Make your own Christmas Ornaments from fabric (8 Easy ideas)

Handmade Fabric ornaments bring a cozy, homemade touch to any Christmas tree. If you are looking for a DIY project for this Christmas, these Christmas ornaments made with fabric remnants are the perfect project. 

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1. Stuffed Christmas tree ornaments

This is a handmade Christmas ornament you can make very easily. You need some felt fabric ( 1/2 meters or less) and some buttons to decorate ( I am using small mirrors) and some fiberfill (or cotton) ; a piece of string or ribbon to hang the ornaments.

The advantage of felt is that the fabric has enough weight to stand on its own and the edges do not fray. The handmade ornaments look as good as store-bought ones, if I may say so myself ( entirely due to the fabric).

To make this ornament you have to cut your fabric into a tree shape.

Make a template of the Christmas motif you want; keep it on fold and cut out the felt piece. You need two pieces of the design.

What I have done here is cut out the design, kept the fiber fill inside and the ribbon folded on top to the inside of the top edge, pinned in place and stitched; leaving a 1/4 inch allowance all along the edge, when stitching.

On hindsight, maybe I would stitch the design first along the marked line and then cut later leaving a 1/4 inch allowance all around ; I would glue the buttons or mirrors after I have finished the stitching. A hot glue gun will be your best friend for adding these embellishments.

To make this cut out two pieces of triangles and a piece of ribbon. Stitch the fabric triangles rightsides together, with the ribbon inside. Leave a 2 inch space unstitched. Turn your tree ornament rightside out through this hole and stitch the hole closed.

2. Embroidered Medallion ornaments

Would you like to show case your embroidery skills ? Hanging them right on the Christmas tree is one way you can do it without making it too obvious you want to show off.

Copy the design (Christmas motif preferably) on a fabric.

I am making a 3 inch circle ornament; you can make it any shape you want. Make it triangular, rectangular, oval, whatever. The embroidery should stay within this outline.

Cut the fabric pieces for the back and front ( 2 pieces ) 1″ bigger all around. So for my 3 inch Christmas ornament I am cutting 2 nos of  5-inch diameter fabric pieces.

Cut two pieces of cardstock exact size of the design you want ; in my case 3 inch.

Make the embroidery work on the front piece.

I am filling the cherries with satin stitches and then giving a back stitch outline. Worked the leaves in back stitch.

Work a long gathering stitch along the outer edge of your embroidered.

Keep some fiberfill on top of the cardstock and then the embroidered fabric right side up on top. Gather the edges to the back using the gathering stitches you have made.

Use a hand sewing needle and thread stitch all along the back so that the edge of the circle is even . You will need to make as much mess of the back as I have done for a smooth side /edges on the front.

Do the same with the back cardstock and fabric ; here we will skip the fiber fill.

I have decided to add some frill to the edges. You will need to take the measure of the edges of your ornament. ( circumference of the circle in my case). Double this measure. This is how much length I cut the lace.

 

Gather the lace with long basting stitches. Keep it to the back of the front piece and baste stitch in place.

Now keep a 4 inch ribbon, fold by half ; glue this to the back of the front piece ( or back piece ) on the top edge.

Use a super fast drying glue to glue the front and back piece. Keep it together till it is all fixed.

3. Heart Pillow ornaments

How to make a small pillow ornament.

Take a square piece of fabric with a design ( write some wordings with fabric pens or embroider something special). Take another piece with the same dimension. Keep them together (right sides inside) and stitch them together along the outer edge. Leave 2 inch unstitched.

Through the unstitched space, bring the pillow ornament inside out ( right side out). Fill your pillow with fiberfill. Insert a  hanging ribbon through the unstitched space. Sew the space closed carefully. You can add a button in the middle for a cute look.

4. Styrofoam ball ornaments

You can use  fabric to cover styrofoam balls and create beautiful Christmas decorations for your Christmas tree or mantle.

For a rustic look you can use burlap strips to cover the balls; for a more festive look choose a fabric that sparkles.

Use a square fabric piece and gather along the edge, keeping the ball inside. Tie the top with a ribbon. Remember to insert a string to hang these balls before gathering the top edge .

You can pin small pieces of fabric on to styrofoam  ; the frayed fabric creates a beautiful look ; the idea is from this blog

5. Beaded Ornaments

You can attach beads on to felt cut into the shape you want. Check out the post to learn beadwork embroidery stitching tutorials to fill the design.

6. Bows on the Christmas tree

Add bows made from really festive glittery ribbons. Check out this post on making Christmas bows for more details.

7. Star ornaments – sew your own stars

The top of any christmas tree deserves something special, like a handmade star.

Found this little ornament idea on this blog  . It is called peppermint candy stars on that blog, which is so sweet and apt. I managed to make some and added strings to hang; they are as cute as buttons.

The author made it in felt (and so no need to fold the edges) and worked blanket stitches along the edge. But I have only white cotton fabric and no white felt. So I am making this in a different way. You can adapt the method used here for making any shape you want with blanket stitched edges.

Draw small star shapes ( 2 nos for one ornament) on interfacing fabric. Remember that this is your final size of the ornament.

Keep the interfacing, sticky side down, on the back side of the fabric you intend to use for the ornament. Press with hot iron to make it stick. Cut out the fabric 1/4 inch extra all around the interfacing star shape.

Now you need to clip the seam allowance. Do as in the picture below – top edge seam allowance is clipped off and shapes and on inner points, v cuts are made.

Keep the star shaped fabric pieces wrong side together, turn the seam allowance to the inside.

Take the full 6 strands of embroidery floss in your needle. Make blanket stitches all along the edge ; Turn under edge as you go and stitch the blanket stitches.

When you reach the last star leg, fill the inside with some cotton or fiber fill and insert the string folded ; continue stitching the blanket stitches; stitch the string secured with straight stitches in a thread matching the fabric.

You can check out this post for making a more authentic looking star – How to sew a star.

8. Small Dolls/angels as Christmas ornaments

You can make small knot dolls or stuffed dolls and hang on the tree.

How have you decided on what to decorate your tree with? Don’t you think, handmade Christmas ornaments add a personal touch that store-bought ones simply can’t match. And the ornaments outlined here are all super easy to make and can be finished in a few hours, if not less.

Related posts : How to tie a Christmas Bow ; How to make Christmas Stocking & 10 variations