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From the Curbly Holiday Archives: Easy Plush Ornaments

by on Dec 18, 2009

Don’t let the availability of ornaments at Hallmark determine what you can put on your tree. Want a komodo dragon or headless gingerbread man dripping from your boughs? Make one! (Note: this project was a lesson in the whip-stitch for my young friend. We worked on this project together, and she did all the handstitching on the edges.)

 Materials 

  • Craft felt
  • Needle and thread
  • Buttons, beads, ribbons, and other crafty accoutrement
  • Polyster batting
  • Pencll and paper
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine (optional)

1. Draw your design on a piece of paper. Make it a little larger (wider and taller) than you’d like for the final design.

Pencil on top of paper with pencil face drawing.

2. Cut out your design into its component parts. We decided to use just two colors for simplicity. Trace your design onto a piece of doubled felt (for the front and back) and cut out.

The green and white patterns for plush ornaments.

 3. Sew the pieces together, either by hand or with a sewing machine. We also added some detail stiches with the sewing machine. 

White felt is used to create an onion with strips sewn through it and a green top for the greens

 4. Add any additional pieces, such as buttons, beads, etc… We opted for two basic black beads for eyes.

Two small black beads sewn onto felt fabric.

5. Create a loop out of ribbon or yarn, and glue it to the wrong side of the front piece. If your top is complex (iike ours), pin it in place.

6.Sew the pieces together. If hand sewing, simply lay the top on the back, and sew. If using a machine, sew wrong sides together. 

7. When you have around two inches left to sew, fill your ornament with batting. Use a straw, pen, or bamboo skewer to help you get it in the corners.

8. Sew the remainder and close it up.

9. Hang on the tree, and delight in your own handmade holiday goodness. 

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