DIY Vintage Christmas Bulbs

My grandmother made beautiful Christmas tree decorations with satin bulbs, ribbon, beads, and pins. She passed more than a decade ago, but, for me, nothing says Christmas like those bulbs. I searched in a few stores but couldn’t find the satin bulbs. I also looked online and found a few, but they were quite pricy. So, I made do with Styrofoam balls. I found items at both Hobby Lobby and Walmart.

Materials: Styrofoam balls, ribbon of various Christmas colors, small beads of various Christmas colors, sequins (say it with me) of various Christmas colors and sizes, and pins with heads. Note: I found the heads of sequin pins too small for the beads and some of the sequins.

Ribbon and loop:

1. Cover the seams of the ball with ribbon.
2. Attach with pins.
3. Create a loop at the top.
4. Fasten the loop with beads, sequins, and pins.
5. Create a smaller design at the bottom of the bulb.

Star:

1. Start with one large gold sequin.
2. Fasten with a gold bead and pearl-head pin.
3. Surround with 5 medium gold sequins.
4. Add two small gold sequins at the end of the medium sequins.
5. Insert small silver sequins between “rays.”

Poinsettia:

1. Place 3 pearl-head pins in a triangle.
2. Surround with 6 large red sequins.
3. Add a small red sequin at the tip of each large one.
4. Insert small green sequins at the dip between large sequins.

Snowflake:

1. On this ball, I used red ribbon with gold filigree to cover the seams and make the loop.
2. I also alternated green and red snowflakes on the bulb.
3. Place a large green sequin attached with a pearl-head pin.
4. Surround with 6 medium green sequins secured with sequin pins. (I know the first two pics show eight. I didn’t like the look and changed to six)
5. Stack two gold beads and one small gold sequin on a gold-head pin. Repeat until you have four sets.
6. Place at the ends of the four middle sequins.
7. Stack one red bead and one red medium sequin on a pearl-head pin.
8. Place above the top and bottom green sequins.