Simple DIY Rustic Farmhouse Style Primitive Rag Balls

These Simple DIY Rustic Farmhouse Style Primitive Rag Balls are just like the ones my mom had. Her passion was scouring antique malls and flea markets for treasures to fit into her rustic farmhouse decor. She instilled that passion in me and my girls. We made these faux antique rag balls with her in mind!

What is a Rag Ball?

I was curious and did some research about the origins of these decorative rag balls. I discovered the women and older girls in the late 1800s would sit and wrap long strips of calico fabric into rag balls. These rag balls would then be used to make beautiful rag rugs for their homes or to sell in the local mercantile.

Where Do You Display DIY Rag Balls?

Currently, most households use rag balls bowl fillers found in flea markets or antique stores for decorative purposes. A friend of mine has hers in an antique wooden dough bowl on her dining room table. Mine are in a small bowl on a side table or I put them in a glass vase during the holidays.

Is It Hard To Make Farmhouse Style Rag Balls?

What I love about this project is how incredibly easy it is to make these rag balls! Caitlin and I sat and watched our favorite TV show while we made these. We made 6 each in less than an hour! And because I used scraps of fabric, it cost less than $1.00 per ball to complete. Watch this video to see how easy they are to make!

An Easy Craft For Any Season

We plan to make plenty of rag balls for every holiday and enough to share with friends and family as gifts! When our local fabric store has their rustic and homespun fabrics on sale, I am always quick to grab 1/4 yard of 4-5 colors/patterns for a new set! It is almost an obsession now!

Here are the supplies you need for your DIY primitive rag balls:

• 1/8 yard of cotton fabric in 4-6 colors/patterns (Each 1/8 yard of fabric will cover two 6” balls)
• 6 – 6” Styrofoam balls
• Scissors or rotary cutter
• Glue Gun

How to make rag balls with styrofoam balls:

Step 1: Cut your fabric into 8” x ½” stripes. I used a variety of color/pattern combinations. You can do them all the same color/pattern or do several. Either way, they will look beautiful!

Step 2: Starting with your first strip, hold the end of the strip at the top of the ball with your fingertip. Wrap the strip around the back of the ball and up until the end meets your finger. Glue into place.