No-Sew Pleated Christmas Ornaments

This is a great, quick project to get you in the holiday mood. They are easy to make and can be done in your favorite recliner or at the kitchen table because there is no sewing involved. I like using charm pack squares but if you have scraps cut into 5" squares you can use those too. You will only need a few supplies:


To make 1 ornament you will need:
1 - 4 inch styrofoam ball (available at craft stores)
4 - 5 inch squares from your favorite charm pack ( I used Moda's Jovial by Basicgrey)
20 - give or take - Dress Maker pins (the ones with small heads)
1 or 2 - Decorative ball pins (I used the metallic ones)
A thimble
Ribbon and/or other miscelaneous embelishments

(Not sure why I have scissors in the picture - you don't need them)

 

 So here we go...
1. First take one of your squares and fold it back and forth like you're making a paper fan. Remember those?? ;)

2. Now pin it to your styrofoam ball using the dress maker pins. Use just one or two pins now,in both the top and bottom, and you can add more after the next step.

3. Next, fan out your fabric around the center of the ball so you have some nice pleats. Use more pins on the top and bottom to hold it in place if you need to. You can pin, unpin, move the fabric, repin... until you get it flat or exactly how you want it. I usually use 2-3 pins on the top and 2-3 pins on the bottom to hold each piece. Remember your other pieces of fabric will cover these, and will have more pins to hold things down.

(Yes, that is a caboodle I use for my sewing supplies :) Some of you will remember those!)

4. Repeat steps 1-3 with your other pieces of fabric. Making sure to overlap your fabric so you can not see the styrofoam underneath.

 

 5. That's it! Embelish to your hearts desire. I just used some ribbon (attached with my small pins on top and one metallic ball pin on the bottom) to "wrap" it like a present, added a bow and loop for hanging (don't forget that!)

You will definitely want to make multiples! You can make 10 ornaments with one Moda Charm Pack! Use them on your tree ,on wreaths, in a bowl, or to give away as gifts.