Christmas Patchwork Ball

You need:

• 4-inch diameter foam ball
• Fabric scraps (satin, cotton, velvet)
• Patterned ribbon
• 2 yds. lightweight narrow braid or rickrack (we used two designs)
• Tacky glue
• Flat toothpicks
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Iron
• Hot glue gun
• 3 buttons in graduated sizes
• Narrow cord or ribbon for hanging.
• (Optional: medium-weight iron-on interfacing for backing scraps of fabric before cutting and gluing shapes onto ball.)

Cutting and gluing ball: Cut fabrics into random shapes. Back with interfacing if desired. Using a flat toothpick, glue fabric shapes to the ball, trimming shapes to fit together. Glue braid along all seams, pinning in place until glue is dry.

Making hanger: Make the U-shaped loop of cord and thread cord ends down through holes of stacked buttons (largest button in the middle), securing with a drop of craft glue from beneath. When dry, clip cord flush with button back. Attach to ball with small amount of hot glue or tacky glue.

--Designed by Helen Raffels