I needed to make an ornament for a holiday swap. This was quick and easy and you could use the same basic idea to make tags, valentines, bookmarks… I don’t know- tons of other stuff!
Supplies needed-
-fabric with decorative image
-iron-on adhesive like Wonder-Under
-Felt- I used wool blend
-nylon net, tulle and/or any sheer or glittery fabric.
-I used gold thread, but you could use anything
-hanging cord or ribbon- 2 inches or more per ornament
1. Collect fabrics that have images you’d like to use- faces, birds, flowers, whatever. I used some commercially printed fabric with an asian design and also some of the fabric I made last summer with carved stamps. You could use commercially available rubber stamps to stamp fabric.
2. Iron iron-on adhesive onto to the back of your images.
3. Trim your images to shape.
4. Iron onto felt.
5. Cut out the felt, making a frame around the image. Use all those decorative scissors you own but never get around to using. I used pinking shears and scallop shears.
6. Do a bunch!
7.Fold up the net so that there are 6 – 8 layers of the net. Make a pile with your little image on top, the layers of net in the middle, and then some other decorative fabric on the bottom (optional). Pin everything together.
7 continued- this photo shows the layers-
8. Move your “sandwich” over to your sewing machine. (I sewed mine with free motion embroidery, but you could use zigzag, hand embroidery, or whatever else you are comfortable with.)
Fold your hanging cord/ribbon in half and place at the top of the ornament. Make sure you put it far enough down so that your stitches will catch it. Start sewing by going back and forth a few times over the hanger.
… this photo does not show that though, because I forgot to put the hanger in EVERY TIME I made one!!! Mostly I remember to stick it in before it was too late, bit if you don’t, no problem. You can see that some of mine have a cord strung in the top of the ornament afterward. Easy!
9. Now sew around the edge of the image. Since I did mine with free motion embroidery, I went around the edge enough times so that the gold thread showed up and everything was well stitched down.
10. Here is a view of the back- I used red thread in the bobbin-
11. When you are finished with the stitching, clip the threads. Trim the net into a nice circle around the edge of your ornament. You can cut the net separately from the bottom fabric.
12. If you want to be even fancier, you can cut the net in decorative ways-
-clip it all the way around for a fringe effect
-cut out wedges and it looks more like a star
Here are some more photos for information and inspiration-
I’d love any feedback on this. Are the written directions and the photos clear enough? Have I left anything out? I can never quite figure out the fine line between too little information and too much. Have fun!
Super cute ornaments, and I thought your tutorial was very clear and well-photographed! Thanks for sharing this awesome idea!
These are fantastic -I hope we’re in the same swap! The tutorial was very clear, thanks for posting it.
Now I know what to do with all this tulle I had handed down to me. It’s a hard sell in a house of boys. ;)
Thank you very much for this tutorial! It’s very clear, enough pictures and enough instructions! i’m gonna try this out tonight, or somewhere this week! It’s just gorgeous!!!
These are perfect little ornaments! What a gorgeous idea! :)
Hi Mimi,
Thank you for the tutorial! They are wonderfully done instructions.
Sweetest regards,
Shelley
Wouldn’t change a thing. The directions and photos are very clear. Thanks for the tutorial!
these are adorable!! and your instructions are very clear…except you left out the part (for me) on how to use a sewing machine…haha…i still do it all by hand. (groan) thanks for sharing!
Oh these are lovely!! Thanks for the tutorial
Fantastic + fun. Thank you for the tutorial.
Aren’t you kind and generous sharing such a lovely idea?
Thank you.
I have just discovered your beautiful tatto dolls on flickr – they are so cool:) And I love these ornaments – thankyou for sharing – great instructions.
Mimi, I love this! Thank you! I am going to make some this weekend, I hope.
I love the way this looks – the netting gives it such a frothy festive feel. It is genius.
These are so cute! The tutorial is great – especially for a novice like myself:)
mimi, this is WONDERFUL! I think i will make some tomorrow and draw my children’s faces on them. the directions are very clear and the photos great! really beautiful!
hope you have a wonderful holiday!
psst. lovely hearts is coming again… hope you can participate!
xo
susan
these are too cute – i have been using fabric that will go thru the printer to get images onto cloth – this is a great idea for something to do with the little left over bits. thanks, p/s what a lovely blog you have.
OMG, Mimi, thank you for telling me about Wonder-Under! I think that will change my craft life forever! YAY!!
Can you please tell me what is that round thing on your sewing machine needle? Is that an attachment for free-motion embroidery?
Thanks!