Hey Bernice!

Have you ever stopped to notice that almost everything we put on our walls is either square or rectangular?

I love these wall discs, simply because they’re something different – circles … and also because you can change the material if you get sick of it (which is perfect for me – I update my decor with the changing seasons).

These are ideal for all ages – I gave a set to my two nieces for Christmas, one is 6 months old and the other is a teenager. 

Depending on the material chosen you can change the feeling and mood of the discs. The red, black and green are very bold patterns and striking colours, and look perfect with the white background.

The others I made were a little softer, using floral patterned material with subtle tones – very fitting for a nursery or a young girl’s room.

The key item for making these pieces is the wooden embroidery ring. As the name suggests they’re made to assist with embroidery – not for decorating your walls (we all know there are no embroidery police – so we will continue to use these for an alternative purpose!). A wooden embroidery ring consists of solid inner ring and split outer ring with tension screw). I used rings with a 30cm diameter (to save those that were going to google ‘diameter’ for a little reminder … the diameter is the distance across the middle of the circle, from one side to the other). You can buy these rings at an art and craft shop (see the links to some of these stores down the right of the page).

Before you walk out of the store make sure the rings you buy have the 2 circular parts to it. Also make sure that all your rings are the same size (many shoppers return the rings to the wrong spot, and mix up the sizes). There may be a sticker on the outside making the check easier, otherwise you can hold them all together and test with your eye (you could almost use this exercise as a drunk driving test …you will know what I mean when you to do it!).

Here’s how you can make your own:
Wall Discs

• You will need 3 wooden embroidery rings (or as many as you have decided to make)
• Material (thicker material holds better in the ring) 
• Scissors
• Needle and Thread

Once you have decided on your ring size you can choose your material – the fun part!

It helps to have an idea about who you are making them for, or where the rings will be displayed eg. baby’s nursery, spare room, lounge room, beach house. Knowing this when choosing your material will make it a lot easier. When making the softer pink ones I knew they were for females, and that they would like these tones. When choosing the material for the red, black and green ones I had my spare room in mind, which is white (walls and bed sheets) with wooden furniture and bed frame. I needed bold material to give the room some life and personality. You could even choose material printed with a child’s favourite cartoon character eg. Dora, Thomas the tank engine. And don’t stop there, buttons, tassels and all sorts of colourful items can be sewn/glued on the material (but wait until the material is secured tightly in the ring to do all this) – I will say it again, there are no rules, just let yourself be creative!

To know how much material you will need check the diameter of your rings, you will need at least this length, plus another 5 – 10cm each side (so add 10- 20cm on the diameter length). Even though the material is quoted as a price per meter you can buy less than a meter at a time. You don’t need to change the material for each ring – they can all be the same, it’s up to you. Another option (for some unique  and cheaper material) is to visit opportunity shops, you can cut up some old dresses, curtains, sheets – whatever material patterns catch your eye.  

When you get home, lay your material out on the table (pattern face down).

If you have a particular direction you want to pattern run, make sure the  ‘top’ of the pattern is closest to you. 
Slide the outside ring under the material (the ring with the tension screw). 
The screw will sit at the top of the ring, so also make sure the screw is closest to you. 

• Ensure the ring is evenly positioned with enough material surrounding the perimeter. 
• Take the remaining ring and push it into the ring sitting under the material. As you do this the material will tighten within the ring. 
• Place your hand under the material and tighten the screw as much as you can.
• Once the screw is tight and the material is secure pull on the material slightly from all sides of the circle to tighten the material even more (be careful not the distort the pattern by pulling too hard).
• Take your scissors and trim the material around the edge of the ring, leaving about 3cm of material.
• To secure the material within the ring, and to make sure it won’t be seen, take a needle and thread and roughly sew the remaining material tightly around the back of the circle. The tighter you pull the thread, the less likely the material will cause the disc to sit away from the wall when you hang it.

You can hang the disc to the wall  from the tension screw at the top (a nail will slot into the gap), or thread some ribbon through the gap where the screw is positioned and hang it from that.

As I mentioned before, you can change the material at any time when you are ready something different. You can also hang the discs vertically for a different look, or mix up the ring sizes. You could even get a little adventurous and choose smaller discs, and make a mobile with them (glueing 2 back-to-back so you don’t see the back with no pattern).

If you have a go at making some discs, please email me a photo so I can share your creativeness, and new ideas with other Hey Bernice! fans. Happy discing.

Bernice