I’ll bet most of you didn’t know that before I became a health coach, I had a craft and quilting store for many years, so I do love to be crafty. This year I became quite enamoured with some little colorful wool felt balls and decided they had to turn into something perfect to put essential oils on. This fun project works great with a duel purpose: either for a Christmas Ornament or a Car Air Freshener. They are scentable so that you can put some White Fir on to make a fake tree smell real or a calming blend for rush hour traffic.
What you need:
Supplies:
Stretch Magic .5mm beading cord
Assortment of round beads 8mm and 4mm
Rondelles 8mm size or under
Assortment of wool felt balls, 4cm, 3cm, 2cm, 1.5cm
Needle (Chenelle size 20 is what I use, any Chenelle or Darning needle with an eye large enough for cord to go through and must be sharp).
Sharp fine point scissors
Optional:
Thimble
Tweezers
Black Binder Clip
Scrap of Fleece or Cotton Batting
On rare occasions super glue and toothpicks are needed.
Needle Grip Its or Thimble-its
It is important to lay out everything exactly as you want it to be. I suggest starting with this combination: 3 cm wool ball, 8mm round bead; rondelle; 4mm round bead; 2cm wool ball, 8mm round bead, rondelle and a 4mm round bead.
Personally I like to take two colors and alternate them and use a rondelle that is silver for cool colors and copper for warm colors and you might want to use that as a starting point and then play around to your hearts content. I find them more than a little addictive!
Step 1:
Thread the needle with Stretch Magic still attached to the spool. Carefully find the middle of the large wool ball and make sure it looks like it will go through straight. If it isn’t then it will be crooked and look off kilter.
Step 2: Push needle through (a thimble helps). Pull between 12” – 18” of cord through. Then go back through right next to cord coming out. Don’t pull all the way tight.
Step 3:
Make a loop that is about 4”-5”. I put a toothpick holder in it to keep it from being pulled through. You can use a can or anything to just hold the shape. There should be about 12” between the felt ball and the needle.
Step 4:
Remove needle and thread the first 8mm bead, rondelle and 4mm bead. Then rethread needle and go through the smaller wool ball, making sure it is straight and in the middle and use the thimble if you need. A binder clip is often handy to hold your work until the needle is threaded. Then unthread the needle and thread the next 8mm bead, rondelle and 4mm bead.
Step 5:
Go back around the last bead and thread back through the rondelle and 8mm bead.
Step 6:
Tie a double knot (I do a single then a square knot) as close to the wool ball as possible. Then rethread the needle and go into wool ball near where thread comes out but go at an angle so it comes out away from top. Pull until you feel a pop of the knot burying into the wool ball. Then trim cord as close to wool ball as possible.
Step 7:
Pull end of thread still attached to spool until you have a loop the right size (4”-5”) AND beads are tight up to wool balls. Cut cord at least 4” and rethread needle and repeat the process in Step 6.
Voila!
Notes:
1. Trouble threading the needle? Always take the thread to the needle and there is a right and wrong side, if it is hard turn and thread the other side.
2. Little hands do better with 3cm wool balls.
3. If your knot is too far from the wool ball, just go back through more than once.
4. Dimples? Just squeeze wool ball back and forth a bit until it disappears.
Very cute