Felt Rainbow Ball Tutorial

Set aside just a couple of hours to make a simple, colorful wool felt ball. Enjoyed by children of all ages from babies to big kids. The ball has a circumference of about 14 inches and a diameter of about 4½ inches.

MATERIALS

*Wool felt: 8 pieces each 6 x 2 inches. I used dusty pink, rusty orange, golden yellow, spring green, forest green, indigo, pinky purple, and chestnut brown.

2  pieces 1½ inches square. I used golden yellow.

*Embroidery floss or thread: I used 2 strands of floss in colors that matched the felt.

*Wool roving for stuffing

Template pieces- pdf pattern here

ASSEMBLY

1. Cut out the paper pattern pieces and use chalk or a pencil to trace it onto the felt.

2. Cut out the felt shapes.

3. Line up the first 2 pointy oval shapes and, using a blanket stitch, stitch the length of one side. Your knots should be hidden on the wrong side.

4. If you need help with your blanket stitch, stick with me, other wise go on to step 5.

OK, I am left handed, but I’m sure you’ll be able to figure this stitch out if I walk you through how I do it in words and pictures.

 *Knot your thread and come up from the wrong side near one of the end points of one of the pointy ovals.

*Line up both pointy ovals and poke your needle right next to where you just  came up.

*Pull the thread through both of them until just a little loop is left.

*Poke the needle through loop, and pull it snug.

*Place the needle ¼ inch or so away from where you first came up, and poke  through both layers.

*Pull the thread until just a little loop is left.

*Poke the needle through the loop and pull it snug.

*Keep it up ‘till you get to the end! If you’re new to stitching with a blanket stitch and it feels awkward, continue stitching-you will soon develop a rhythm that feels  right.

5. Place a third pointy oval on top of one of the ones you’ve just stitched, lining up one long side of the third piece with an un-stitched edge, and stitch them together. You don't have to worry about making the ends super-tidy as you will be covering them up with a circle of felt at the end.

6. Keep stitching, adding one piece at a time to the unit, until all 8 pointy ovals are stitched together.

7. Partially stitch the last pointy oval to the first, about a third of the way down the long side.  

8. Stuff with the roving until the ball is nice and firm. Roll the ball in your hands as you stuff to help it take on an even roundness.

9. Pin opening closed, and push in more stuffing, if needed. Stuff it good and firm, it will hold its shape better.

10. Stitch opening closed the rest of the way.

11. You can still add little bits of roving at this point in the little holes at the “poles” of the ball if you need to.

12. Pin the little circles to the holes on the polar ends of the ball.

13. Stitch in place with a blanket stitch.

14. Toss your ball in the air and admire your fine work.