I’m sure you’ve seen all the great decor balls around that everyone and their sister is making right now. I’ve been wanting something for a wire bowl on my side entry table for some time, but I couldn’t settle on a style of ball to put in there. The twine, beans and other materials are all so pretty. But in the end I finally decided to go with some color and use fabric.
Here’s a small tutorial in case, by some wierd chance, you have missed all the others. :)
I started with a jelly roll for the fabric (40 strips of fabric rolled together, each strip is 2 1/2″ x 45″) and three packages of Dollar Store wiffle balls.
I only used 1 strip per ball, so I had most of the jelly roll left to use on something else. For each ball I cut the 2 1/2″ strip in half, then those two halves in half again. So out of each strip I got 4 strips, 5/8″ x 45″.
I started wrapping the ball, criss-crossing the fabric to cover it.
When I’d get to the end of one strip, I added the next, making sure as I went around that the ends were covered.
I used all four strips around the ball and when I got to the end of the last strip I dabbed some Elmer’s Glue on the end and tucked it under one of the other strips.
I know that might seem like not much to hold it on, and when my family starts chucking them at each other, as they of course will :), I might regret it. But here’s my reasoning. I’m a rather fickle decorator. So the odds are, at some point in the next 6 months, I will probably want a different fabric on there, plus I don’t have the storage space to make up different sets for all my whims. So I’m going to be able to change out the fabric fairly easily.
Here they are again, with all the different colors:
Now for confession time. Up until Saturday I had fabric Easter eggs in this little bowl. Shocking, I know. I left the green moss that the eggs where on because it allowed the balls to sit a little higher in the bowl. Do you think it looks to “Easter-y”? Would it be better without the moss – in which case I think I’d need to make some more. Any opinions would be helpful. :)
Bev, You absolutely rock! These are great! Happy Belated Birthday Sweet Girl!
Very good idea, especially being able to change them on a whim! Thanks for the idea!
They are great – love the fabric!
Thanks for stopping by.
I’ll be following to see more of your ideas!
Laura Lynn
Gorgeous!! Where did you get the jelly roll of fabric?? I love the colors and prints and will be making some for my house too.
I think it would great with a few more balls :-) just my humble opinion!!
Donna, Thanks!
I got the jelly roll at Walmart – when they were downsizing their fabric/craft department. :( The ribbon around the roll said “Stripz”. I don’t know if that’s carried anywhere else.
I am thinking the same thing about the quantity. Might need to head to the Dollar Store for more wiffle balls. :)
I am sending you a forward via e mail about other fabric balls……as soon as I saw it I thought you had to see.
Wow these are really cute – love the fabric, love the idea and I may be switching mine out for something like this! Thank you!
So cute and clever, again! You could make these with a patriotic theme for 4th of July and what about Halloween in black and white?
Oh what good ideas! See? Now they won’t even make it six months with the current fabric. :) I’ll have to change them out at the end of June.
I really like those with fabric. IN fact, I think I like them better than the twine/beans. They have so much more personality and color!!!!!
Love how these turned out…and to think that you used wiffle balls! Ingenious!!!
I love it. Since I don’t go online to look at crafts much, this is the first time I had seen anything like them. Love how easy they are. I could see doing them on a Friday night. The colors you ended up with are just fun, and I think they could work year-round. I guess I need to go to the fabric section of WM the next time I am there. And get some whiffle balls!
Brilliant idea with the whiffle balls. I’m off to the Dollar store for whiffle balls. :)
These are great! Love basket and the moss. Fyi, I pick up ” Jelly Rolls ” at my local fabric store Joann’s
Making them now….. filling the whiffle balls with Pot pourri
I love these! You’ve inspired me!
These are great!! I cannot wait to go buy wiffle balls tomorrow :) Thanks for sharing!
You are such a creative crafter! Smiles, Katy
These are so lovely! I’ve featured them in a round-up of great DIY vase fillers. :) http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2012/02/five-great-diy-vase-fillers.html
woww…i have a large crystal bowl that they are going to look wonderful in …
How clever! I have fabric scraps and a two tier wire basket I’ve been trying to figure out how to use. Foam balls in different sizes work well too but I should be able to get a bunch of these whiffle balls cheap at a dollar store. Someone had another clever idea of filling them with potpourri. Love your blog! :-)
~ Caren Smith, Owner
http://www.MyScrapbookStudio.net
these are clever, and like you, I would want to change up frequently so I like that you’ve built that in. I used to make Christmas balls with my mother using small pieces of fabric and a styrofoam ball. the fabric was applied by gently pushing the edges of the fabric into the styrofoam ball. this also gave it a textured look……
You could use rafia or that crinkled paper strips or sphagnum moss instead. Your fabric balls look great!
Even though you didn’t glue on your fabric strips, is it ok to glue them all onto the balls? Is there an issue with the holes as the glue wouldn’t adhere to anything when laying over the holes. Just curious. ??
You can absolutely glue down the strips!