Liz and I made these fabric balls to hang in the store window. It's very simple to do but it does take awhile and uses a good amount of fabric. We used Robert Kaufman Kona cottons in 2 shades of the same color for each ball.
Here are the tools you need: styrofoam balls in varying sizes. For this tutorial we used a medium sized one. We used about 2 yards of fabric in total. You need a rotary cutter fitted with a pinking blade or pinking shears. You also need a hot glue gun, a good amount of glue sticks and some fishing line to hang the ball with. Groovy tunes are optional.
Cut your fabric into 4" strips and then into 4" squares using your pinking blade.
Fold one of your squares into a petal shape:
Place a good sized dot of hot glue on the ball:
Place the end of the petal in the glue and hold for a few seconds:
Repeat with a square in the second shade:
Keep alternating squares and gluing:
until your ball is full and has no bald spots!
Get your fishing line and tie it around the ball like ribbon on a present:
Tie a knot in the fishing line and fluff the fabric around the fishing line:
Hang your ball! (We used hooks that screw into the ceiling)
These are totally gorgeous!! Holy cow! I wish I'd seen this in time for a little 3 year old's birthday party! (maybe if I start now, I can be done with a few by her 4th birthday?)
:) These are really cool.
Posted by: Melissa | 05/22/2011 at 12:42 PM
yeah, definitely making these. thanks!
Posted by: kelly | 05/22/2011 at 01:42 PM
Love Love Love these! Now I need some ideas on how to use them!
Posted by: Hillary Merriman | 05/22/2011 at 03:25 PM
i love your balls ;p
one thought...i bet you could tie the fishing line around the ball first, then glue all the fabric on.
i saw some balls hanging in macy's (i think) that were covered with fake roses. looks so pretty!
anyways...yeah for balls!!!
Posted by: ellie | 07/20/2011 at 07:26 PM