Making Bead and Sequin Ornaments

Silver Starburst Ornaments

These ornaments can be used any time of the year if you use different colors of beads and sequins and they are lots of fun to make!

Approximate Time: 1 hour per ornament

Supplies:

• 2 inch Styrofoam balls or whatever size you would like to make (old vintage satin covered balls work well if you still have any and sometimes you can still find them at thrift stores.)
• 1 inch straight pins
• silver bugle beads
• silver seed beads
• silver rocaille beads
• size 8mm silver sequins
• *Elmer's glue (optional)
• silver thread

Instructions:

1. Put your supplies in this order:
   pins
   seed beads
   bugle beads
   rocaille beads
   sequins
   glue poured into an old flat lid (optional)
   Styrofoam ball

2. First of all put a seed bead onto your straight pin, then a bugle bead, then a rocaille, and last of all the sequin.

3. *If you want to make sure the pins stay in place well, put just the very tip of the pin into the glue, then stick into the Styrofoam ball.

4. Continue this same procedure, making sure you overlap enough to completely cover the ball, so you don't see any of the Styrofoam.

5. For hanging, place a length of thread on one of the pins with some glue to make sure it is secured well.

Note: The ornaments are also very pretty when used in an arrangement, wreath, or garland. For an arrangement use a skewer and either stick it right into the Styrofoam or wire the ornament to it, then place into your arrangement or carefully wire the ornaments to your wreath or garland.

By CDC from FL

Bead and Sequin Ornaments (Grandma Tutu's)

My Grandma made the most beautiful bead and sequin ornaments and they have always been my favorites on our tree. This year I attempted to recreate these stunning ornaments. These are great decorations and also make a wonderful gift.

Supplies:

• 2 1/2 inches foam balls (Or satin ball ornaments, see variation below)
• 8 mm sized sequins
• 3/4 inch sequin pins
• Beads with a hole big enough to fit on the pin and small enough that it won't slide past the head of the pin.
• Ribbon

Directions:

These are three basic steps you will use to make your bead and sequin ornament.

Step one: Take a pin and put beads on it. I used two beads of different colors, one green, one iridescent, I wouldn't exceed three beads depending on there size. You want enough pin to stick inside the ball so that it won't fall off easily.

Step Two: Put a sequin on the pin after the beads (I used one green sequin).

Step Three: Stick the pin, with the beads and sequin on it, into the foam ball.

As you stick sequins into the ball, have them overlap slightly. Continue these steps until you have encircled the ball. Then Start another circle going around the ball the other direction so the circles cross. This creates four sections. Fill in each section with pins so that you can't see any of the white on the ball.

Creating The Hanger

Determine where you want the top of the ball to be. Use the ribbon to make a loop for the ornament to be hung by. Then attach the ribbon to the ball with pins that have the beads and sequin on it. I used three or four pins to secure the ribbon in place.

Variation: If you do not want to cover the entire ball you can buy satin ball ornaments instead. Then you can decorate those with less bead a sequins and not worry about letting the white foam show through.

By Stella Rivet

Sequined Ornament

I know there have been similar posts about this, but I am proud of my ornament creations from a satin ball, sequins and pearls, and you can make these for next year still!

At Walmart a box of 50 assorted color satin balls was only $8, if it is too late to buy any on the after Christmas sale, buy some next year as soon as possible and make these while you watch TV. Great to pass out to co-workers, too!

By Linda from Oceanside, CA