Today I thought I’d share a sewing-related craft project which is super easy to make. You can make these paper balls from different sorts of paper and in whatever size you fancy. They are very quick to make and perfect for parties or home decor.
1. For the book paper balls get some old book from the flea market or your own shelves. Draw a circle onto the paper using a glass/jar/cup and tracing it with a pencil.
2. Cut it out (you can cut through several layers at once to speed up the process) and repeat until you’ve got enough pieces for the amount of paper balls you want to make. You will need approx. 8-15 circles per paper ball, depending on the thickness of the paper and the size of the paper ball. For bigger ones I’d recommend using more.3. Stack them on top of each other and stitch down the middle with a straight stitch and a wider stitch length. My standard machine had no problems tackling 12 layers of book paper. However, if you are using more than 12 layers and they get stuck in your machine, you can simply sew them together by hand or try using a stapler.
Leave long thread tails and knot them on both ends. Cut off the thread tails on one side. You can Β later use the long thread ends on the other side of the paper balls for hanging them up somewhere.
4. Gently bend apart the layers with your fingers, distributing them evenly until there are no big gaps left. Now it’s time to hang them up!You can also try and make them using colourful scrapbook paper or pages from old fashion magazines.
It’s also a great project to make together with your kids and for showing them how to use a sewing machine.
You can hang your finsihed pieces up in your home, make mobiles or decorate your garden with them for your next party.
Hope you enjoyed this post! I’ve started my new job last week and have been very busy working on my new pattern which I hope to release at the beginning of August. That’s also the reason why you probably won’t see too many new makes this months. Posting on le blog less frequently doesn’t mean I’m not busy π I regularly post pictures of WIP on Twitter and Instagram, so feel free to follow me there and check out what I’m doing in the meantime (link below).
I still have to figure out how to combine my new work schedule with my favourite hobby. Any advice? π
Happy sewing!
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Great idea!!! We have a lots of very old spezialist literature and tax-books … now our new office-decoration.
Great idea. I made some last year for a “nerdy christmas”. As for sewing with not much time: I struggle with this, too. Mostly I try to prepare & plan all things ahead.
I loved your work. There are so many ideas I can use for my old books. I never wanted to throw them away and now I have so many ways to keep them with me. Check out this Book of Books for more ideas by Altered Upcycling. http://www.amazon.com/Book-Books-Projects-beautiful-ornaments-ebook/dp/B00MGJADUK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1407385936&sr=8-5&keywords=mahe+zehra. You can even sign up on their website for free ebooks!