Last Christmas I made a whole bunch of these paper ball ornaments to add some cheerful color to the trees in our church foyer. We didn’t have much to decorate the trees with, so I wanted to make something and this is what I came up with. It cost hardly anything since I had most of the cardstock already and they really make such a fun impact. I also saved time by using my Cricut cutting machine, but it’s totally doable without one.

The paper ball ornaments also hold up well for being made of cardstock. I saved a handful of these to take pictures of and they have been in a moving box inside a storage unit that was not air conditioned for six months. They were still fantastic! So if you store them loosely in a box I bet they can last a few years. Also, a tip for anyone looking for some large scale decor… I noticed all of these present boxes and those large snowflakes at a local clothing store (Gap). I asked the store managers if they saved these or threw them away and that if they just got rid of them I would happily take them and reuse them. They called me at the end of the season and said I could come get it all. How awesome is that? They were so excited it would be used again and we used them for quite a few years.

To make your own paper ball ornament you will need:

• Cardstock (I used an 8.5″ x 11″ piece per ball and made extra smaller circles with the extra for garland)
• Ornament Hangers or String
• Scissors or Cutting Machine (you can find the 8.5″ x 11″ template I made for my Cricut here)
• Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

Start by cutting out four circles that are 4″ in size. You can increase or decrease the size depending on your preference. If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can use a round cup for a template to trace on the paper.

Then you will need to fold each one in half.

Run a bead of hot glue done the center of one of the folded pieces.

Place another folded circle on the glue and hold in place until it is cooled down.

Then put glue on one of the other folded circles and place on the seam of the two already glued together. Hold in place until cooled.

Turn the three glued ones over and add glue to the last folded circle to go on the other side (See picture above on how it should look all glued together).

You can then add your choice of hanging option and then fluff out the circles so it looks full. Above is a picture of using an ornament hanger. You can straighten out one end of an ornament hook and glue it down one of the seams.

Or you can use string, fishing line, or yarn to hang it. For those options I suggest glueing one end on one seam and then the other end in the opposite seam so it hangs evenly.

If you happen to have 12″ x 12″ pieces of cardstock, you can get quite a lot of circles out of it. I used the extra space on the paper to make smaller circles which I sewed together to make a garland.

It was a great addition to this backdrop I made and allowed it to fit in perfectly with the trees.

Make sure to share if you create any. I would love to see 🙂

Jess