Easy Christmas Tree Ornaments
Quick Instructions For Beginner to Advanced
Would you rather sit with a cup of mulled apple cider admiring your Christmas tree or get stressed out decorating it? These instructions show you how to do the former.
I am a big, big fan of everything handmade. When I shop, I can hear my mother's voice in my head: "Bah, Michelle... you can make THAT!". And usually, yes, I can.
My mother sews, knits, crochets, and does needlework, and has done all of them for as long as I can remember (she also oil and water paints, does intarsia and woodworking, and other cool crafts). I do one thing she doesn't: quilt. I try to make her and Dad all the quilts I can. Because I am so busy, the faster I can get my crafts done the better. If I can't get it done quickly, it doesn't get finished.
So around the Christmas holidays I am in my element, stitching up a storm. It's become a personal accomplishment for me to find the quickest AND easiest way to make the very best things. I find that people love to receive Christmas ornaments for their tree, because they are put away and treasured and reminsced over for years and years, so I love making these and giving them away (although I've been known to keep a few for myself). Here are a few of my best patterns for quick and easy ornaments that won't blow your budget (or your timeline):
1) Make your favourite two or three inch quilt block. Lay backing face up, then batting, then quilt block face up. Fold a 6" piece of ribbon in half; baste about 1/8" from top of project. Stitch around the perimeter, leaving an opening at the bottom to turn inside-out. Stitch opening closed, and quilt as desired.
2) Using pre-quilted fabric, cut a small square or rectangle (from 2" to 4" in size -- any bigger makes the ornament too large to hang). Bind the edges using your favourite method. Following manufacturer's instructions, iron fusible web to the back of some fabric (your choice, depending on the design you want). Cut out some winter hats, mittens, snowflakes, snowmen, gingerbread men, drums, trees, houses, or anything wintery. Fuse, centered, on the prequilted fabric. Attach a ribbon at the back for hanging.
3) Smaller ornaments are classy using silk ribbon embroidery and some felt. Using simple stitches and a felt square, craft your ribbon into wreaths, pointsettias, flowers, holly, snowflakes, or other designs. Finish as described in the door pillow project.
4) Cross stitch kits make excellent ornaments. If yours came with a small frame of some sort, attach a ribbon or some raffia to hang it with. Alternatively you could stitch a backing to the project, using some felt, and hand-stitch a large backstitch to secure it together. Stuff if desired.
5) I've made some wonderful gift holder ornaments using scraps of fabric and silk ribbon. Not only are they great by themselves, you can hang them on the tree with candy canes, gift certificates, cash, jewellry, or other small gifts. I sent out one with every Christmas card that had my daughter's pictures in it, so there are no end to the ideas for these. You'll find the instructions to make these [in another article].
So instead of rushing around to get your house decorated, slow down and enjoy the process: make a few keepsake ornaments for yourself or your loved ones. These fast and easy fabric and crafty ornaments will be treasured for generations to come, and you don't have to break a sweat making them while the pressure is on during the holidays.
