Felt Holly Christmas Decorations

November 18, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Following on from the cookie cutter decorations tutorial, here is another fabric Christmas decoration you can make if you have a holly shaped cutter. If you don’t have one, it doesn’t matter because you can make your own holly leaf template. I actually couldn’t find mine in the box of cookie cutters and I couldn’t be bothered to hunt, so I drew my own template and you can too!

Felt Holly Christmas Decorations

You will need: scraps of green felt, paper and pencil, holly shaped cookie cutter (optional), red beads (6 – 8 mm, or sequins might do the job if you don’t have any beads), ribbon.

1. To make the template, either draw round your holly cookie cutter or draw your own. If you are making your own, this is the easiest way!

Draw a line 6 cm long. Starting at one end of the line, draw 4 shallow curves one after the other, so that the end of the second curve is roughly level with the middle of the line and the end of the fourth curve joins the other end of the line. Do the same with the other half of the leaf.

2. Using your template, cut 6 leaves from green felt.

3. Take 2 of the leaves and topstitch around the edge. I hand sewed mine for a change from using the sewing machine, but the machine would have been quicker. Repeat for the other leaves so that you end up with 3.

4. Overlap the ends and sew them together. A few stitches should be enough to hold them. Don’t worry too much about it looking messy, you’ll be covering those stitches in a minute!

5. Sew some beads onto the middle of the decoration, covering the stitches holding the leaves together.

6. Sew a loop of ribbon to the back.

I was going to hang mine on the Christmas tree, but I think a row of them sewn to a length of ribbon might be better! What do you think?

Cookie Cutter Fabric Christmas Decorations

November 13, 2014 · 3 Comments

One of the things I am finding out as I am making fabric Christmas decorations is how great they are for using up scraps! I actually haven’t needed to buy fabric or anything else to make any of these, I’ve used stuff I already had, fabric, ribbon and buttons. The Patchwork Star, the little gingham heart and these other decorations can be made from scraps to small to be much use for anything else.

This tutorial is great for using up scraps of felt! They are very easy to make, crafty minded children could even make them and it’s another use for those Christmas cookie cutters!

Cookie Cutter Christmas Tree Decorations

You will need: cookie cutters, scraps of felt, polyester filling, needle and thread or sewing machine, embroidery thread/ buttons/ ribbon to decorate.

1. Gather your cookie cutters and draw round them onto paper.Cut out.

2. Using your paper templates, cut out the pieces from the felt. You will need two for each decoration.

3. Take one of the pieces and decorate however you choose! I embroidered some French knots for the gingerbread man’s features and buttons and chain stitch for his scarf. If you are not up for embroidery, you could use buttons and ribbon instead.

4. Place a small amount of polyester filling in the middle of one of the felt pieces. Pin the other piece on top.

5. Sew around the edge. I hand sewed the gingerbread man because I felt like a change!

6. For hanging your decoration either make a loop with a piece of embroidery thread, or sew a ribbon loop to the top.

Here he is, finished!

Here are some others I made with the other cookie cutters.

How to Make a Patchwork Star

November 12, 2014 · 1 Comment

Here is another easy little tutorial for fabric Christmas decorations. It is a patchwork star made using 12 diamonds, 6 for the front and 6 for the back. This is a perfect scrap project as the star can be made as large or as small as you like.

How to Make a Patchwork Star Fabric Christmas Decoration

Star Tree Decoration

1. Make or find a diamond template. If you are making your own template, 2 equilateral triangles next to each other will make a diamond. Triangles with sides measuring 7 cm will make a star approximately 17 cm high.

2. Using the template, cut out 12 diamonds. Divide into 2 groups of 6 and arrange each group into star shape. You might find it useful to take a photograph at this point to help remember how you have arranged them.

Patchwork pieces arranged

3. Starting with one group, take 2 pieces, put the right sides together and sew along one edge. Open out and press seam.

Join 2 pieces along one edge, RS together

4. Add another piece in the same way and press seam. Put it to one side and repeat for the other three pieces. Then join the two halves together. Sewing the pieces together in this way so that you make 2 halves of one star and then sew them together will be easier and neater than sewing each piece on separately.

Join 2 halves of star, RS together

5. Repeat for the other group. Sew a button into the centre of each star.

6. Take a piece of ribbon and fold in half. Match the raw edges with where you want the top of the star to be .Place on top of one of the stars, with the right side up. Make sure that the loop of the ribbon is pointing downwards. Put the other star on top with the right side down. Pin together, ensuring that the ribbon is well out of the way of where you are going to sew.

7. Sew around the edges, leaving an opening along one edge. Turn out. Stuff with polyester filling and sew up the opening.

I actually have one ready as a kit! If you would like to buy it, please feel free to send me a message!

Gingham Heart Fabric Christmas Decorations

November 9, 2014 · 2 Comments

If you folks have read any of my other posts about making stuff for Christmas, you might have noticed that I like red and white stuff rather a lot.

Here is another easy tutorial for making fabric Christmas decorations, a little fabric gingham heart.

Fabric Gingham Heart Christmas Decoration

You will need: scraps of cotton or polycotton fabric, scraps of felt, buttons, ribbon, polyester filling, paper and pencil, sewing machine (optional), needle and thread.

1. Find or make 2 heart shaped templates, a larger one and a smaller one. If you do not feel confident drawing a heart, you could print out a template or follow my instructions below for drawing a heart!

Draw round a cup. The cup I used for the larger heart had a diameter of 8 cm. Cut the circle out and fold in half. Starting about a third of the way along the fold draw half a heart shape. For the widest part, follow the curve of the circle. Cut out.

2. Cut out 2 larger hearts out of cotton or polycotton and 2 smaller hearts out of felt.

3. Applique the felt hearts to the cotton ones. You might want to use a zigzag stitch, I just used a straight stitch.

4. With the right sides together, sew around the hearts, leaving a small opening. Trim seams, clip curves and turn out.

5. Fill with polyester filling and slip stitch the opening closed.

6. Sew a button onto either side.

7. Make a loop out of ribbon and sew onto the heart.

The great thing about these is that once Christmas is over, you could hang them up in other places around your house!

You might like to take look at another of my heart themed posts! Burlap Hearts.

I also have a hearts board on Pinterest, Hearts.

Fabric Christmas Decorations

November 8, 2014 · 1 Comment

Now that Bonfire Night is over, it is officially not too early to start on Christmas!

These decorations can be made from scraps of fabric and in a variety of shapes and sizes, all from one easy template. Different shapes can be achieved by changing the number of pieces used.

How to Make Fabric Christmas Decorations

You will need: paper and pencil, a cup or glass, scraps of fabric, strong thread, ribbon (optional), beads (also optional), polyester filling, sewing machine, needle and thread.

1. To make the template, draw around a cup or a glass. The cup I used had a diameter of 6 cm. Fold the paper so that the circle is in half. On the fold,make a mark a little way from the circle. Make a second mark on the opposite side of the circle. Mine were about 4 – 5 cm away from the edge of the circle. Draw from the top of the circle to one of the marks, following the curve of the circle a little way, then curving the line slightly the other way. Repeat for the other side.

2. Fold in half again so that the circle is in quarters. Pick which side you like the best! Cut out.

3. Decide how many pieces you want to use. 2 will make a more 2d shape, 6 will make a squat shape. Cut out the pieces you need.

4. With the right sides together, sew two pieces together along one edge. If you are using more than 2 pieces, add another by sewing it to one of the raw edge of one of the pieces already sewn. Repeat until you have joined all the pieces.

5. Join the last 2 edges, but only half way. Trim seams, clip curves and turn out.

6. Fill with polyester stuffing and slip stitch the opening shut.

7. To make a loop, you could make a loop of ribbon and sew it on.

If your decoration is a squat shape, you could make a loop using some strong thread and some beads. With a needle, thread on a bead, then push the needle through the decoration from top to bottom. You will probably need to squish the decoration so that you don’t end up losing the needle in the middle of it! Pull the thread through, leaving 8 ish cm at the top with the bead on.

Thread on 2 more beads. Draw the thread back through the first of the 2 beads, then back through the decoration bottom to top, then back through the bead at the top. Tie the ends of the thread together.

I made 3 different fabric Christmas decorations using this template.

For the squat one I used 6 pieces and the thread runs right through it and is held at the bottom by the beads. For the longer, thinner one I used 3 pieces. For the white one, I used 5 pieces of felt. I didn’t turn it out and I didn’t use any polyester filling either. I sewed the beads to the bottom and a ribbon loop to the top.

Happy Christmas crafting!

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