Highland Hot Air Ornament

Tis the season for parties.

Neighborhood parties, office parties, white elephant parties, cookie parties, ugly Christmas Sweater parties, and one of my personal favorites, ornament parties. I love exchanging cute little ornaments to add to the cute little ornaments already on the tree.

And it’s so fun to come home with something cool and unique – and fun to be the person who brought the cool and unique.

(Which in my case is mighty rare I must say. ;)

When I found this darling Highland Hot Air Ornament at, you guessed it, Anthropologie, I fell in love. I thought it would be perfect to share at an ornament party – or brighten up your own tree!

It’s got some fun detail in a tiny package -it’s about 5″ from top to bottom not including the hanging cord.

Here’s my inspiration – they have a few different styles on the site if you want to check them out for more ideas.

Here’s what you’ll need to make one too!

• Small Scraps of Wool or other fabric – two different prints for the balloon

• Small Scraps of Fabric for the basket

• Buttons and beads for decorations

• Stuffing

• Pompom

• Jingle Bells

• Bendable Wire (about 12″ total)

• Cording or Yarn for Balloon Strings and hanger

• 1 Bead for Hanger

• Glue

• Thread

Begin by making a pattern for your balloon shape. The pattern will be similar to an oval, but the top and bottom will come to a point, instead of rounded. Mine is only 4″ from point to point, which made for a ball that is 2 1/4″ tall.

The wider the middle, the wider your ball will be.

Cut out three of this shape from each fabric.

Alternating the prints, sew three of the panels - right sides together, along the curved sides. So you should have one set of three that alternates red, gray, red; and one set that alternates gray, red, gray.

Open up the panels and place them right sides together. Sew around the circle, leaving an opening in the center of one side for turning.

Turn your ball right side out and stuff. Sew the opening closed.

For the basket, cute 4 pieces 2″ x 1 1/2″.

Sew these for pieces together, along the long edges, to make a square.

 Cut a 1 1/2″ square of the same fabric. Sew it to the bottom of the fabric square, to make a box. Turn the top edge of the basket in.

Form your wire basket holder pieces. Cut your wire into 3″ pieces and curl one end in with small pliers.

  Cut a little off of the top of a pom pom, so it has a flat side. Glue that to the bottom of the ball.

Cut a slit in the other side of the pom pom. Add glue into the slit and place the uncurled ends of the wire into the glue. Angle them so that they point out in a square shape.

Sew decorative beads and buttons down the seams of the ball. I alternated light colored beads with two buttons on each seam. I made sure to have a button on the lower third of the ball, so that later I could attach the cording from the button to the basket.

 Sew beads to the top of your basket. I used a “V” pattern at the top, and a row of black beads below that. Any pattern would look great though. You just want a little bling on there.

 Add a little stuffing in the bottom of your basket and add some jingle bells on top of that. Glue them in so you don’t end up hunting for them next Christmas.

Sew the four wire basket holders to each corner of the basket.

 Tie thin cording from the four of the buttons to the basket holders. There will be one button on either side of the balloon that isn’t used.

Add a drop of super glue to the cording where it’s tied to hold it in place.

 Add a cording tie to the top, with a bead if you want some sparkle up there too.

 Hang up your ornament and admire your knockoff!!

 Do you love it??

I bet you still have time to make one! It would be perfect to sit down with and work on while you’re watching White Christmas and drinking cocoa. And eating cookies. Can’t forget the cookies. ;)

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