The search for down-to-the-wire handmade gifts that are fun and easy to make is over!
(You’re welcome.)
Once you master the ball ornament technique, use the same technique idea to create other shape ornaments, like the tree shown above (using a cone shape and wooden spool)!
zipper ball ornaments
designed by Kathleen George
materials
For product information, see sources below.
• The Dow Chemical Company STYROFOAM brand foam 3” ball
• Colored zippers of choice, a 27” length of each
• Zipper of choice for flower, a 25” 36” length
• 1” putty knife or palette knife, cord for hanger (a 9” piece), hot glue gun and glue, nippers, scissors, red fabric scraps, Yes! Paste*
*Available through craft stores.
instructions
1. Using pattern (see below), cut out six sections of red fabric to cover ball.
2. Using putty or palette knife, spread a thin layer of Yes! Paste onto surface of the ball, then use your fingers to smooth red fabric onto ball. Do not worry if bits of the ball are exposed, as they will be covered with zippers.
3. Take a zipper and separate the two zipper sides; if it does not come apart at the bottom, cut across zipper with nippers to remove closed end and zipper pull. Clip off plastic ends. (You will use just one side at a time.)
4. Paste 4-1/4” strips of zipper around every other section of fabric, moving around ball.
5. Clip zipper at top and bottom of ball so that zipper pieces meet each other neatly.
6. Paste strips of a contrasting color of zipper, overlapping the first. Trim ends at an angle so that zippers fit together neatly. (Refer to color photo.)
7. To make zipper flower, begin by holding end of zipper with your left hand—the front side of zipper will face down and metal edge will face left. With your right hand, loop zipper up and around to bring zipper back so that front side of zipper faces down; keep metal edge at top. Tack zipper together with a bit of hot glue to make first loop.
8. Continue making loops this way, always tacking loop down at center where your fingers are holding flower, and keeping metal edge at the top.
9. Make four or five loops—you should still have some zipper remaining to make flower center. Roll zipper from the free end into a tight coil, adhering with hot glue to hold as you go.
10. Adhere bottom of coiled end to very middle of flower to complete.
Note: If you do not have enough of the original zipper to create the center, use scraps of another zipper to make a coil and adhere that on instead. You can also choose to do this deliberately for color contrast.
11. Tie a cord into a loop for a hanger. Use a bit of hot glue to attach loop to top of ball.
12. Adhere zipper flower over cord at top of ball.
sources
The Dow Chemical Company
(888) GO-CRAFT
styrofoam-crafts.com
This project submitted courtesy of The Dow Chemical Company.
When printed, the height of the pattern should be (a smidge more than) 4-!/2″. 🙂
Create & Decorate—the blog 