A fluffy jacket that is no longer in use, a sequined sweater that feels too scratchy on skin, a bolero that the child has outgrown, and a scarf with tassels that is torn at the edges – what could you do with these things?
As the materials have plenty of eye-catching features – there is softness, patterns and colors, shine and glitter, they became Christmas ornaments.
The ball inside the ornament is made of sewing scraps or Styrofoam.
Adorned with ribbons and beads, sequins and glittering balls, roses made of from a strip of fabric, and even a few buttons...
Here is what you do:
1. Make interior balls from fabric scraps and small sewing residue. To do this, collect the scraps (if possible, stuff a handful in, for example, old tights or a sock) and form it into a ball, wind strips of cloth and thread or yarn around it. In the end, the ball is not perfectly rounded and with a smooth surface, but inside the fluffy and thick materials, no perfection is needed. Instead of sewing waste and fabric residues, hard-crumpled paper can also be used.
If you use a smooth and thin material, it is better to use a Styrofoam ball as the contents.
2. Cut a circle of the right size from the fabric, baste around the edge and pull the fabric around the ball by tightening the thread.
Instead of a circle, you can also cut a strip (e.g. the woven side of a scarf) and sew it into a tube. Baste the edge of the tube and use it to pull one end together. Put the ball in the resulting pouch and then use the basting thread to pull the other end together.
Sleeves are, in essence, ready-made tubes. Just cut a piece of them to the right length, place the ball in and baste the ends.
3. Decorate the ball covered with fabric material with ribbons, ties, beads and other suitable items. Assemble the decorations on top of the ornament, fasten the hanging cord between them.
If the place where the material is pulled together under the ornament is too visible, cover it, for example, with a large button. First, the button can be covered with fabric.
4. Use as much material as you can – you can also make jewelry from hat tassels!
5. If the top and bottom sides of the materials are different, as for example, is the case with the sequined sweater, take advantage of this when covering the ball. This way, you can get several different materials from one item, and there are more opportunities to create unique ornaments.
Be bold, get started and enjoy creative crafting!