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{ se-läh-vē } is the pronunciation of the French phrase C'est La Vie, meaning "that's life" or "that's how things go." The original phrase carries a bit of a negative connotation and is generally used as a term of surrender; surrender to life's lemons. But we at { se-läh-vē } believe that we don't just surrender, we take those lemons and make lemonade!


The purpose of this blog isn't just to showcase the events we've coordinated or give you helpful tips and pointers, but it's to journal and document the families we've encountered and the moments we've been a part of, where they took time out of their busy schedules to really look back on their lives and count their blessings...and simply put, to celebrate and have a good time! My hope is that this blog will inspire you to do the same in your own life!



Tuesday, September 7, 2010

TUTORIAL: Hemp Balls

I first saw these nifty little pieces on one of my favorite home decorating blogs (craftynest.com) and I just knew I had to try it!  The original instructions showed how to make these as pendant lamps, but I was actually inspired to use them as part of my centerpieces for my dad's birthday party. The original directions called for hemp string but because I had to make close to 15, I decided to go for a more budget friendly route and chose to use crochet string. Hemp is obviously a lot more sturdier, but the crochet string worked just fine for my purposes.

Whenever I find a DIY project I want to do, I always look up multiple tutorials because I feel like each of them offer a little more detail in some areas more than others. I would encourage you to do the same, but please don't hesitate to contact me for any questions. My goal is for all of you to say at the end of this tutorial, "That's it? That looks so easy!" So let me know if you find anything difficult to understand or if you have any questions at all.

I thought these were so cool and easy to make and they definitely added flair to all of my decorations. Some people used them as pendant lamps, I used them for centerpieces...what will you use them for???

MATERIALS:
- 1 Small/Medium size bouncy ball
- Hemp String or Crochet String, for a wallet-friendly alternative
- Ailene's Clear Tacky Glue
- 1 Red Solo cup
- Scissors
- Black Marker
- 1 Bike Needle (Very Important!)



DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the cup over the inflation hole and draw a line around the cup.

If you're not too sure which hole I'm talking about, it's this one:

2. Next, you're going to pour out some of the glue on a disposable surface (paper plate, plastic cup, etc.) Just keep in mind that you're not going to want to keep whatever you put it on.

3. This is where it starts to get a little messy. Take your index finger and dip it into the glue and apply it to the end of the string.

4. Rub the glue down the string.

5. Then begin to wrap the string around the ball. I usually start at the bottom where I drew the circle, but it doesn't really matter where you start.

Just keep on gluing and wrapping, gluing and wrapping...

6. When you feel like you've achieved the desired look, cut the string and secure it with a dab of glue. Let it dry for 3-4 hours. When it is completely dry, you can take the bike needle and poke it through the hole. 

When it begins to deflate, just let it be.

You may need to help it along at some point, so carefully stick your hand in and squeeze the ball to let the air out.

When most of the air has come out, gently remove the ball from the shell.

Just like this! 

And voila, you've got a very cool piece of art, all for very little effort and almost no money!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! I would love to hear about your experiences! And no, I haven't forgotten about the flower pom pom tutorial...coming in the near future!

13 comments:

  1. i felt like i was ripped off! this was definitely not the hemp ball i was thinking it was!

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  2. LOL, Brian!!! Yea, sorry for the disappointment.

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  3. christine, you are awesome! you are such an amazing teacher, which makes your tutorial perfect! :) love you!

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  4. i am still in awe of your fingernails. its like a different person's hand..really. also the hemp balls are awesome!!

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  5. You would notice my nails. Only a small handful of people would know the significance behind that comment. hahaha.

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  6. This was so fun! And like Hyunah, I was noticing your nails, but I don't know what all that means. You look beautiful, Christine!

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  7. It's because I used to be a nervous wreck and bite them to the core of my cuticles. Not very pretty. :)

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  8. love it! u look adorable! do more tutorials!

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  9. Great job, Christine! Makes me want to make hemp balls! :)

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  10. LOVE it! I'm gonna definitely try making them soon!!!

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  11. would this work with a balloon or does it have to start with bouncy balls? just wondering if there was anyway to save money on the buying 10 bouncy balls. any suggestions?

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  12. Hi Flowerchild! A balloon would technically work, but it may not achieve the same round shape as a bouncy ball. But there's really no need to buy 10 bouncy balls, all you need to do is re-inflate! I bought 3 just so I can save time and make a few at a time. Hope this helps!

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