Shop FAQ

  • Do you sell finished ornaments?

    Due to changes to international shipping costs from Japan, I have decided not to sell physical products at this time. This includes finished ornaments, supplies, and made-to-order ornaments.

  • Do you sell kits or tool kits?

    I used to sell a tool kit and limited edition ornament kits several years ago; however, due to changes to international shipping costs from Japan, I have decided not to sell physical products, including kits and other supplies.

  • Do you offer refunds?

    I don’t accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations of download items.

  • How should I care for my ornaments when in use, and how should I store them when not in use?

    All ornaments are intended for indoor use only. Ornaments are not waterproof and will be damaged if they get wet. Keep out of reach from children and pets. Pins used in production can cause injury if they come loose or if the ornament is chewed on. Store in a cool, dry place when not in use.

Kimekomi Ornament FAQ

  • I was wondering why on some of your ornaments you put down glue before you tuck the fabric while others you just tuck and go?

    In some of my oldest videos, I glued the fabric to the foam. This was a rookie mistake on my part. Glue is only necessary when using batting. If you use glue directly between the foam and fabric, it will bleed through the fabric and ruin your ornament.

  • When you use batting behind your fabric, what effect does it offer?

    It creates a soft 3D effect. The thicker and denser the batting, the more pronounced the effect will be.

  • What do you do if when you are cutting your design you end up cutting out the foam section rather than just cutting the design into the foam?

    I start over because I’ve ruined my ball. Sometimes, I can fill in the space with extra batting, but usually, it doesn’t look right, so I start over with a fresh ball.

  • I’m having a bit of a challenge finding my poles as the balls I found have no indications only the equator lines. What should I do?

    One way is to put your ball under a very bright light and examine it for faint patterns made during manufacturing. A magnifier glass might help, too. You might see fine circles that start from a pole point and get bigger as they get further from the center point.

    If that doesn’t work, check out my video about drawing lines on a bare, smooth foam ball. You can find it in the Free Video Library.

  • How deep do you cut into the ball?

    No more than 1 cm. (1 cm = about 3/8 of an inch)

  • What kind of compass you use?

    The compass is nothing special. I got it at the local 100 yen shop, Japan's version of the dollar store. I had to change out the pencil it came with to a pen as pencils can’t mark foam. The pen was too big, so I had to cut the plastic so it would fit into the hole.

  • What kind of glue stick do you use?

    For gluing cord trim on seams when making a kimekomi ball, I use a non-wrinkle type glue stick. It’s alcohol-based and dries quickly and clearly. However, any glue stick works, just make sure that it dries completely clear.

Sequin and Glitter Ornament FAQ

  • How much do you overlap the sequins?

    I overlap the sequins as much as needed to hide the foam beneath. I think the best-looking ornaments hide all the foam under the sequins, ribbon, glitter, fabric, etc.

  • What kind of pins do you use? Can I use normal pins or do I need special pins?

    I use sequin pins from Cartwright’s. (Link on Tools and Materials Page) Sometimes, I use 1/4 inch pins and sometimes 3/4 inch pins. The thickness of these pins is suitable for the 15/0 seed beads (also purchased from Cartwright’s) that I use. Also, I have found that with regular, longer straight pins purchased at the sewing shop, they are too long and start running into each other if I’m doing a primarily sequined ball. I like the longer pins for the top and bottom of my ornaments. They are perfect for pining large beads and thick bows. Cost is also an issue. The smaller packs of regular pins tend to be much more expensive, and as much as I use them, it’s not reasonable. However, as a teenager, before the internet, I used regular straight pins purchased from various sewing supply shops. They were not ideal, but I made it work.

  • What kind of glue do you use?

    When gluing sequin pins, I use general-purpose white glue. Elmer's school glue is sufficient though may be yellow over time. Be careful of this if you are using clear sequins.

  • How do you make the glitter paint?

    Please refer to the Glitter Ornaments blog post.

  • Why don’t you paint the ornament before you put on the sequins?

    I don’t like to waste anything. I hate to paint something that I will cover up with sequins and ribbons later. Also, I use the mold line to make perfectly straight lines and judge where the center of the ornament is. If I can’t see the line because I’ve covered it up with paint, it’s hard to keep things symmetrical.

  • Why do you use glue on the pins?

    So the pins don’t fall out. However, depending on storage and handling, the pins might fall out anyway over time. It’s important to handle them with care.

  • Do you always use the sequin cup facing outward?

    Yes. Just a habit and I prefer the way it looks.

  • What size sequins do you normally use and why?

    I like 5 mm sequins. It’s mostly habit. It’s what I’ve always used, and I have a huge supply of them already on hand.

Check out this Q & A video for even more answers to your questions.