Fabric Yo Yo Project: Embroidery Hoop Hot Air Balloon Tutorial

I love using fabric yo yos on a project, they are great fun to make, add texture to a design and are perfect for using up scrap fabrics.

I have put together a little how to make fabric yo yo tutorial so you can see how to make lots of yo yos for this and future projects.

I received some amazing Peter Rabbit fabric from The Craft Cotton Company which I knew would be perfect for a nursery make/baby gift. I have been wanting to make a nursery themed embroidery hoop for a while now so decided to combine the fabric and some fabric yo yos to make a hot air balloon themed embroidery hoop.

This would also make a great cushion, or wall hanging if you don’t want to use an embroidery hoop. You could always use buttons for the balloon top instead of yo yos, or do a mix of both.

You can find this tutorial along with lots of others over on The Craft Cotton Company blog.

Fabric gifted by The Craft Cotton Company.

Hot Air Ballon Embroidery Hoop Nursery Decoration

Materials:

• Peter Rabbit fat quarter set by The Craft Cotton Company.

• Paper.

• Pencil.

• Scissors.

• Compass/some thing round with a 5cm and 7cm diameter to make the fabric yo yo template.

• Needle.

• Thread.

• Embroidery thread in 2 shades of brown.

• Embroidery hoop (25cm).

• Felt to cover the back of the hoop.

Making the hot air balloon

1. Choose one of the fat quarters the form the background fabric. Place into the embroidery hoop.

2. Using the lighter brown thread sew a basket shape onto the fabric using long running stitches.

3. Fill in the basket shape using long stitches.

4. Using the darker thread, weave in and out of the long stitches to create the basket effect.

5. Make a paper template for the fabric yo yos using the compass/something circular to create two sizes of yo yo 5cm and 7cm in diameter.

6. Using the template cut out the fabric yo yos, with 9 large (7cm) and 5 small (5cm).

7. Fold in the edge of the yo yo by 0.5cm and sew around, pull together and sew to secure (more details on how to make a fabric yo yo can be found on this fabric yo yo how to).

8. Sew 4 long lines to create the balloon ropes.

9. Sew on the yo yos to make the balloon shape.

10. Cut away the excess fabric from around the hoop leaving 10cm remaining.

11. Sew around the edge and pull to close, sew to secure.

12. Cut a piece of felt big enough to cover the gap. Place over the gap and sew to secure.

13. Create a hanging loop using the embroidery thread.