How to make Fabric Yoyos – 5 different types (Yoyo project ideas)

Yoyos are some of the easiest things you can make with fabric. The cute-as-a-button yoyo is every sewist’s favourite when it comes to decorating things. I had this cushion cover made of a lot of yoyos joined together – it was made of fabric scraps in a plethora of colours.  I would not make it today – it was a colour riot gone mad, but at that time it was delightful to look at and all the rage at that time.

The all colourful fabric scrap yoyos maynot be the most fashionable thing around but I still see so many such project photos all over online – some colourful and made of patterned, printed cloth, tastefully embellished with beads, some made with understated solid colours, still delightful.

Some rules when making any one of these yoyos:

The circle you cut should be twice the diameter of the yo-yo you want to make plus 1/8 inch.

The longer the running stitches you make for gathering the edge, the larger the opening at the center. If you make small running stitches you get a small opening.

To make more than one yoyos of same size, ensure that the circles are exact in size and the stitches are made of the same size.

If you want to make a yoyo applique fabric the procedure is somewhat different. Checkout the post on making a yoyo applique fabric here.

How to make a yoyo with cloth – 3 steps

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1. Make a simple fabric yoyo

Step 1
Cut out the circle for yoyo – you need a size which is double the size of the yoyo you want plus 1/4 inch.

Step 2
Keep the circle, face down ( the wrong side up) in front of you. Take a hand sewing needle and thread ( use matching coloured thread) and start folding the edge of the circle to the inside and make running stitches (gathering stitches) over it, all along the edge, till you come full circle. The running stitch should be made evenly so that the folds are even

Step 3
Tighten the gathering stitches – this will bring the edge to the inside and form your yoyo.

If you find the folds of your yoyo are not lying properly, use your hand to adjust the folds neatly. Take the needle to the back and attach the gathering stitch. At this point, you can add beads and other embellishment to the middle

You can convert it into a bow by adding a tie in the middle.

2. Make double coloured yoyo

A variation of the yoyo is to make it with two fabrics – preferably in contrasting colours. When you finish the yoyo the colour inside will peek through the middle of the yoyo in an interesting contrast

3. Make teeny weeny yoyos

You can make small tiny yoyos which look very cute with thin cloth like organdy or voile or organza. It can be used to make jewellery like this necklace. 

Make more and match it with clips

4. Make square shaped Yoyos

Square shaped yoyos are the best if you have decided to start the onerous task of making a yoyo fabric – ie making fabric for coverlets etc by connecting yoyos together. When you join square yoyos there are no open spaces like if you were joining round yoyos. Just remember that you need hundreds of thousands of yoyos to make large bed covers

To make the square yoyo cut out the fabric piece in a square shape instead of the circle.

5. Make Heart haped yoyos.

You guessed it right. The heart shaped yoyo is made with a heart shaped fabric piece.

Yoyos can also be used for a lot of other projects – An old Tshirt can be revived with a yoyo or two.

My favourite places are bags, purses, fabric brooches and belts.

Infact, anything you sew may need a yoyo.

Related posts : 50 ways to add texture to fabric ; Fabric texture ; Make tassels ; How to make a rosette; Make fringes.;