some glue in the top belly button of your ornament and stick the pin with the trim in.
Wah- Lah! Your own cute little fabric covered Christmas ornament. Perfect to gift or to decorate with! Mine is made out of Riley Blake's Colorful Christmas fabrics available at Quilters Crossing!

Options:
You could sew a trim into the seam in step 1 if you chose to or you could couch a trim over it after you have sewn the two fabric pieces together.
You could use ribbon for the drawstrings eliminating the need to hide the drawstrings, if you do make them longer so you can tie them in a bow.
Add embroidered names the fabric before sewing the two pieces together.
Make the ornaments in someone's favorite colors instead of Christmas colors.
Styrofoam balls come in many sizes- adjust your fabric measurements to suit and make all different sizes!
Trim with rick rack, lace, ruffles, piping, sequins, beads etc....