Handmade Christmas Ornaments

Hello! This is Patti and today I have some handmade Christmas ornaments to share with you.  My favorite collection this holiday season is Bo Bunny's Blitzen line.  I love the colors and knew it would be perfect for the stitched and stuffed distressed paper ornaments I had in mind.  I've made 3 examples that are a breeze to make and can be done in very little time. 
 

BO BUNNY SUPPLY LIST:

Patterned Paper: Turtle Doves, Stripe, Blitzen and Sentiment/ BLITZEN; Winter Joy (brown)/WINTER JOY

Cardstock: Flourish/Orange Citrus

Buttons: BLITZEN

Jewels: BLITZEN

Chipboard: Layered Chipboard/BLITZEN

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Create or find an ornament shape to use as your template.  You can also use large die cuts if you have them.  Stick with simple shapes (that are about 4" - 6" high) as they'll be easier to stitch and stuff.  I already had these templates (bird, snowman and tree) on hand that were ideal for these paper ornaments.  With a pencil, trace and cut 2 of each of the shapes from Bo Bunny patterned paper.

• 2 triangles and 2 trunk shapes
• 2 bird bodies and 2 wings
• 2 snowman shapes

 2.  Ink the edges and distress, if you like.  To further distress my shapes, I also sprayed them lightly with water and carefully crinkled them.  Be careful - the paper tends to be very fragile while it's wet.  Then I flattened them out a bit and dried them with a heat gun.

3.  Once the paper shapes are completely dry prepare them to be stitched together.  This is a good time to attach a ribbon or string to hang the ornament.  Simply adhere it to the top back side of the front shape with a bit of adhesive.  It will be further secured once you stitch the ornament.  For the tree, stitch around the trunk leaving the top of the trunk open.  Add a very small amount of polyfil and with a little bit of adhesive attach it to the bottom back side of the front tree shape - again, it will be more secure once you stitch the tree ornment.











4.  Next, align the front and back pieces of your ornament - with wrong sides facing in.  Determine where you can leave a 2" - 3" opening on the ornament for easy stuffing and begin stitching around the shape - stitch 1/8" from the edge.  Also, be sure to backstitch a little bit to prevent it from coming undone later as you stuff. 













TIP: Change out your regular needle used for sewing fabric and dedicate a needle to paper sewing.  I switch them as needed.

5.  Before adding any stuffing, this is the time to add any details that would be difficult to add later - hand drawn details, rub-ons, etc.  I added the snowman's face  - a bit of blush with a cotton swab, and the eyes and mouth were added using the end of a paint brush dipped in black acrylic paint.  I also glued on the cardstock nose and punched heart with liquid glue.














6.  Add small amounts of polyfil or other stuffing to the ornaments.  Be sure not to over stuff as it will make it difficult to stitch.  Stitch the opening closed and tie off the ends at the back of the ornament.

7.  Attach the wing to the front side of the bird with a strong adhesive.  Then adhere any additional embellishments or accents to complete the ornaments and they're ready to enjoy!

Other suggested shapes: gingerbread men, stockings, stars and hearts.


Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you've enjoyed today's tutorial and that you too will be inspired to create a few handmade ornaments this season. 

♥ h a p p y  c r a f t i n g ! ♥
Patti