Wedding Decorations
Vanessa from V & Co. created this tutorial for you to decorate your wedding in style. We think the same technique would also be lovely using a selection of favorite cottons, for an outdoor party or celebration! You can learn more about Vanessa in her introduction, and be sure to check out her fantastic list of free tutorials on her blog.
From Vanessa: The decorations at a wedding should enhance ambiance but not take the focal point away from the bride and groom. So for me, the decorations at a wedding should be simple, but full of elegance.
These decorative hanging balls are made of recycled men’s white t-shirts. What they lack in cost to make, they will for sure make up in the big impression they will have in setting a romantic environment.
Materials needed:
- 2 men’s XL white T-shirt for large ball (for smaller ball you will only need one)
- 6 inch and 4 inch styrofoam balls
- Hot glue gun
- Ribbon (in coordinating color for your wedding)
First cut the bottom seam off your t- shirt.
Now from the bottom up of your t-shirt, and using only the all white area, you are going to cut strips of 1 inch in width.
Make sure you snip either end of your strips to create 2 strips each.
Put your sewing machine to the “running stitch” or the “basting stitch.” On my sewing machine that is the longest stitch of 5.
I then lightly held the thread on top as I ran my running stitch.
This will make your ruffle gather as you go.
Start by coiling your ruffle.
Place a dab of hot glue to the end of your coiled ruffle…
…And add hot glue to the back of your ruffle flower:
Then I placed it on my styrofoam ball.
Now you are going to repeat the steps and continue to add the ruffle flowers to your ball.
Once you are getting closer to having your ball finished, you will want to add some ribbon to the top of your decor ball. I got regular pins and slightly at an angle placed my first pin in to secure the ribbon in place. The second pin I placed going the opposite way from my first (still at a slight angle); this should anchor your ribbon.
With my two pins in place, I then put some hot glue on top of them. For added security! Make sure your ribbon stays adhered to your styrofoam ball! If needed, add more pins (at an angle) and/or glue. Continue to glue your ruffle flowers till there is no area left uncovered.
You can make as many as you want and in a variety of sizes. Hang them from trees and verandas or, if indoors, from the ceiling. Whatever you chose these decorations will for sure bring simple elegance to your surroundings.
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87 Responses to “Wedding Decorations”
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these are great! I don’t think I would do a whole bunch, but a couple for the kids bedroom would be cute. I even happen to have a couple of white t-shirts on hand that were destined for the rag bin. I made need to pull them out and make one of these.
Awesome! Thanks!
V,
These are ingenious. They look so beautiful. Imagine all the possibilities with colored recycled t-shirts. I can even see these in pink.
Thanks for the tutorial.
Those are so pretty! I like the knit idea…no unraveling.
I would have never guessed they were made out of T shirts. What a great way to recycle.
These are adorable… you’d never guess how easy (or inexpensive!) they are to make!
This could be my new favorite tutorial. I love doing a party right with simple accents, and this is so much easier looking — and reusable! — than the tissue ball I’ve done before. Much more elegant. Thanks for sharing this!
Oh I LOVE these! I might hit Goodwill for some pink t-shirts and make some for my daughter’s room!
Very cute!!!
That’s great! I’ve made a lot of things out of old t-shirts, and never would have considered something so elegant.
I love these…what a cute, fun idea…looks easy too!
Vanessa, these are beautiful! Great idea to use recycled knit.
Cute pomanders!
Pretty!!
That is such a smart idea! I love finding new craft projects that involve old t-shirts.
I love how these would be longer lasting than tissue paper balls. The tissue paper ones really fade over time, especially in a sunny room. I’ll have to try these cute t-shirt rosette balls!
sheesh, these are pretty! i’m getting married in t minus 27 days and am planning to make balls out of white tissue paper. but these are so much prettier! if only i had that sewing machine i registered for (and knew how to use it)
such a beautiful idea!
So beautiful – love these!
I wonder how these would look made with two colors of shirts on one ball.
I am not surprised that Vanessa came up with this idea! All of her ideas are the greatest! I love them in white-but any color would work for different occasions, too.
~Nancy
I can see these done with a pink t shirt as well for a little girls room. So awesome — thank you for sharing this great idea!
Seriously so cute. Makes me want to get married all over again. To the same man, no worries! I love how you can take something so simple and already in our home and make something so gorgeous.
I might make these for my house!
I love those, you could never say they are made with a t-shirt
beautiful! great point about making sure the pins stay in…
Love it! So much easier than others I’ve seen!
WOAH!
This is beyond fabulous!
I know I want to make everything I
see- but this looks like it would
be an easy and unique and wonderful
decoration for your home or a party!!!
This is brilliant and the white color
is sooo elegant!
Thanks,
Elaine
Love this! Smaller scale they’d be great for a shower too. Or a bedroom.
Wow! What a fun/thrifty/clever/pretty idea!
These are beautiful…simple and elegant. Thank you!
I wouldn’t have guessed those were tshirts!
This is a fabulous and versatile idea Vanessa! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this tutorial… Looks fun!
Wow, beautiful! And who doesn’t have spare t-shirts laying around? I currently use my guys’ unwanted tees as rags, but no more!
Oh, I love these! I am having grandbaby girl soon. This would be so cute hanging in her room. Thanks Vanessa for sharing this idea on Sew Mama Sew.
I was going to make poof balls out of tissue paper for my wedding but now I’m reconsidering…these are so much prettier!
These are great. And I love the tutorials on Vanessa’s blog…so inspiring!
This might be fun to do with kids (my wedding days are long past, thank goodness!
for some spring-y decorations. Thanks for the tutes.
very cute
I love this idea, an adorable decoration and a way to recycle. Thanks for sharing this tutorial!
I love this!! Saving this one for when I redo my daughters bedroom!!
The flower balls are truly gorgeous!
Hmmm… I thought these might be papier mache. Men’s tees, wow!
Cute
So creative!
puff balls! what fun
i’ll have to think of an occasion for these!
Cute!
these are adorable & simple. I love them.
Makes me wanna get married all over again … almost. These would be awesome in bright colors for a birthday party, or in pinks for a bridal shower!
These would be great in different colors for different occasions too
These are a neat idea!
Love them! I wish I had seen this tutorial before my wedding!
These are so charming. I never would have guessed they were fabric flowers. I love them.
these are beautiful!! I would have never guessed they were made out of a man’s t-shirt, what a wonderful idea!
Absolutely genius! I love the recycled notion. How 2010!
Dara
These are amazing. I think they would be great for any occasion. Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea! Simple and very pretty too, great easy to follow tutorial! Thanks Sharon.
So pretty!
Very cute and very Vanessa! Great job as always!
men’s white t-shirts?! who would’ve thunk?
this is great!
Jake isn’t shirtless now is he? Those are so cute! Jenn
No wedding coming up but we do have a bunch of T-shirts we could recycle to decorate for parties or for no reason at all!!! Love ya Vanessa! Way to go getting a tutorial here!
Using t-shirts is a really cool idea!
well la-dee-dah! Aren’t these cute?!
These are super cute! FYI, instead of holding the thread with your hand which sewing to make it gather, you can simply turn up your tension to the highest possible. With your tension high and your stitch length long, it will gather the fabric as you go.
I like them and you could also use a highlight color if the bridesmaids were all in the same color.
I would also be tempted to try them with folded crepe paper.
Christmas ones would also be fun in bargain based Chrissie fabrics.
Thanks for the idea.
I have some wide velvet ribbon I have never used in years…it would fold and work also……..hmmmm…sew woman sew.
They are super cute. Thanks for sharing.
I know these are supposed to be for a wedding but I am absolutely in love with them! I would LOVEEEEE them in a bedroom!!
Too cute for words!
This is so cute! I am already thinking of ways to vary this project too. Thanks!
These are so beautiful!
These are delightful. Thank you for the idea.
These decorative balls are great! Love them. Thanks for the tutorial.
These are great. I could even see taking it a step further and making topiaries out of the balls. Thanks.
Thanks, Vanessa and SMS! These are fabulous! I love the PP’s idea to use this idea for topiaries…
I am always looking for ideas for my girls’ room. This looks great! Simple but girly.
Beautiful! Thank you so much! I will keep these in mind for a sweet little girls room…I might try some different material….wondering what white with little pink polka dots would look like.
Love these – simply beautiful
And you have just inspired the decorations for my little girl’s birthday party, they can then become room decor after the party. I don’t have any weddings coming up that I know of to help with, but I can certainly use this idea! THANKS!!!
after being in the crafty bloggy atmosphere for awhile, I wish I was back into the wedding planning biz! what a fresh take on beauty on a budget this would be!
Love love love love love these!!!
These are so neat. What a great idea. I agree in other colors they would be wonderful too.
they are so pretty
made small one and put them around candle holders,
wow! those are sooo pretty! they would look great in a baby room as well!
How does one print out your wedding pillow tutorial?? All I get from my printer is your home page…..is there a price on the tutorial? Please advise me of the method I need to use to have this instruction …Thanking you in advance, a confused and new computer person.
After all my years of sewing, I can’t believe I never knew that holding the top thread of your machine would cause the fabric to ruffle…. who needs a ruffle foot?!
what a great job…. cool… i really liked it