How To Make a Fabric Yo-Yo

When I started this blog last year, my wish was to create a portal to share my recipes, tips, and ideas for all my do-it-yourself projects. However, over the last year the DIY part of the blog has gotten lost as I went baking crazy. Today I welcome the addition of a new contributor to Lou & Esi. I welcome to you my wonderful friend and fabulously talented designer – Kameli. She will be making monthly contributions to the DIY side of Lou & Esi and providing her tips and expertise on fun and easy projects everyone can do at home. Happy crafting! – Louise

As a designer, fabric manipulation is a frequent tool I use to make clothes look more interesting and unique. One of the easiest manipulations out there is called a fabric yo-yo. It probably has other names, but I learned about it as a yo-yo. So what is a fabric yo-yo? It is a circular piece of fabric that is ruched along the edge and gathered to a center point. Once complete, the yo-yo will resemble a flower and it is a surprisingly easy way to embellish your wardrobe and accessories.

Fabric yo-yo’s are fun and easy to make! Add a few to jazz up your sweater, add them to a tote bag, or embellish a plain headband – the uses are endless. Have fun and use your imagination!

How To Make a Fabric Yo-Yo
Pretty much any fabric can be used to make this simple yo-yo – woven, knit, printed, sheer, tulle, etc. Using a variety of different fabrics and sizes to create contrast in shapes and textures.

Tools and Materials:

needle
scissors
compass or circle stencil (you can download the template for a 4-inch yo-yo here)
fabric
thread

Directions:

If you are using a compass, set your compass to the size of the yo-yo you want. For example, if you want a 4-inch yo-yo, you want the radius of your circle to be 4-inches. It often helps to pin down the fabric you want to use onto a Styrofoam board or ironing board for when you are drawing the circle. Then, just cut it out.

Next, you’ll need to thread a needle. I like to double up my thread by knotting both ends together. I think it makes securing knots easier. Now, start sewing by making sure the knot is at the back of the fabric. Just weave the needle in and out of the fabric, along the edge.

Try to leave about an 1/8th of an inch border between the stitching and the edge of the fabric. You can either start gathering as you go or when you’ve come full circle, just pull until everything is gathered to the center.

Almost there! Thread the needle back through where you initially started. This will help to make the gathering look continuous. To finish it off, thread the needle thru the center of the yo-yo, out the back of the yo- yo, and knot the thread into the fabric. Cut the thread and you’re done!

Now that you know how easy it is, you can make a bunch of them and apply them to whatever you want. To apply a yo-yo, I would recommend sewing it down at the center, as well as 3 or 4 stitches along the edge. Alternatively, you can also turn it into a brooch by hot-gluing a pin to the back of the yo-yo. I bought a pack of 36 one-inch pin backs for $3. This way you can pin your yo-yo’s to whatever you want and take it off when you change your mind.