How to Finish a Flat Padded Ornament

Make a decorative ornament today from your small stitched UFOs

Feb 28, 2009

Flat padded ornaments are so easy to make yet the end results are always fabulous pieces. They are great for gift giving all year round or as "keep-me" gifts.

Stitched ornaments play a big role these days in the e-stitching community, particularly to those who love to participate on worldwide exchanges. Growing number of stitchers worldwide love to collect these kind of smalls. Though November and December are the busiest months for Christmas ornament exchange, there are numerous number of e-groups that have on-going exchanges all year round, with limitless categories in mind. Some of the famous ornament themes or category for exchanges are: Christmas, Halloween, Seasonal, Flower, Primitive and Quaker.

So take out those itty-bitty UFOs (unfinish objects) from your stitching basket and turn them into decorative cuties. It doesn‘t matter if they have a symmetrical, seasonal or monogram motif stitched on them, they'll surely give extra dimension on a plain tree, window or door. The more variety you have, the better chances of creating one of a kind ornament.

Basic Hand-Sewing Supplies: needle, matching thread, headpins, scissors, ruler or measuring tape

1. Determine desired size of ornament or simply cut stitched piece with at least an inch allowance all around the stitched edge. Cut the backing fabric same size as the stitched piece.

2. Iron stitched piece & backing fabric if necessary. Please take note that extra care is needed when pressing needlework with beads.

4. Lay stitched piece facing down, then center the padded matboard on top of it. Apply glue at the edges of matboard (unpadded side) then stretch and mount the stitched piece onto it. Please refer to photos 1 & 2 on the Finishing Photos. Do the same with the backing fabric.

5. With wrong sides facing each other, whipstitch the mounted stitched piece and backing together. Please refer to photo 3 on the Finishing Photos.

6. Using headpins, mark one edge with 0.5” intervals... one side at a time as you go along slipstitching the fused beads trimming. Start at either top-right or top-left clockwise. For a scalloped effect, count out 4 beads then slipstitch at 0.5” interval. Please refer to photo 4 on the Finishing Photos.Attach a coordinating hanger with a drop-down length of your choice, 4” to 6” is recommended.

If fused beads trimming is not available, a store-bought or self-made twisted cording will do the trick.

Also, make sure that the stitched piece is centered while the glue is still wet as it is easier to make necessary adjustment at this point.

The copyright of the article How to Finish a Flat Padded Ornament in Sewing/Needlework is owned by Lourdes Steward. Permission to republish How to Finish a Flat Padded Ornament in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.