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Christmas Yard Decorations: Playground Ball Ornaments

Playground Ball Ornaments

Total Time Needed: 2-3 Hours

A snow-covered playground can take the bounce out of any ball. Fortunately, this temporary disguise lets an out-of-work summer toy masquerade as an oversized ornament.

Materials

  • Lightweight rubber playground ball
  • Aluminum foil
  • Disposable plastic table cover
  • Rubber band
  • Clear packing tape
  • 18-gauge (or thicker) craft wire
  • Gold plastic cup (available at party stores)
  • Pushpin
  • Wire cutters
  • Wire coat hanger

Instructions

Playground Ball Ornaments - Step 1

1. Wrap the ball in aluminum foil to keep its color from showing through.

Playground Ball Ornaments - Step 2

2. Gather a large square of the table cover around the ball (we used a 54-inch square for our 8 1/2-inch ball), securing it at the top with the rubber band and adding pieces of tape where needed. Trim the excess table cover to about 2 1/2 inches.

Playground Ball Ornaments - Step 3

3. Tightly wrap one end of a 16-inch piece of craft wire several times around the gathered table cover. Trim the plastic cup to leave a 2 1/4-inch-tall bottom section, then use the pushpin to poke a hole through the bottom. With the cup turned upside down, feed the wire through the hole, then slide the cup down over the bunched-up table cover.

Playground Ball Ornaments - Step 4

4. Bend the wire into a loop close to the cup, twisting it around itself to secure it in place, then trim any excess.

Playground Ball Ornaments - Step 5

5. Finally, use the wire cutters to cut a piece from the coat hanger and bend it as shown for a hanger.

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