Pokeball Cookies

I've been wanting to make pokeball cookies for awhile.  With a class full of kids, now seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Typically when I dip cookies, I use Oreos.  But for the pokeballs, I wanted to have them be a bit bigger so I could get the details easier.  Instead of Oreos, I used Chips Ahoy Thin chocolate chip cookies.  Personally, while I think the Oreos taste better dipped in white chocolate, the finished product I had was sill very delicious!

First, I heated a whole bag of Wilton white chocolate melts.  I wound up adding 2 tbps of olive oil to dilute it.  It was still too thick.

I dipped half the cookie into the chocolate and put it on wax paper to set.

Once I was finished with all the unbroken cookies, I spooned the rest of the white chocolate into a piping bag and piped white circles for the Pokeball's release button.

When the white chocolate was set, I dipped the other half in Wilton red melts.

Next, I melted about a half a cup of semisweet chocolate chips inside a piping bag.

With them melted, I piped a line between the red and white chocolate, adding a small circle in the middle.

While it was still wet, I placed one of the white circles on top.

They turned out adorable!  And they were very easy to make!  I hope the kids enjoy them!

~Buttons

Fleece Pokeball

Like most of the world, I've been enjoying playing Pokemon Go since its release a few weeks ago.  I've had a deep, deep love for Pokemon ever since the first games became available.  I must have been twelve or thirteen when I got my copy of Pokemon Red--and my life has never been the same.

Desperate for a Pokemon craft, I realized that assembly a fleece Pokeball would probably be pretty simple.  There are other ways to craft Pokeballs--from styrafoam to tiny ping pong balls--but I always use fleece by default.  It's such an easy material to work with.

So, for my first attempt (and I know there will be several more) I stuck with the average Pokeball.  That is, the red and white one.

First, I cut out a pattern of a rounded triangle, 3 inches long and 3 inches high.  (I realize now that I could have mirrored the pattern for an elongated oval and cut my sewing in half; next time.)

I cut this pattern out four times on the red fleece and four times on the white fleece.

Next, I sewed the white pieces together, right side to right side, to form a dome.

Then I repeated the same thing for the red triangles.

Putting them together, right side to right side, I stitched up their seams, leaving an inch opening.

Turn it inside out.

Stuff with Polyfill.

Hand stitch the opening.  Don't worry if it's not pretty; it'll be covered by the black band around the middle.

Next, I cut out a strip of black fleece that was a bit longer than the circumference of the Pokeball.

With a hot glue gun, I glued down one side of the black strip to the center of the Pokeball.

I glued the strip down all the way around, trimming the end for a nice finish.  Again, don't worry if it's not the prettiest because it will be covered up with the round button.

Cut out a round piece of black fleece and glue it on top of the strip.

Next, cut out a smaller white circle and glue it atop the black circle.

Not the nicest job (I got a bit crazy with the glue) but it works!  Of course, since it's cute and plushy, my doggie thinks it's for him.

~Buttons