DIY Christmas ornaments with wreath embroidery
A Step-by-Step Guide & Free PDF Pattern
Making DIY Christmas ornaments and decorating your Christmas tree with handmade Christmas decorations is one of the most fun and simple ways to make your festive decor unique, personal, and one of a kind.
I have a lot of ornaments I made in previous years, but I always want more!
Ornaments shaped like gingerbread houses, stars, hearts, mushrooms, and even dogs hang on our Christmas tree.
This year, I wanted to add something simple yet festive to my tree, so I made some round-shaped baubles with wreath embroidery.
Let’s make DIY Christmas ornaments together!
I got this idea of ornaments with simple wreath embroidery while filming a Hungarian braided chain stitch video tutorial. This braided stitch has such an excellent structure that it would be perfect to depict the base of the wreath. Add some green branches with Straight stitches and some red berries with French knots, and Your custom Christmas design is ready.
Download a Free PDF embroidery pattern
To make it even easier for you to join me on this adventure, I created a free PDF embroidery pattern that you can download. Sign up for my newsletter and get this this PDF pattern by email.
DIY Christmas Ornaments With Wreath Embroidery
Step-by-step hand embroidery tutorial
Tools and Materials
Tools:
- Embroidery hoop.
- Small embroidery scissors.
- Fabric shears.
- Needles. Bigger embroidery needle for six strands of embroidery floss and a smaller sewing needle.
- Tracing tool. Friction pen or water-soluble pen.
Materials:
- White felt fabric
- Embroidery floss. I used DMC embroidery floss #666 Bright red and #699 Green.
- Decorative twisted cord. I chose the red color cord.
- Filler for stuffing.
- White sewing thread.
Instructions
- Gather all the tools and materials. Download a free PDF pattern for Christmas ornaments with wreath and print it.
2. Cut out the circle shape of the ornament. Mark a circle on the felt fabric. Mark the inner circle for the wreath embroidery.
3. Frame the felt fabric in the hoop. Embroider the wreath. Use six strands of green embroidery floss to embroider the Hungarian braided chain stitch circle. TIP: Use the back of the needle when you pass it under the stitches. This will help to avoid snagging the fabric and the stitches.
4. Add branches. Make diagonal Straight stitches of various lengths around the braided circle. I used three and two strands of green embroidery floss.
5. Add red berries. Embroider French knots with six strands of red embroidery floss.
6. Cut out the shape of the ornament. One with the embroidery and one more blank.
7. Sew two circles of felt fabric together. Leave a gap of 1,5 cm on top. Use the Blanket stitch for sewing.
8. Put the stuffing inside the ornament.
9. Prepare the cord for the borders and the loop.
10. Push the end of the loop and one side of the twisted cord inside the gap and start sewing the cord to the edge of the ornament. I used a pair of tweezers to do that. Use one strand of red embroidery floss and a Whip stitch for sewing the decorative cord.
11. Sew the cord all around the ornament. When you reach the hole on the top of the bauble, push the resting end of the cord inside the opening and close it with the stitches. Secure the loop and both ends of the twisted decorative cord by making a couple of extra stitches.
12. That’s it. Make some more and decorate your tree or branch.
Video Tutorial
Recommended Products
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Frequently asked questions about DIY Christmas ornaments
What fabric should I use to embroider and sew Christmas decorations?
The best fabric to use for DIY Christmas ornaments is felt fabric. It does not fray or stretch and is very easy to work with. Consider sewing the decorations with a sewing machine if you want to use woven fabrics like linen or cotton blends.
If you choose to work with felt fabrics, you can choose from Woolf felt, Wool blend felt or Acrylic felt fabric.
What materials can I use for filling the ornaments?
There are several options of stuffing materials you could use to fill your ornaments:
In case you find filling the ornaments with your chosen fibers difficult. In that case, Benzie Design has a great article with stuffing tips on their site.
What stitches do you use for sewing DIY Christmas ornaments?
My favorite stitch for sewing felt ornaments is a Blanket stitch for sewing. Also, you can use a simple Whip stitch (aka Overcast stitch).
Can I use a sewing machine to sew the ornaments?
Yes, you can. Embroider the ornament by hand and then – sew it with a sewing machine. Leave the gap for filling. Then, fill the ornament and attach the twisted decorative cord and a loop for hanging by hand.
Can I embroider without the hoop?
Yes, you can embroider without the hoop. The only downside is that it is rather tricky to keep the steady tension of the stitches when you embroider a Hungarian braided chain stitch. I tried both ways and prefer making this stitch with a hoop. But If you are an experienced stitcher, give it a try!
Can I make more than one ornament at a time?
Sure. To best use the fabric, fit as many circles for ornaments as you want on one piece of cloth and embroider them all. Then, cut the same amount of empty circles and sew the ornaments.
Will you decorate your tree with DIY Christmas ornaments?
In the fast-paced modern world, handmade Christmas gifts and decorations seem luxurious pieces of home decor or super expensive gifts. But instead of money, we give away our only non-renewable asset – our time.
Spending your time crafting is a great choice. Don’t you think so?
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