Jazzy Christmas Ornaments

By: Kathleen George for Styrofoam Brand Foam

These Jazzy Christmas Ornaments make the perfect addition to your holiday decor. With colorful satin, beads, and ribbons, these ornaments are great for helping you clear through your craft stash and turn your bit and pieces into lovely holiday decor. These colorful DIY handmade ornaments also make great gift ideas for loved ones and would look just as cute hanging on your tree as they would hanging from your mantel, your windowsill, or even from a package.

Materials:

3 " STYROFOAM Brand Foam ball
Assorted small beads: round and flat glass; pearls
11" circle Shimmering red satin fabric
1/3 yd. Metallic gold sheer wire-edge ribbon
22-gauge brass wire
Sewing needle and matching red thread
Scissors
Ruler
Wooden skewer
Needlenose pliers
Wire cutters
Compass (optional)

Instructions:

Sew a gathering stitch 1-1/4" from edge of fabric circle. Center foam ball on wrong side of fabric circle. Pull threads to gather fabric at top of ball and knot to secure. Arrange pleats evenly around ball. Wrap an 18" length of wire tightly around gathered fabric, using pliers for added grip. Twist wires ends together, tucking ends back under wrapped wires to secure. Neatly trim gathered fabric above wire.
When cutting wires, cut ends to a point. Cut 10 - 12 1" lengths of wire. Wrap center of each 1" length around a wooden skewer, resulting in a U-shape wire. These u-shaped pins will help secure wire embellishments.
Cut a length of wire 24" or longer. At top of ball, carefully insert one end of wire through satin and into foam ball 1-1/2". Using photo as a guide, wrap wire around ball, stringing on beads as desired. Cut wire, leaving a 1" tail; using pliers, bend tail at a 90° angle and insert into foam ball. Insert a U-shape pin over end of wrapped wire to secure.
Continue embellishing ornament as desired, using following techniques.
Wrap ball with an additional length of beaded wire.
String beads on U-pins and insert in the foam, crossing over wires.
Shape a short length of wire into a loose spiral with your fingers, stringing on beads as desired. Cut wire; bend each end at 90° angle. Press ends into foam to attach spiral to ball. Press U-shape wires over spiral as needed to secure.
Wrap a short length of wire around a wooden skewer to form a coil. Cut wire, leaving a 1" tail at each end. Bend ends at a 90° angle and attach coil to ball. For variety, form a suspended coil by bending a tiny loop at one end of wire and then wrapping wire around skewer as before. Pin loop end of coil to ornament with a U-shape wire, letting opposite end hang free. Note: If stringing beads on a suspended coil, be sure to add a tiny loop in free end to secure them.
Twist two identical lengths of wire together, gripping one end with pliers and winding opposite end with your fingers. Trim 3/4" from one wire only at each end of twisted length. Snip sharp points in longer untrimmed wires and then bend at a 90° angle. Shape twisted wire as desired and attach to ornament by pressing ends into foam.