Craft of the Week: Ribbon Wrapped Ring Toss Game

One of my holiday aspirations is to make rather than buy some of our gifts. This ring toss game game is something we played at my daughter's birthday party with glow necklaces. By covering the rings with yarn or ribbon, I found that it looks nice enough to be a gift.

My mother taught me the basic chain stitch as a girl, but I haven't picked up a crochet hook since. I decided to try again with my fingers since I don't own a crochet hook. Though younger children may not be able to crochet the yarn, they can probably still help wrap the rings.

To save time, you can also skip the crochet step and wrap the rings with flat ribbon (or yarn) for a swift and simple route to completion. In the game pictured above, two rings were simply wrapped with ribbon yarn, while three were wrapped with the crocheted ribbon yarn.


Materials:

• Yarn

[I used a flat novelty ribbon yarn, but regular yarn also works]

• Plastic containers and lids (approx. 4-inch diameter or larger)
• Sharp knife
• Scissors
• Clear plastic bottle

Directions:

1. Using a sharp knife to puncture the first slit, cut the top rim off of the containers. Trim and smooth out any rough edges with strong scissors or shears. Cut the center out from the lids and trim to make smooth-edged rings.

2. Optional: Using your fingers or a crochet hook, make a chain stitch until you have a crocheted length of yarn that is 5 times the circumference for each ring. Make sure the ends are knotted so they do not unravel.

3. Wrap the crocheted yarn (or plain yarn or ribbon) around each rim until all of the plastic is covered. Tie ends together and tuck under the wrapped yarn so they are not visible.

Make sure to avoid scraping or snagging the yarn as you pull it around the ring. You might find it helpful to contain the extra yarn in a small sock like this:







4. If you prefer a more durable target for your ring toss game, use a small round water bottle, which you can decorate as shown here.

Otherwise, form a cone (around 4 inches high) by cutting off the conical top portion from an empty plastic bottle. Wrap flat yarn under and over repeatedly until the plastic is covered completely. Tie loose ends and tuck into the open bottom. Tie a short length of yarn very tightly around the bottle's neck to secure the vertically wrapped yarn in place.


Looking for more craft ideas? Head to DIY day and Get Your Craft On for inspiration.