Sequin X-mas Ornaments

[mansonette]

I saw something like this last year and made a couple for gifts but didn't get any pictures.  This year I made some for people I work with and wanted to share with you guys incase you needed a last minute idea. 

They take about 2 hours to make and you will hate yourself if you don't have a thimble handy.  I just used regular sequins, sequin pins(which are 3/4" and I have only been able to find them at JoAnn-pkg of 300 for 99 cents), styrofoam balls and various ribbons.  You should use the styrofoam balls that are called Smooth Foam.  One of my packages says 'Smooth Foam' and the other says 'Dylite, The Smooth Foam'.  Both packages were also purchased from JoAnn.

No one will believe you made them yourself.  They are beautiful among lights on the tree.  I suppose they could be made for any holiday in any variety of colors.

Sorry for so many pictures.

This one was supposed to be a blue ball that had ice dripping from the top.




I think this one is my favorite.  Here is also what the bottom looked like.

Comments welcome.  Thanks for lookin.

[RobertaMac]

Those look really great!
I've been working on some of these myself, but none nearly so elegant as yours!

[piratelibrarian]

Those are really beautiful and elegant.  The colours and designs you chose for the last few make them look as though they belong in some byzantine painting.  Lovely work.

[twylag]

those are really cool.  I have never heard of sequin pins before, are they a different diameter or length?  How many  pins do you think you used on each one?

[joanieponytail]

They are all lovely. I especially like the ones with the band of ribbon in the middle. The shape of that last one is really interesting.

And thanks for the tips about the different kinds of styrofoam and the thimble.

[vanillalotus]

Those look beautiful. I was planning on doing something similar this year but just forsaw my dog eating fallen pins.

[mansonette]

those are really cool.  I have never heard of sequin pins before, are they a different diameter or length?  How many pins do you think you used on each one?

Thanks everyone.  They are quite fun to make if you have the patience. 

Sequin pins are the same diameter as regular sewing straight pins, but they are just shorter.  I'm sure you could use regular pins, but they would be battling for space inside the Styrofoam I'd think.  I think you probably would use 100-200 pins per ornament.  Depends on what size sequins you use and how many you have to use to cover the ball.  For your first I'd suggest medium-large sequins.  All of mine were with medium sized, except the blue one with the silver.  I guess and the smaller gold ones that were over the dark iridescent ones.   

I also was afraid of my cats eating the fallen pins and sequins, so I had to be very careful.

[RobertaMac]

If you dip the end of the pin in a bit of glue, they'll stay pretty attached. No falling pins for the furbabies or real ones to get hurt with.

[sweets4ever]

VERY pretty!  I think the oblong one is my favorite.

Thanks for sharing your tips regarding pins, a thimble and quantities!

[seamshistoric]

I bought some supplies to try this out at my local Joanns. The only sequin pins they had were 1/2" in a box of 350 for $2.59. And only one size of smooth balls, and a very limited selection of sequins. But it's a starting point!