This ornament is a MUST MAKE! And really, I try a lot of ornaments this time of year, and some of them work and some of them don't. (The yarn ornament fiasco of 2010 anyone?) Some of them are too complicated and some of them are great. Some of them are too messy and some are not.
This one, however, fits all my criteria. It's not messy, there is no glue OR paint, and my two oldest can do it all by themselves! Well, all I had to do was cut the fabric in little squares.
All you need are styrofoam balls (we used big ones and little ones) and fabric. Cut the fabric in little squares, and then get something small but not sharp for the kids to poke the fabric in with. (I used a small screwdriver.)
And you end up with this:
Isn't it pretty? I love them! And so do my kids. They are begging to make them all the time, so I stocked up on some foam balls (a sweet old lady even gave me a 50% off coupon!) and I keep them in a basket with the fabric scraps and screwdrivers (I know that sounds weird but it works best!) and then they can make them to their heart's content. And, they do.
We decided, since they are pumping out ornament balls at a rapid pace, that we will attach them to gifts and plates of goodies for neighbors. They are just so adorable! (We are going to hot glue a little ribbon to the top of the ornament, where we left a small space for it, to hang.)
Let me know if you try it! I promise, it will be the easiest thing you do all day!
Oh those are pretty! I would love some ornaments that my kids could do on their own! Ok, can you elaborate on the screwdriver part...are you pushing the fabric down into the ball with it? And it doesn't make a big hole? I assume you are using the actual screwdriver end. THANKS! I'm going to try this if I can figure it out. :)
Posted by: Candace | December 08, 2011 at 04:06 PM
Sorry I might not have explained it well. You push with the screwdriver in the middle of the square of fabric, pushing it into the styrofoam. It does make a hole but you can't see it because the fabric covers it up. Then keep pushing in fabric, pretty close together, until it's covered. Does that make sense?
Posted by: Megan | December 08, 2011 at 04:13 PM
Megan, yes that makes total sense! I wasn't worried about the hole showing but moreso about the fabric just falling back out...but I guess I am picturing too big of a hole! HA! Gotta make a Hobby Lobby run soon!! :) thanks!!
Posted by: Candace | December 08, 2011 at 10:00 PM
Hi. I come to your blog from Kristen Polk's (she's my sister in law), and I did these today with my 2 oldest girls (7 and 4). They LOVE doing it. I am going out tomorrow for more fabric. The balls I got were a little big so I got some smaller ones to make for other people. Thanks for the idea!!
Posted by: Whitney | December 09, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Hi Whitney! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. :) So glad you like them - I had to make another fabric run too! My kids are wanting to make these all the time! :)
Posted by: Megan | December 10, 2011 at 10:15 PM
Call me dense (since I can't blame it on the lack of sleep anymore), but I'm still confused with the pushing it through the hole. How does it not fall out? And how do you keep adding fabric to the same hole? Please oh please I wish I was as crafty as you. Did you make this up yourself?
Posted by: Ashley | December 12, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Ashley, maybe I should get back on my video kick and do a video of it. :) The styrofoam keeps it in, and you don't add to the same hole, you poke different holes all over the ornament to cover it with fabric. And no, I don't come up with anything on my own, I see it online or in magazines. :)
Posted by: Megan | December 17, 2011 at 10:23 PM