How to Make a Fabric Yoyo Project

Fabric yoyos are made using small scraps of fabric cut into circles. A finished yoyo is half the size of a cut circle. Make a fabric yoyo project using muslin scraps. Attached together, five graduating sizes of fabric yoyos create an angel Christmas ornament. Spend relaxing evenings in front of the television as you stitch enough yoyos to make sets of angels for yourself or Christmas craft shows. Once the yoyos are stitched, several angels can be completed in less than an hour.

Things You'll Need

• Lightweight cardboard
• Compass
• Scissors
• Muslin scraps
• Pencil
• Sewing needle
• White or off-white thread
• Hot glue gun
• 1 1/2-inch wide ruffled lace, 10 inches
• Ruler
• 1-inch white ball Christmas ornament
• Doll craft hair
• White chenille stem
• White embroidery floss
• 1/8-inch-wide ribbon, 9 inches

Instructions

1. Draw a 4-inch, 3 1/2-inch, 3-inch, 2 1/2-inch and 2-inch circle on lightweight cardboard using a compass. Cut out the five circles. These are your yoyo patterns.

2. Lay a scrap of muslin fabric on your work surface. Place each yoyo pattern on the fabric and trace around them. Cut out each fabric circle.

3. Thread a sewing needle with white or off-white thread. Knot one end.

4. Fold over a 1/4 inch of the edge on one fabric circle. You do not need to fold around the entire circle at once. Fold it over a little bit at a time as you sew around the circle. Insert your needle through the fold. Sew a running stitch through the fold and around the circle. Pull the thread to gather the circle closed. Knot and cut the thread. Flatten the stitched yoyo with the gathers in the center on one side of the yoyo. Repeat with the remaining fabric circles.

5. Place the largest yoyo on your work surface with the gathered center facing up. Apply a dot of hot glue to the center-gathers. Center the next largest yoyo on top of the glue with the center-gathers facing up. Stack and attach the remaining yoyos in graduated sizes in the same way. This is the angel's gown.

6. Cut a 10-inch length of 1 1/2-inch wide ruffled lace. Hand-sew a running stitch along the long bound edge of the lace. At the end of the lace, bring the needle back around to the beginning and make one more running stitch to attach the ends. Pull the thread to gather the lace. Knot and cut the thread. Flatten the lace with the gathers in the center. The lace is now a circle and will simulate the collar on the front of the gown and the wings on the back.

7. Apply a dot of hot glue to the center-gathers of the smallest yoyo on the angel's gown. Center the lace on top of the glue.

8. Apply a dot of hot glue to the center-gathers of the collar. Turn a 1-inch white ball Christmas ornament upside down. Place the neck of the ornament in the glue. This is the angel's head.

9. Fluff a 1-inch wad of doll craft hair by rubbing the hair between your palms. Apply hot glue to the top, back and sides of the head. Place the hair in the glue.

10. Cut a 2 1/2-inch length from a white pipe cleaner. Curl the pipe cleaner into a ring for the halo. Cut an 8-inch length of white embroidery floss. Thread the floss through the halo ring. Bring the ends of the floss together and tie an overhand knot 1 inch from the ends for the ornament hanger. Apply a small amount of hot glue to one side of the halo. Place the halo on top of the head to secure.

11. Cut a 9-inch length from 1/8-inch-wide ribbon. Tie the ribbon into a bow. Apply a dot of hot glue to the front of the angel, just below the head. Place the bow over the glue.