No-sew fabric bauble tutorial

Fabric was the subject of Saturday afternoon’s class (although some would argue that a certain book was a hotter topic than the crafting) and we made three fab projects: a decorated bag, a card and a Christmas ornament.

I always like to start with the most challenging project, then it’s plain sailing all the way afterwards. So we began with the bauble, which I think looks gorgeous in this Deck the Halls fabric. For this you need:

1 smooth polystyrene ball, any size but ours are about 3”

2 designs of fabric

20cm length of ribbon or twine

2-4 buttons

2 x hairpins, rounded ends trimmed off with pliers

The only tools you need are a good pair of scissors, a craft knife and a bone folder (or butter knife)

How to make the bauble:

Preparing the ball

(We were lucky that our balls came with faint lines exactly where we needed to mark, so no marking was required!)

1. Find the top of the ball and mark a line vertically to the bottom. You may find it easier if you use a tape measure as a straight line. Repeat on the opposite side so that you have marked all the way round the ball.
2. Turn the ball 90º and repeat so that you have quarters marked on the ball, when viewed from the top.
3. Turn again and mark in between the quarter lines until you have eight lines marked, as shown.
4. Using a craft knife, you need to cut down each of these lines. Cut about 5-8mm (about 5/8”) deep.

Cutting the fabric

1. You now have eight long elliptical shapes marked on your ball.  Measure across the widest part of one of these and add 10-15mm (about half an inch). This will be the width of your pieces of fabric.
2. With your tape measure, measure the length of the ball from top to bottom – this will be the height of your fabric.
3. Mark these measurements on your grid paper and draw freehand the same elliptical shape as on your ball. It doesn’t have to be accurate.
4. Cut this out of the paper and use as a pattern to cut four in each of your two fabrics, making eight in total.

Assembling the ball

1. Hold a piece of fabric against the ball, holding it in place with one finger and thumb at the top and bottom of the ball.
2. Using the bone folder or butter knife, carefully poke the fabric into the slots – start at the widest point of your fabric and alternate sides so that you don’t end up short on the opposite side.
3. Repeat around the ball – don’t worry too much about the ends at the moment.
4. When all eight pieces are inserted into the ball, you may need to trim the ends but there’s no need to make them über-neat.
5. Take a button or two – I’ve layered constrasting buttons on the bottom and used a single one at the top.
6. Thread a trimmed hairpin through the buttons and then squeeze it slightly so that the ends are about 5mm apart. Carefully insert this into the bottom of your bauble – you may need to press it down onto a cutting mat or hard surface to get it all the way in.
7. Repeat for the top, but this time thread some ribbon or twine through the hairpin before it goes through the button.

Done!

Stampin’ Up!® supplies used:

Deck the Halls fabric

White Baker’s Twine

Cherry Cobbler reinker (to dye the twine – do this at least a day or two in advance)

Regals Buttons