Jute Ball Christmas Ornament


Happy 4th day of our series "12 Days of Christmas Crafts". Today I'm going to share with you a ornament that is a staple on our tree most years. I made a slew of these 4 years ago, and they are still around today :)
DIY Jute Ball Christmas Ornaments
Jute ball ornaments made from some fabric stiffener and balloons. This is so fun an super easy :)

Here's the material list:
  • Stiffy fabric stiffener (found at most craft stores)
  • Jute
  • Balloons (I used water balloons, it probably doesn't matter)
  • Paper towels and a plastic bag.

DIY Jute Ball Christmas Ornaments
To figure out how much jute you need, dry wrap the jute around the balloon to get an idea of how long it should be and cut it from there. Now put enough fabric stiffener in a small bowl - enough to cover the cut jute. Mix it up and make sure all the jute is covered.
DIY Jute Ball Christmas Ornaments
Now start wrapping the jute around the balloon. I started with a pattern like this:

DIY Jute Ball Christmas Ornaments
Then just kept on wrapping it, trying to cover all the big empty spots. It ended up looking like this:
DIY Jute Ball Christmas Ornaments
Now, place the finished wrapped balloons on top of a paper towel on top of a plastic bag.
I did this so it wouldn't get all over my counter, although it is water based, so it washes up easily.
DIY Jute Ball Christmas Ornaments
I let these dry for about 24 hours -just enough time to make sure they were hard and stiff. Throughout the 24 hours, I turned the 'balls' two or three times to make sure all surfaces got some air and got a chance to dry.

I then popped the balloons with a sharp knife. The balloon crackles and shrinks and 'magically' releases itself from the stiffened jute. Amazing :)
DIY Jute Ball Christmas Ornaments
These would also be super cute not just hanging from trees but having a light hanging in them. Which brings us to some more cute ideas for Christmas ornaments!
handmade ornament crafts for christmas
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5 comments

  1. Such a clever idea! I think I need to make some for my tree this year -- I love the texture they add!

    :) LInda

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  2. These are super cute and interesting! Pinning!

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  3. I am a regular reader of your blog, and I just love the DIY projects that you post! As a fan, I would like to suggest that you add a Pin it button to your images. I often times would love to Pin your projects, but because you don't have the button, I am too lazy to do the extra work it takes to get your images Pinned. I did take the extra time tonight because I love these jute balls and want to make them. But it would be so much simpler if I could just hit the Pin it button. I am not wanting to criticize because I think you have a great blog, I only want to offer a friendly suggestion that would definitely increase the number of things I pin from your blog!

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  4. Love these jute ornaments! They would add such great texture to a Christmas tree!

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  5. Oh these are so fun! I'm planning a more rustic tree next year, and these would be a perfect element. Pinning!

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happy DIYing! Alicia