Twine and Tack Pomander Balls

I've been totally digging the pomander balls lately, but didn't want to go out and buy them.  So I found two tutorials that were great, LandeeSeeLandeeDo and BlueCricketDesigns.  I started with these items:

 Thumb tacks, 2" and 3" foam balls, and three types of twine.

You could use some funky yarn, beads, paint, dried beans, ping pong balls, or whiffle balls.

(I needed about 400 thumb tacks for a 3" and 2" ball)

All of the twine balls were wrapped the same way.  I started by placing a knot at the end of the twine.  I pushed the twine down to make it level with the ball.  Then put hot glue down and placed the knot back into the hole.  

Next, I started wrapping and gluing the twine down.

 Here's how it looked with the larger twine.  It's a little bit harder with the stiffer fatter twine, but it's possible.

 Here, I took two twines and twisted them together to create a really cool design.

To start the thumb tack version, follow the line that is already on some styrofoam balls, or draw one around the center.  That way you create a streamlined seam. Continue adding them all the way around allowing the edges to overlap a small amount.  This will help keep your thumb tacks stay put.  The last few, I added a little hot glue to help them hold better.

This one, I decided to braid the twine.  I started out with three REALLY long pieces and tried to braid them, but the ends kept getting all tangled.  So, I decided to cut it off and do shorter braids.  Then just stuck the knot in hot glue and pushed it to the level of the ball.

 Here's how they looked when finished.

I'm going to add a 3" thumb tack ball, but I ran out of tacks while creating it.  Off to the store for me!


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