‘Tis the season for all things crafty and creative. The Christmas trees from our childhoods are back in – so if you’re ready to say goodbye to the minimalistic or curated look, consider going for something fun and kitschy this year.
These DIY sewn ornaments can be mixed and matched, while adding that extra special, customized touch to your tree that you just won’t find in the store.
Let’s get into it with what materials you might need to start sewing your own DIY ornaments, some tips and tricks to get started as well as our favourite projects that will inspire your DIY ornament designs.
Materials You’ll Need
When creating your own sewn Christmas ornaments, the materials needed will depend on entirely on which type of ornament you’d like to make. Here’s our guide to get you started!
- Fabric: Felt, cotton, or any fabric of choice in any colours.
- Ribbon or String: For hanging ornaments.
- Embroidery Floss: For thick, decorative stitching and/or construction of the ornament
- Thread: For construction of the ornament
- Bead Thread or Fishing Line: Sturdy thread for beadwork.
- Needles: Embroidery and regular sized needles.
- Scissors: Fabric scissors for precise cutting. Having a dedicated pair of scissors for your fabric projects makes all the difference – do not use for anything else – not even paper!
- Cutting tool: Cutting tools like the GyroCut can make cutting projects super easy!
- Pins: Sewing pins to hold fabric in place.
- Polyester filling/stuffing: For stuffing ornaments.
- Embroidery Hoops: Different sizes for securing fabric.
- Embroidery Patterns: Printable or drawn designs for stitching.
- Water-Soluble Pen or Pencil: To trace patterns onto fabric.
- Thimble: Helpful for protecting fingers during embroidery and any fine needle work.
- Sewing Machine: If desired for faster stitching (not necessary for most projects).
- Iron and Ironing Board: For pressing fabric for clean edges.
- Craft Mat or Cutting Board: Protect surfaces while cutting fabric.
- Other Decorative Elements: Beads, sequins, fabric paints, miniature bells, pom-poms, lace, buttons
5 Quick Tips and Tricks
- Felt is the most popular as its cut edges will not fray – keep this in mind when choosing fabrics for specific projects.
- Your stitching can be part of the ornament design. Don’t be afraid to keep things looking raw and homemade either – it adds to the charm of the ornament. With that being said, think ahead of time about your knots and finishes – it’s important to be able to hide them or push them into the seam when complete.
- There are endless motifs to draw from. Pick your favourites or mix and match: Think angels, reindeer, stars, Santa, elves, presents, sparkles, candles, ribbons and more.
- Nearly any ornament can be personalized with your loved one’s names, first letter of their name, a special date, and more – making sewn ornaments a great stocking stuffer idea!
- Looking for a fun holiday activity? Host a sewing ornament party! Pick your favourite design from our list below and invite your friends over for an evening of crafting. Of course, it’s only proper to include a wonderful spread of appetizers and seasonal drinks, too!
Inspiration and Ideas
Beads
The holidays are all about that glimmer and shine – so don’t forget to add something sparkly to your DIY ornaments!
Does it get any more magical than this?! These ornaments are unique and unconventional if you’re going for something a little different this Christmas.
This ornament combines a few different techniques but is perfect for cat lovers! Make your very own reindeer-cat and mix and match your beads for its bedazzled belly.
DIY Christmas ornaments are a crafty and cost effective way to give something special to everyone in your life. Consider making one of these beaded letters for each one of your loved ones!
Embroidered
Creating heirloom ornaments that can be passed down to your children is as easy as learning some embroidery techniques.
These may look like something you’d find at Anthropologie, but if you take a close look you’ll see the designs on each ornament are actually quite simple to embroider using metallic thread.
When it comes to embroidery, the options are truly endless. Pick any symbol of the holidays and you can add it to an embroidery hoop. We like how the above example uses a polka dot pattern fabric as an unexpected touch.
Here’s a super cute and different embroidery idea that you could make for your child and for your nieces, nephews or grandkids. The idea simply takes their handwriting and applies it to the embroidery cloth, along with their age, for a cute little memory that will stay on your tree for a lifetime.
Sweaters and Stockings
One of our favourite themes for hand sewn Christmas ornaments is all things sweaters, mittens and stockings. It’s meta and just too cute!
If you’re hoping to put your felt to good use, this simple design from @simplyeilene is a great first timers project, and even includes some cute ribbons and fancy trim.
These stuffed mittens show the power and versatility of felt, layering different aspects for that ultra cozy look that actually resembles a pair of real mittens.
And who could forget an ugly Christmas sweater moment? These adorable little embellished sweaters even have their own little hanger instead of a ribbon!
Nordic Inspired
Bring a Nordic aesthetic into your home this holiday season by incorporating popular elements like hearts and of course fair isle patterns.
These stars and hearts will POP on your Christmas tree, and are super simple to whip together! The shapes, colour and snowflakes all come together for that Nordic feel.
A Dala Horse is a traditional carved and painted wooden horse that is closely associated with Swedish folk art. Over time, it became a popular Christmas decoration and is a perfect addition for any tree.
Patchwork and Patterns
If you’re into upcycling your fabric scraps, consider mixing it up with patchwork ornaments.
This simple ornament uses an embroidery hoop and different patterns to create present motifs.
In a similar vein, these ‘scrappy tree’ ornaments use elements of quilting and somehow match the frazzled British woman aesthetic. They are also oh-so-cozy!
That wraps up our guide to sewing your very own DIY ornaments this holiday season. With a little patience and the willingness to make mistakes along the way, all of these ornaments are do-able for beginners. Which ornaments will you be adding to your to-craft list this year?
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