Hi there!  Welcome to the first post of The Global Styler!  Casa Watkins Living, A Designer at Home, and I are so excited to share globally influenced DIYs and decorating tips the first Monday of every month.   Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I’m sharing how to create an eclectic doorknob hanger with DIY felt balls and a gilded clay heart.

I always spy the pretties color of wool at the 100 yen stores, so I decided to finally try my hand at wet felt balls.  It was super easy.  I also found tassels, bells, and leather cord at the 100 yen store.    (We seriously need Japanese “dollar stores” in the states.)

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Here’s what you need:

Wool

Thread and needle

Tassels

Jewelry wire or jump rings

Bells

Gold leaf (glue and brush)

Leather cord

Polymere clay (rolling pin, pan, heart, knife, and toothpick)

How to make felt balls:

There are many fantastic youtube videos and tutorials out there but here are the basics.

Step 1:  Spread out the wool into a thin layer.

Step 2:  Dampen with soapy water.

Step 3:  Loosely ball up the wool and then roll it between your palms lightly until you achieve the desired shape.  (Dip the ball into warm water a few times while you are rolling it.)

How to make a gilded clay heart:

Step 1:  Use a rolling pin to flatten a piece of clay.

Step 2: Cut out a heart shape with a stencil and/or exacto knife or cookie cutter.   Poke a hole at the top and bottom with a toothpick.

Step 3:  Bake as directed and cool.

Step 4:  Cover the clay heart with decoupage glue (I actually used a glue stick and it worked fine!) and lightly place a piece of gold foil over the glue.  Use a brush or gloved hand to remove loose pieces.  Repeat until the heart is covered. 

Assemble the doorknob hanger:

Step 1:  Use a needle and thread to attach the wool balls together with a brass bell at the end.

Step 2:  Copper wiring (or a jump ring) will hold the tassel in place and connect the ball garland to the heart.

Step 3:  Thread the leather cord through the top of the heart and hang! 

It’s a lovely way to adorn a door knob or dresser pull.  I love how it brightens our living room corner.

The eclectic doorknob hanger is playfully mixed in with a campaign style chest, wood stump, plant, and art to create a global eclectic style.  Love! Head over to the winter holidays, DIYs, and decor page for more articles and resources!

Here are the gorgeous DIYs my friends have to share for this series!  Enjoy!

DIY Scandi Inspired Vase 

Handira Inspired Pillow Tutorial

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