Decorative ball in a patchwork style fabric design: whether placed in a plant pot or used as a hanging decoration in the traditional way, these gaily-colored provençal fabrics will bring some sunshine to your Christmas decorations.


Materials needed
- a polystyrene ball 3 inches in diameter,
- pieces of fabric or ribbons.

Using a pencil, draw a geometrical pattern on the polystyrene ball surface: a central square and a surrounding strip...

Next, cut out pieces of fabric which are a few millimeters wider on each side than the area they are to cover (here we are using these beautiful provençal fabrics) .Set the piece of fabric over the area to be covered and using an object with a rounded edge (like a rounded nail file), push the edges of the fabric into the ball along the lines marked out in pencil. Be careful not to tear the fabric when pushing it into the ball.

Repeat these steps, alternating different fabrics in order to create pretty designs.

Here is another geometrical pattern that uses 3 different fabrics, keeping with those typical Christmas colors, green and red...

A stick or rod may be inserted into the ball and a bow tied around the rod. The ornament can then be placed in a house plant pot, for example.

Alternatively, the ball may be hung from an attachment made from a piece of wire, thrust deep into the ball (which is very light, in any case).