We only have four months until the big day. Do you have your handmade gift ideas lined up? Today’s craft is a quick and easy one: yarn ball ornaments. We all know and love the look of the iconic yarn ball: you know, the kittens-with-mittens type of yarn ball. Well, now we can share our love of fiber with others at Christmastime.
I imagine we’ve all wound our yarn scraps into neat little balls at one time or another. These ornaments begin with tiny styrofoam balls as the base (so as not to waste yarn and to also lighten up the overall weight). The styrofoam is also a little “grabby,” making it easier to start wrapping. Neatly wind yarn around the ball, changing directions after five or six wraps, until all of the styrofoam is hidden. Snip the yarn and weave in the end several times using a crochet hook or tapestry needle. If you’re having trouble keeping the yarn in place, a dab of low-temp hot glue will also work. Depending on your color combination, make six or seven yarn balls. (*See note below.)
Cut a length of coordinating yarn long enough to thread through all the balls plus enough to tie as a hanger. Thread this yarn onto a straight tapestry needle. Pierce each yarn ball through the center and string along in proper color order. Knot the two ends together between the first and last yarn balls. Hold both ends of the yarn together and tie again 3-4″ away to make a hanger. *For mine, I used only two colors and alternated them. I needed to use an even number of balls (I used six.) in order to maintain the pattern. When I strung them, it took some coaxing to get them to stay in a circle rather than a long rectangle. I solved this by tying the ring very tightly.
Of course, the best part of the ornament is the tiny pair of needles. Round toothpicks happen to be nicely in scale with these balls of yarn. Simply slide two toothpicks under a few strands of yarn on one of the balls.
Materials
- Mini skeins or scraps of yarn (I used these tiny skeins that I bought as an Amazon Lightning Deal. Lion Brand Bonbons come in color themes and would also work well.)
- 1″ (2.5 cm) styrofoam balls
- Round toothpicks
- Straight tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Crochet hook (optional)
- Low-temp hot glue (optional)
I got my inspiration from this class on Creativebug: Stash-Busting Ornaments.
Other fun ideas that use yarn balls: wreaths and single-ball ornaments.
I’m always on the lookout for new and creative projects. If you have a cool idea you’d like to share, please send it my way!