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Carved Heart Ornament

19
Dec 2011

I have been having a blast this year making new things for Christmas!
I will confess. My ornaments had gotten kind of sad and shabby. And not chic.

So I’ve been making some new ones this year to freshen things up!

This little ornament is fun and easy to do – it looks so cute on the tree. It would make a great hostess or neighbor gift too!
Here’s my Carved Heart Ornament:


Ok – so it’s not a real carved heart – but it’s just as sweet, embroidered on linen in this little Mason Jar lid!

Ready to make your own? You’ll need:
linen
embroidery hoop
floss – brown & red
Mason Jar Lid – wide mouth (both ring and top)
cardboard or chipboard for backing
glue (I used hot glue)
jute or ribbon for tie
optional – drill
Ornament Pattern – click here to open

Start by tracing the pattern onto your fabric. You’ll need to write in your initials. You can easily trace your pattern if you tape the pattern to a window, then tape your fabric over it. The light will shine through and you can trace the design onto your fabric with a disappearing ink pen.

Place your fabric in an embroidery hoop.

For the entire ornament you’ll be using a stem stitch. Here’s a quick how to.

Thread your needle with three strands of brown embroidery floss. Bring your thread up from back to front at the top of one of the pattern lines.
Put your needle back in about 1/4 of an inch and then back up about at the middle point of this stitch.

Pull the needle through. Then make another small stitch in the same direction, about 1/8″ away, coming up at the base of this stitch.
Keep the loose thread up above your stitches.

Continue with the stem stitch, following the lines of the pattern.

Stitch all the wood grain lines of the pattern. It might help to do smaller stitches on the curves.

Use the same stitch and outline the heart and arrow and sew in your initials with red embroidery floss.

Using your jar lid as a pattern, cut out batting and a cardboard or chipboard circle.

Optional – You can drill small holes in the top of the Mason Jar ring to thread jute for hanging the ornament.

Cut a length of jute and thread it through the holes and knot it.

Trim your fabric so it is a few inches larger than the jar lid.
Place the batting on the lid and then the embroidered fabric. Wrap it around to the back and glue down.

Glue the embroidered circle into the jar ring. Glue the cardboard circle onto the back.

If you didn’t drill your holes, glue a length of jute/ribbon to the back for hanging.

Hang your cute new ornament on the tree!

What do you think?

I’m linking to Sunday Scoop, Today’s Creative Blog, Met Monday, Skip to my Lou, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday, Funky Junk Interiors, Quilt Story and some of the other fabulous parties on the sidebar – make sure you check them out!

This was originally a guest post over at Miss Lovie. :)

Category: Holiday, Sewing  Tags: , ,  17 Comments

Swirled Wire & Chain Ornament

30
Nov 2011

I am loving creating some new ornaments for the tree this year.

I’ll confess. Some of mine were pretty sad. Ok. Really sad.
It’s been fun to make some fun, unique ornaments to freshen up the tree a bit!

Anthro has some really cute ornaments – shocker. So I’ve been doing some knockoff-ing -
Here’s my super cute Swirled Wire & Chain Ornament:

It’s kind of a mishmash ornament inspired by these two over at Anthro:

 This ornament is quick and really fun!

You’ll need:

1 Plastic Clear Ornament
20″ chain
Thin Wire – I bought a spool and had lots left over
Heavy Florist Wire for the hook
2 Jump Rings
1 Eye Pin
Small bit of Jute for Bow
Saw, Drill
Round Nosed Pliers, Flat Nosed Pliers, Wire cutters.

Start by getting your ornament ready. Mine had a really wide opening.

Saw that opening off so that the base is just a round hole. Drill a small hole at the bottom (which will now be the top of the ornament)

Cut your chain into two, 10″ pieces. Fold the chain in about half, but leave the lengths for the pieces different. Add a link at the top of each folded chain to a large jump ring.
Add an Eye Pin (a wire with a loop on the end) to the jump ring.

Feed the chain/wire up through the large hole at the bottom until the thin, straight wire is feeding through the small hole you drilled.
Bend that wire to form a small loop. Add another jump ring to that loop.

Form a “?” shape with a length of heavy florist wire. This can look any way you’d like, it’s to hang the ornament on the tree, but make sure there is a small loop at the end.

Add your hook to the top jump ring. For the next party you will probably find it easier if the ornament is hanging and you can work on adding the wire with both hands.

Begin wrapping a small piece of wire around the loop just below your top jump ring. Twist the end around the wire and trim.

Make a loop with the wire and wind it around the wire below the jump ring.

Keep adding loops of different sizes and widths until it looks as full as you want it.

Anthro left theirs that way – but I am not fond of the wrapped section in the center – it’s a little too messy for me.
If you feel the same way – knot a little bit of jute around the section and tie it in a bow.
I think it helps finish it off!

That’s it!! Fun right?
You could easily change out the wire/chain colors – I think red would look great too!

I hope you like it!

Have you made any new ornaments this year?

(This was originally a guest post over at I {heart} Naptime.) :)

I’m linking to Sunday Scoop, Today’s Creative Blog, Met Monday, Skip to my Lou, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday, Funky Junk Interiors, and the other fabulous parties on the sidebar – make sure you check them out!

Category: Holiday  Tags: ,  12 Comments

Felt Hot Cocoa Ornament

21
Nov 2011

Can you believe it is Thanksgiving Week already?? Sheesh? Where has the year gone??? :)

Most of you know I live in Sunny CA. Winter to us means we might have to occasionally wear shoes that aren’t flip-flops – but probably not.

I went to college in Flagstaff, AZ though – where we had actual winters. Snow. Wind. Temperatures that humans shouldn’t live in.
This human at least. Me and cold – we don’t get along.

Unless I’m inside. Then I love to look out the window at the snow falling. Preferable with a fire crackling, White Christmas on the TV and a cup of cocoa to sip.
What can I say? I’m a bit of a weather wimp.

Now I don’t have the snow – but I still love to have the fire, watch the best Christmas movie ever and have a cup of cocoa. I can just do it and watch the ocean out my window. Much better. :)

This little ornament is perfect to remind me of those cold – or not so cold – winter nights!!

Isn’t it cute? I was in Target the other day and saw these cute pj’s in the girls section that had a smiling mug of cocoa and two little cute marshmallows on the front. I thought the idea would be perfect for a fun little ornament!

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

Felt – blue, brown and white
Embroidery floss – matching colors
tiny bit of pink paint
thin batting
floral wire
Pattern – click here to download

Start by cutting out all your pieces out of felt.

Place the cocoa piece over the top mug piece, according to the placement on the pattern.
Sew the cocoa to the mug using a blanket stitch.
This is super easy and not scary at all. Start by bringing your needle up about 1/4″ below the edge of the brown felt.

Sew a little stitch about 1/4″ from the left of this one, putting the needle 1/4″ below the edge of the felt and bringing it out just above the felt. Make sure the needle passes over the loop of thread.

Repeat this last step again to start forming the blanket stitch.

Sew all the way around the cocoa piece until you come back to the beginning. For the last stitch, loop it through the first stitch to make the thread lay flat.

Sew the eyes and mouth onto this piece by using small stitches and following the pattern placement.
Fill the eyes in with long straight stitches.

Oh so cute!!
Cut out a layer of thin batting the same pattern as the mug and layer it between the mug front and back.
Sew together the mug pieces beginning with the inside of the mug handle. Use a blanket stitch, making sure the batting doesn’t show between.

Sew together the mug pieces around the outside edge of the mug using a blanket stitch.

Make faces on two of the marshmallow pieces according to the pattern placement. Use french knots for the eyes.
Dab a tiny bit of pink paint on to give them rosy cheeks. :)

Layer together a marshmallow front and back with a piece of batting between them. Start sewing them together with a blanket stitch about halfway down on the right side. Sew across the top and down the left side about halfway.
Place the marshmallow on top of the cocoa section of the mug.

Finish sewing the marshmallow closed, but for the rest of the way around, sew it to the mug as you go.

Repeat for the other Marshmallow.

To make the steam “curls”, wrap a piece of wire around a pen or something handy like that.
This is my Party Pictionary pen. Yes, this was what was handy.
You never know when you’re going to need to draw a random doodle so someone can guess what you drew.

Leave a bit of wire (about 3″) on the end straight. Clip the wire.

Feed the straight end of the wire down through the top of one of the marshmallows, between the felt pieces. Force it through the felt in the back just where the mug starts, then feed it into the mug pieces.
This will help it stay straight up. You can then bend and adjust the curl they way you want.
Repeat with the other marshmallow and another wire curl.

Make a loop with embroidery floss and sew it to the back of the ornament for hanging.

Admire your cute new little ornament!!

Doesn’t it just make you smile?
And want a mug of hot chocolate? :)

I hope you like it!!

(This was originally a guest post over at A Glimpse Inside)

I’m also over at Quilt Story today as part of their Holiday Gift Tutorials Series!

I’m sharing the tutorial for this Pretty Linen Jewelry Travel Bag!! It would be a great gift – I’d love for you to come see it!

Ok – so what do you think? White Christmas is the best Christmas movie right?? With Elf a really close second? :)

I’m linking to Sunday Scoop, Today’s Creative Blog, Met Monday, Skip to my Lou, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday, and the other fabulous parties on the sidebar – make sure you check them out!

Category: Holiday  Tags: , ,  17 Comments
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