Christmas is a time of giving; and what can be any better than a small handmade gift? I invite you to make simple, joyful Christmas Ornaments that can be sewn entirely by hand. All that's needed is just two small pieces of felt, a scrap of fabric with a Christmas print, needle and thread for hand sewing and most importantly, a desire to work with your hands to make someone happy. You can easily personalise your ornament with machine embroidery. This pattern requires basic EPP and machine sewing skills.
Finished size of the ornaments:
Hexagon 2 3/4" x 3" (7 x 7.6cm), Circle 3" (7.6cm) in diameter
As an Aurifil Artisan I designed this project for educational purposes for Pfaff Finland using Aurifil thread. Beautiful Christmas fabrics were kindly gifted to me by Belle and Boo. The pattern is for personal use and gifts only.
Download the templates here.
Materials:
Hexagon Ornament
(1) 1" (2.5cm) Hexagon paper template (template A)
(1) 2 3/4” x 2 3/4” (7 x 7cm), quilting cotton. Cut using template A, add 1/4" (0.6cm) SA). Pay attention to the grain of fabric and direction of the print.
(2) 3 1/4” x 3 3/4” (8.3 x 9.5cm), felt
Round Ornament
(1) 3" x 3” (7.6 x 7.6cm), quilting cotton. Cut using template B, add 3/8" (1cm) SA
(2) 3 3/4” x 3 3/4" (9.5 x 9.5cm), felt
(1) 2" x 2" (5.1 x 5.1cm) tear away stabiliser (optional)
(1) 13" (33cm) long piece of twine
Soft fill
fine thread for applique (for example, Aurifil 80wt)
thread for machine embroidery (optional) (for example, Aurifil 40/3 as top thread, 50 wt in the bobbin)
Aurifil 12 wt thread / Aurifil embroidery floss (2 strands) for decorative hand stitching
Chalk pencil, water erasable fabric marker
General sewing tools and supplies
Presser feet for Pfaff Quilt Expression 720 you can use in this project (optional):
Pattern notes:
All measurements are Width x Height.
Cut the pieces according to cutting instructions.
RS = right side, WS = wrong side, SA = seam allowance
All markings are done with a chalk pencil unless noted otherwise.
Make sure the printer is set to “actual size” and not to “fit to page” when you print the templates. Check the 1” (2.5cm) square on the Templates page to ensure the right final size. The templates DO NOT include seam allowances.
Hexagon Ornament
1. Thread baste 1" (2.5cm) hexagon (Template A). Press it with a warm iron from the back side and remove the paper template. You can find a thread basting video tutorial here.
2. Center the 1" hexagon on the RS of the 3 1/4” x 3 3/4” (8.3 x 9.5cm) felt piece and pin in place. Applique the hexagon to the felt using fine thread and your preferred stitch. Here is the applique video tutorial. I used Aurifil 80 wt, color 2625 Arctic Ice and Aurifil 50 wt , color 2250 Red for applique.
3. Hand stitch around the hexagon at 1/8" from the hexagon edge using a running stitch. I used Aurifil 12wt, color 4060 Silver Moon variegated.
4. Place 1/2" (1.3cm) mark on the quilting ruler right at the hexagon edge as shown in the photo below and trim the excess felt.
In the same way, trim felt on the five other sides, so you have 1/2" (1.3cm) felt around the hexagon.
5. I recommend 40/3 wt Aurifil thread for monogram as it gives more definition to embroidery. Use 50 wt thread in the bobbin to make the stitching less bulky. I used 40/3 wt color 2024 White and 50wt color 2311 Muslin.
Using a 7.1 Maxi 2 (monogram) stitch and Maxi Stitch Foot 8 on Pfaff Quilt expression 720, first, stitch a monogram on a fabric scrap to check the measurements. Then change the foot to Fancy Stitch Foot 2A to embroider the number sequence (year) on the same scrap.
Mark 2 lines on the RS of the 3 1/4” x 3 3/4” (8.3 x 9.5cm) felt piece: at 1 3/4" (4.4cm) and 2 1/2" (6.4cm) from the top. Mart a vertical centerline. Mark the start of the embroidery on both lines.
If desired, you can add a piece of tear away stabiliser to the back of the felt. Stitch the monogram and the number sequence. Remove the excess stabiliser.
6. Mark a line at the top of the embroidery. The distance between the reference lines is 3/4" (1.9cm)- The reference lines will help to center the front piece correctly.
7. Center the front with appliqued hexagon (WS up) on the RS of the back with embroidery. Pin both pieces together and cut the back piece using the front as a template.
8. You can stitch both pieces together either by hand or machine at 1/8" (3mm) from the raw edge. If stitching by hand, use a back stitch and Aurifil 12 wt (here is a video tutorial). If stitching by machine, use the same thread as for monogram, stitch #1.1.2, standard foot 0A, IDT. Start at the top and stitch at 1/8" (0.3cm) from the edge.
When you finish sewing side 5, leave the needle in and lift the foot up. Take a small piece of soft fill and gently push it inside the ornament with small scissors or a paintbrush. The ornament should feel just slightly raised and the soft fill should be distributed evenly. Lower the foot and continue sewing. Backstitch the end of the seam.
9. Using a sewing awl, make a hole at the top of the ornament right under the stitching.
Fold the twine in half. Thread a thick needle with both ends. Push the needle from the front to the back.
Thread the ends through the loop.
Tie the ends. Trim the ends if needed.
Your Hexagon ornament is ready!
Round Ornament
I use Perfect Circles plastic templates by Karen Kay Buckley. If you don't have those templates, print the provided templates B and C and glue them to a piece of cardboard. Carefully cut the circles with scissors making sure the curve is smooth .
1. Trace the template B to the wrong side (WS) of 3" x 3” (7.6 x 7.6cm) fabric piece using a water soluble fabric marker. Cut it out with ⅜” (1cm) SA with scissors. Using a strong thread (for example, Aurifil 40/3) hand stitch two lines with a running stitch in the SA around the marked template and leave approx. 3” (7.6cm) long ends.
2. Place the template in the middle on the WS of the fabric circle. Holding the template in place with your fingers, pull the long ends of the thread so the excess fabric gathers around the template. Tie the ends. You can find video tutorial on how to prepare the round embellishment here.
3. Spray water on the SA and press the circle with hot iron set to cotton. Let the template cool down. Remove the template.
4. Mark vertical and horizontal centerlines on the 3 3/4” x 3 3/4" (9.5 x 9.5cm) felt piece.
Center the circle on felt, pin in place.
Follow steps 2-3 for the Hexagon Ornament to applique the circle and hand stitch around the applique.
5. Mark reference points on the vertical and horizontal lines at 1/2" (1.3cm) from the applique.
Place the template C on the marks, pin in place. Trace the templates and cut the front piece with scissors on the traced line.
6. Follow step 5 for the Hexagon Ornament to embroider a monogram and number sequence on another felt piece.
7. Mark horizontal centerline on the embroidery. Align centerline marks on the template C and the embroidery. Trace the template and cut it with scissors.
8. Pin the front and the back pieces (WS together, vertical and horizontal marks aligned).
I experimented with both machine and hand stitching for the Round Ornament. I found it easier to achieve a neat result with hand stitching. Using a back stitch, hand stitch around the ornament.
When you have approx. 1" (2.5cm) left to the start of your stitching, fill the ornament with soft fill and finish hand stitching.
9. Follow step 9 for the Hexagon ornament to add the twine.
Your Round Ornament is ready!
If you make those monogrammed Christmas ornaments and would like to share them on social media, please tag me at @nordiccrafter and use the hashtag #nordiccrafterpatterns so I can admire your beautiful creations!
Happy Christmas Sewing!♥