Give your tree a bingo twist this year!
Normally, we tend to keep Christmas decorations for years and years and years—but if you’re feeling like mixing things up a little bit this December, then why not trim your tree a little differently by combining two great loves—baubles and bingo?!
Homemade Letter Bingo. Bingo is an exciting way for kids to practice recognizing letters, numbers and shapes. Your kids will have a blast shouting “Bingo” when they have completed a row on their cards. Use the colorful bingo cards below to organize this fun family game. Make printable and virtual bingo cards. Make your own bingo cards with this free, simple app. Our bingo card generator randomizes your words or numbers to make unique, great looking bingo cards. To make customized 1-75 or 1-90 number bingo cards please use our 1-75 Bingo Generator or our 1-90 Bingo Generator.
These bingo ball baubles are dead easy and fun to make. We’ve deliberately used materials you may have in stock (if not, they’re all easy to find on eBay or in your local craft store), so you can keep the baubles as cheap and cheerful as you like.
So, invite the girls over, stick on the festive tunes, enjoy a good old Christmas craft session… and don’t forget to send us pictures when you’re done!
You will need:
- Polystyrene ball (7cm diameter)
- String or ribbon of your choice (20cm)
- Buttons:
- Black (small; 25)
- White (small; 50)
- Colour(s) of your choice (mixed or small; 100)
- Pearl-headed pins:
- Black (optional, as you may wish to use your coloured pins with the black buttons; 25)
- White (50)
- Colour(s) of your choice (150-200)
(All sizes and quantities are recommendations only. Feel free to go as big or small as you like!)
Step 1
Choose your bingo ball number and colour.
Pick one bright colour for a solid bingo ball effect, or go crazy for a multicoloured bauble! Choose your number based on the size of your ball and buttons. Perhaps you have a number that always brings you bingo luck? Or, if you want to make things really easy, pick a number with straight sides, like 4 or 11.
Step 2
Stick black or coloured pins through the black buttons to form the number of your choice.
This will become the front of your bauble. We chose to make the number 3 (because real numbers have curves).
Step 3
Use the small coloured buttons to form a circle around the number.
Circles are difficult to map out neatly, but the great thing with pins are that, if you go wrong at all, you can always take them out and start again! And anyway, we love the homemade look – perfection is overrated!
Homemade Bingo Balls Deep
Step 4
Homemade Bingo Balls Games
Leave a small gap around the coloured ring, to form a white ring, then pin your coloured buttons over the rest of the bauble.
You can always overlap buttons to stop any white space remaining.
Step 5
Pin your white buttons in the remaining space.
Using white pearl-headed pins will give the best overall effect. When you’re done, you should have white buttons both between the number and coloured ring, and between your coloured ring and the rest of the coloured buttons.
Nearly finished–all that remains is to fasten on your ribbon or string!
Step 6
Fold the ribbon back on itself. Fasten at the top (above the number) by sticking a pin through a coloured button, then through the 2 loose ends of your ribbon, and finally through the bauble.
Doesn’t it look pretty?
Top Tip: Secure the ribbon with other pins (through the same button if possible), or glue it in place for extra security.
Tah-dahh! That’s your first bingo ball bauble fully complete!
P.S. These also make great Christmas presents! Give these baubles as a present on their own, or combine them with other bingo goodies for the ultimate bingo-lover’s gift.
Looking to make a tree-ful? Choose a different colour and number and work through the instructions again, or try out any of these other bingo twists!
Alternative Bingo Bauble Ideas
Homemade Bingo Balls Fun
- Forget buttons – simply use different coloured pins! This will take a little longer, and you’ll need a lot of pins, but it will be equally effective.
- Messy but fun: carefully paint your number in PVA glue onto the ball. Sprinkle glitter onto the glue and leave to dry. Paint the ring and the remaining ball with glue, and pour your coloured glitter on top. When it’s dry, the bauble should twinkle like Santa Claus’ eyes!
Homemade Bingo Balls Bar
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