While these pears are created using a simple concept -- coiling chenille trim around a spun cotton form -- we've rated this project as advanced due to the patience and care required to wrap the chenille, especially around the bottom portion of the pear.  The result however is well worth the attention to detail!

Supplies: Spun Cotton Pears, Tiny Tinsel Chenille, Velvet Leaves, Dresden Stars, Glue (Alleen's Tacky Glue - Original or Quick Dry), Scissors, Paint Brush or Pencil, Skewers, Toothpicks, Wire

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Read through the following steps. Try wrapping the trim without any glue to get a feel for how the materials work.

Step 1: Unwind the entire length of chenille trim from its card.  The trim is soft and wants to wind up on itself; take care to get as many kinks out as possible.

Step 2: Using a skewer, insert about 1" of trim into the hole at the top of the pear.  Inset the skewer to act as a handle and to hold the trim in place in the hole as we begin to coil and wrap the trim in the next steps.

Step 3: Apply glue evenly and semi-thickly around the top 3/4" of the pear, taking care NOT to get glue on the skewer or too close to the top hole. (We will need the hole free of glue for adding a hanger and leaf later.)

Step 4: Begin coiling the chenille trim around the pear shape.  With each pass of trim, make sure each row is lining up very closely to the last to ensure there are no blank or bare spots between rows.  Use a toothpick to guide the trim into place.

Step 5: Use your finger tip to gently press the trim into the glue to ensure it adheres well in all areas.  Use a toothpick to gently adjust any rows of trim if needed.

Step 6: Working down the pear in 3/4" sections, continue to apply glue, wrap cord, press gently and adjust with the toothpick as needed.

Step 7: The wrapping becomes more challenging when you reach the widest part of the pear and especially the base.  Continue the same process being careful to line each row of trim up very closely to the last.  The toothpick is particularly helpful in this area for guiding the trim into place.  You can use the unpointed end to press the trim into the glue.

Step 8: When you have nearly wrapped the entire pear and just a small pea-sized area remains unfinished, cut the trim leaving about 1" of length.  Carefully add glue to the unfinished area and use the toothpick to press the rest of the trim into the area.  Let dry

Step 9:  Glue a Dresden star to the base of the pear.

Step 10: Create a loop hanger by twisting a small length of wire around the handle of a paint brush or pencil.  Bend the free ends of the wire into a hook shape.  

Step 11: Glue a leaf and the loop hanger in place by putting a few small drops of glue in the hole on the pear top and inserting the leaf stem and then the hook end of the hanger.  Let dry

Tips: It takes a lot of trim to cover a pear -- about 4 yards! We suggest using one (1) card of chenille trim per pear in order to work with a continuous length of trim.  

DO NOT PAINT THE PEAR -- A lot of the success of this project depends on the trim properly adhering quickly to the pear shape.  Paint makes a "barrier" that will prevent the glue from properly absorbing into the surface of the pear.

Use a length of the paper-wrapped wire from your leaf bundle to make your loop hanger -- it will match the leaf stem nicely and ensure a cohesive look.

Go slow -- patience is key to achieving closely spaced tight rows of trim.  You want your pear to look uniform.