Fabric yo-yos perfect for toys, ornaments

As a child, I played with yo-yos, but not very successfully – the string always tangled up and left it fraught with knots. I enjoy the music of cellist Yo-Yo Ma. I have been accused of being a yo-yo. It is not unusual for me to yo-yo in the face of a difficult decision. But until recently, I never had made a yo-yo.

A yo-yo is a circle of fabric gathered along the edges and pulled tight to resemble a tiny, drawstring pouch squished to a flat round shape. Yo-yos are tacked together along the folded edges into whatever the maker desires – be it quilt top, chair pad, vest, pillow top, table runner, Christmas stocking or some other item one may dream up.

Individual yo-yos, if made of rich fabrics such as satin, brocade, taffeta or chiffon, make charming ornaments to hang on a tree or to suspend from a pull chain. A pretty button sewed over the gathers at a yo-yo’s center gives the piece added appeal. Beads also make a nice touch.

Single yo-yos coupled with embroidery are an easy way to embellish a sweatshirt or hoodie. Use yo-yos as flower heads and create your own fanciful garden of posies. Or use a yo-yo as a sun, a moon, or the wheels of a bicycle.

Sew yo-yos into a long chain to make a garland in celebration of any festive occasion. Include other items in the yo-yo garland – pine cones, beads, dolls, artificial flowers, wooden hearts or whatever you desire – to create whimsy. Drape the garland over a doorway, window or around a tree.

Using the same technique of sewing yo-yos into a single line, one can create a crib mobile. Sew a few small handmade stuffed animals made of felt into the strand of the yo-yos. To create ties on either end of the mobile, sew the edges of the first and last yo-yos to the center of a strip of fabric or grosgrain ribbon. Since any length of fabric or ribbon may pose a hazard to an infant’s safety, make sure the mobile is securely tied to either side of the crib and do not leave the child unattended while the mobile is in place.

A baby’s toy can be made by stringing yo-yos one atop the other to create legs, body and arms. The resulting toy is colorful, floppy and easy for a baby to grasp.

Covers from plastic margarine or whipped topping containers make great templates for circles. Simply place a cover on the fabric, trace around it and cut out the shape. Use your fingers to press down the edge of each circle about 1/8 inch and, by hand, gather close to the edge through the two layers.

Making yo-yos is the ultimate take-along busy work if you cut out a stack of circles ahead of time.

A word of caution. Making yo-yos has all the earmarks of that dreaded affliction: Binge Craft Syndrome. Yo-yos are easy to do, inexpensive, portable, and neither skill, neatness nor accuracy is required.

Visit www.ehow.com to obtain directions for making a yo-yo doll.

Snippets

. Willow’s End Needlework Emporium in Boothbay Harbor has several free patterns available at its Web site, www.willowsend.com.

. A scrapbooking weekend will be held from 4 p.m. Friday, May 20, to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 22, at the Atlantic Oaks in Bar Harbor. Proceeds from the event will benefit fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue research. To obtain information about cost for the weekend, call 667-1739, or visit http://barharborcrop.blogspot.com/.

Ardeana Hamlin can be reached at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.