Christmas Decorations

[Jules]

With Christmas coming up, it is time to start making some home-made Christmas decorations. The first idea and project that I'll share with you is very easy:

CHRISTMAS PUDDING TREE ORNAMENT.
You need: some calico, small polystyrene balls (or wadding) some 3mm ribbon in red or green, some small pieces of imitation holly, gold thread.

Wrap wadding, or polystyrene balls, in calico. secure with ribbon and tie a bow. Decorate with holly. Attach a length of gold thread to the calico, for to hang. You can put fragrant oil on the puddings if you made them from wadding!
Have fun creating the easiest Christmas puddings in the world!
Much love Jules xx

[Jules]

Here's the instructions to make the baubles I made yesterday.
Hope you can follow it ok.

Materials:
polystyrene ball, any size.
Christmas fabric scraps.
Ribbon, festive braid, gathered lace for decorating.

With a crochet hook, push it through the middle of the ball and pull a length or ribbon, folded in half through. This is the hanger and tails of the bauble.
With a craft knife, score 4 lines down the ball, starting at the top of the ball to the bottom, slice the line slightly, as you have to tuck the material into the slotted lines. You should have 4 segments to the ball (the picture will help you see this)

Make a cardboard template the shape of one of the segments of the ball, but slightly bigger in size. Cut out 4 from the template of material. I usually use two different prints, but you can use the same for all four segments.
Hold the material on the middle of one segment and tuck the edges into the sliced line. Repeat for the other 3 segments.

If you use gathered lace for the trim, no glue is needed, just slot in the lace in where you slotted the material.
If you use fancy braid, you will have to use craft glue to adhere it to the groove.
I start to apply the braid/lace at the bottom of the ball, and end at the bottom, so the start and join isn't visible.

Have fun......I'll post the pic here for easy reference.