Liberty Yoyo Festive Tree

We are in love with our whimsical Liberty Yoyo Festive tree!

To recreate this project yourself simply hang a yoyo garland in the shape of a tree, decorate with fabric tree ornaments and top it with an English paper pieced star – all in Liberty Tana Lawn^TM of course!

Read on for step-by-step instructions…

YOU WILL NEED:

• 2 packs of Liberty pre-cut yoyos*
• 28-weight Aurifil thread (for yoyo construction)
• 50-weight Aurifil thread (for joining yoyos)
• Size 10 milliner’s (straw) needle
• Fabric marker
• Basic sewing supplies

*Or make your own with a 4.5” Yoyo circle template and assorted fabrics – our scrappy boho packs are perfect for yoyos

PLUS

• Ornaments for decorating your tree
• Blutack for fixing to wall

CUTTING YOUR YOYOS

Using the fabric marker, draw around the yoyo template on the wrong side of the assorted fabrics until you have enough for your garland – 50 yoyos will create a garland approx 2.75m long.

Cut the circles out along the marked lines.

MAKING YOYOS

1. Thread a length of 28-weight thread in the needle and knot the end, ensuring you have enough thread for the circumference of the circle.

2. Fold over a scant ¼in on the edge of the circle, wrong sides together. Leaving a short tail of thread on the outside of the circle, sew a line of running/tacking stitch around the edge close to the fold, continuing to fold the edge as you go around.

*tip Robyn recommends making your stitches about 6mm / ¼in long to give the smallest opening in the gathered puff – smaller stitches create a wider opening.

3. When you’ve sewn all the way around the circumference, make sure your last stitch exits on the same side as your first stitch (outside). Pull the two tails of thread to gather the circle of fabric into a little puff with the right side of the fabric facing out. Pull the ends firmly to close the hole as much as possible and tie them in a knot to secure.

4. Even out the gathers and flatten the yoyo with the hole in the centre of one side. Trim the thread ends 4 to 5 inches away from the yoyo, level with each other and thread them both into the needle. Then finish the yoyo with a couple of tiny stitches on the inside of the gathers and bury the ends of the threads.

YOYO VIDEO TUTORIAL >

ASSEMBLE THE GARLAND

Arrange your yoyos in a line until you are happy with the overall look.

To join the yoyos together, match two puffs, gathered sides facing and, using 50-weight thread, whipstitch their edges together at one spot, starting and finishing with a small tailor’s knot. The joins should be on opposite side edges of each yoyo.