Making YoYo's

Recently I was at one of the local quilting shops here in good old Springfield, Missouri and I was casually talking with another patron about needing something to do with my hands while I was watching TV at night with my family.   I always have a lot of unused energy, so doing something creative with my hands always seems to enable me to sit in one place for an extended period of time.  The lady that I was speaking to suggested that I make Yo-yos! 

I know I must have looked at her with confusion and I told her, "I don't know how to make yo-yo's".  She told me that it was very simple and that they could be used for a variety of different craft projects.  So I set out to find out how to make yo-yo's!!
There are two ways to make yo-yo's; 1. with a tool or 2. without a tool.  They both accomplish the same thing, but one is more time consuming than the other.  To make them without a tool, you must first cut your material into a circle, then press the edges down approximately 1/4 inch, then the rest is the same as using the yo-yo tool.  You weave a threaded needled in and out around the edge of the fabric and then cinch up the edge.  As I said, this take more time and has an additional step, so I vote for using the tool.

Now you can buy the yo-yo tool just about anywhere you can purchase crafting supplies: Walmart, Joann's, Micheal's, Hobby Lobby, etc.  I am sure you could even find them on EBay!!  The tool comes in various sizes depending on the size of the yo-yo you want to make.  I used is an extra large one that makes yo-yo's that are approximately 2 3/8" in diameter or roughly the size of a silver dollar.  The yo-yo tool cost approximately $6 to $8.00 (U.S). 
This is what the yo-yo tool looks like:



The yo-yo tool is plastic and it has two pieces that pop apart.




Now that you have your Yo-yo tool, what do you do with it?



First you will need to cut a piece of fabric into a circle, square or rectangle, that is larger than the yo-yo tool. 




Next you will pop the two piece of the yo-yo maker apart and place the material, right side down on the bottom piece of the yo-yo maker.  Then you will line up the straight line on the top piece with one of the knobs on the back piece. Then snap the top and bottom plates together with the fabric between the two pieces.


Now cut the fabric around the edge of the yo-yo maker leaving approximately 1/4 inch of fabric around the edge.







When you are finished cutting the fabric it should look like this:


Next you will use a needle and thread that has been knotted to sew around the edge of the material.  The yo-yo maker has notches in it and you will use those as your guide.  Holding the fabric down with your thumb, you will need to start from the top edge to the left side on one of the knobs going through to the back on one side of the notch and then come back through the other side of the notch.  Moving counter-clockwise around the yo-yo maker, you will repeat this step until you come back around to the knot.










Once you have finished  sewing around the edge, you will need to pop the plates apart and remove the top plate from the center of the material.  Then you will pull the thread and cinch the  material until it becomes the desired shape. 

The final step is to tack down the thread so that your yo-yo does not come apart.And then throw it into whatever container you are collecting them in and start your
next yo-yo!

 You will have fun making these and they are definitely something that you can do with you kids.  You can even make a contest out of it so see who can make the most while watching your favorite TV show or movie!

Check back soon for ideas on craft projects that use yo-yo's!


*** Note *** Use thin to regular thickness fabrics, not medium or thick fabrics (denim, felt, wool, etc).  Also, use strong sewing thread, no embroidery floss or any other decorative threads.