Earlier this year, my mother and I spent a weekend in New York, which included many jaunts to craft stores. One of the better spots was Knitty City. Even as a non-knitter, I was totally engrossed in the abundance of beautiful yarns and textiles. I ended up taking home a skein of chunky, thick and oh-so plush Bulky Polar Bear yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas. It’s as soft as a baby’s bottom! My intent was to make one massive pom pom. When I was done with that, I had yarn leftover and thus came the idea to make these chunky yarn balls and tree.
Below are the directions for the ball and further down you can see how to add the beads. It’s an easy enough project and the payoff is worth it. They turned out to be quite charming accents to my holiday decorations.
DIY Beaded Yarn Tree and Ball
Materials and Supplies
- Styrofoam balls (I used the 5″ size)
- Styrofoam tree (optional; I used the 9″ size)
- Bulky Polar Bear yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas or similar
- Hot glue
Step 1
Begin by making a small loop of yarn and gluing it in place on the styrofoam ball.
Step 2
Make concentric circles along the diameter of the ball. Hold in place with regular spots of glue. Keep the yarn loose and fluffy (don’t pull too tight.)
Step 3
Continue until the whole ball is covered in yarn.
Step 4
Trim the end of the yarn and glue the tail in place.
Bonus Steps – Adding Beads
Materials and Supplies
- 22 gauge wire
- Wire cutters
- Needle nose pliers
- 6mm red wood beads for balls
- 8mm red wood beads for tree
Step 5
Cut a 1 inch length of wire. With needle nose pliers, wrap the end around the tip of the wire making a small loop.
Step 6
Place a single bead on the wire.
Step 7
Stick the wire on the ball. Repeat until you have the desired pattern or effect.
Oh jolly! You just made a beaded yarn tree and ball!
