How To: Rope Ornament

I’ve really enjoyed sewing the rope bowls with clothesline. However, I wanted to make a rope ornament this season using the same technique only using glue. These are so easy to make.

Here are the supplies needed:

• styrofoam balls – any size
• hot glue gun
• cotton clothesline rope – 3 yards for 2.5 inch ornament
• craft or textile paints
• 12 gauge wire – found in floral section of craft stores
• wire cutters
• plastic table covering
• foam plate or paper palette
• Optional embellishments

I painted the first ornament with textile paints. I placed the clothesline on the plastic table covering.

I added the Jacquard textile paint to the cording with my homemade foam daubers. I started with the Sapphire Blue.

Then I added Jacquard Lumiere Silver.

Now it was time to check to make sure all sides of the cord were covered with paint. Below I’m pointing to where I needed to add more paint.

Once the cord is completely painted, let it dry. I usually leave it overnight.

Now it’s time to make the ornament. I am using a 2.5 inch styrofoam ball with 3 yards of clothesline. If you are wanting a larger or smaller ornament you will more or less rope.

To start, put a small dab of glue on the top of the ball.

Add the end of the cord.

Then start the coiling. As you coil, add glue. Using a glue gun makes this process so much easier than using regular glue.

Continue adding glue and coiling on the ball. Take your time and make sure the ball is covered with the cording. For some reason I didn’t get a shot of the glue gun with this  ornament. But you add glue to the ball close to the previous cord to secure the next row.

If you are planning to paint the rope after making the ornament, be careful that your glue doesn’t show. Even though the glue is suppose to be invisible, paint will not cover it.

So here is how it looks when it’s done.

Now we need to add a hanger. If you don’t want an ornament, you could make several of these and place in bowls.

With wire cutters, cut approximately a 4-inch length of the 12-gauge wire. This wire is real flexible and you can bend the end into a loop easily with your fingers.

Add glue to the length of the wire and push down into the top of the ornament. I added a little bling and here is the finished ornament.

NOTE: You also can add the hanger before wrapping the ornament. In the last several ornaments I made, adding the hanger first seemed to be much easier, but either way will work.

If you don’t want to paint the cording before making the ornament you can paint it after. Here is an ornament where I’m adding gold glitter paint. As I mentioned above, just make sure and keep the glue from getting on the outside of the ornament.

And the finished ornament.

Here is my basket of ornaments.

 In addition to clothesline, you can use other rope. The red and white ornament in the middle is Diamond Braid rope I found in the paint department at the local big box store. The red ornament was sprayed with Adirondack Color Wash Red Pepper and then painted over with Martha Stewart Gold Coarse Glitter.  For the blue one in the front I used my indigo-dyed rope.

If you’d like to see me demonstrating how to make these ornaments, check out my segment on WEHT Local Lifestyles.

So much fun and so easy. And they really puts me in the holiday spirit. Now to put up our tree.