How do you make handmade Christmas ornaments?

You make handmade Christmas ornaments by choosing a small ornament pattern, cutting the shapes from felt or fabric, stitching or fusing them together, and adding a hanging loop. Most handmade ornaments use scraps and finish in well under an hour each. Beginners can start with a no-sew pattern that uses fusible adhesive instead of stitching, while sewists and embroiderers can work from a downloadable PDF pattern or a machine embroidery design file. My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe carries beginner-friendly ornament patterns in all three formats.

Handmade ornaments come in three formats: no-sew, sewn, and machine embroidery. No-sew uses fusible adhesive and scissors. Sewn uses a straight stitch and a bit of stuffing. Machine embroidery uses a hoop and a design file. Which one you pick depends less on skill than on what's sitting on your sewing table right now.

No-sew ornaments that require no stitching at all!

The No-Sew Ornament & Gift Toppers pattern uses fusible adhesive in place of stitching, so the whole project is cutting and pressing. It's $2.99 and comes together from scraps. The pattern is designed so the finished ornaments also work as gift toppers, tied onto a wrapped package.

We used Kimberbell's Peel-&-Stick when we made ours. If you've never made an ornament before, this is the one to start with — there's no seam to get right, which takes most of the pressure off.

The woodland animal set gives you eight designs in one pattern!

The Woodland Animal Ornament pattern is a downloadable PDF rated Beginner, priced at $9.99. It includes bear, bird, bunny, deer, fox, mouse, owl, and squirrel. Finished sizes vary by animal.

Eight designs in one pattern means you can make a matched set, or make one of each and call it done. We like these for grandkids especially — a different animal for each one, with their name on the back. How special is that?!

The sewing itself is straightforward. Two layers, a simple outline, a little stuffing, a ribbon at the top.

Machine embroidery ornaments stitch in a standard hoop

The Heart & Home Ornament Machine Embroidery Version stitches in a 4x4 or 5x7 hoop and is rated Beginner, priced at $2.99. The download includes DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, and XXX formats, so it works with most home embroidery machines.

A 4x4 hoop is the size nearly every embroidery machine comes with, which makes this an easy first design if you're still getting comfortable with yours. Hoop it, stitch it, trim it, add a ribbon.

A few things we've learned making these

• Use real ribbon for the hanger. Twill tape, velvet, or grosgrain holds its shape better than a loop of thread and makes the finished ornament feel considered.
• Press as you go. Small projects show every wrinkle, and thirty seconds with an iron can save you a time at the end before you set them on your tree.
  

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest handmade Christmas ornament to make?
A no-sew felt ornament is the easiest handmade Christmas ornament to make, because fusible adhesive replaces all the stitching. Our No-Sew Ornament & Gift Toppers pattern is built for exactly this and works with fabric scraps you already own.

Can you make Christmas ornaments without a sewing machine?
Yes! You can make Christmas ornaments without a sewing machine by using fusible adhesive and scissors instead of stitching. No-sew ornament patterns are designed for this, and they're a good first project for anyone who hasn't sewn before.

What fabric is best for handmade ornaments?
Felt and quilting cotton are the two best fabrics for handmade ornaments. Felt doesn't fray, so raw edges stay tidy without finishing, and quilting cotton scraps give you prints and color variety without buying yardage.

Do you need an embroidery machine to make the embroidered ornaments?
Yes, machine embroidery ornament designs require an embroidery machine and a compatible hoop. Our Heart & Home Ornament design works in a 4x4 or 5x7 hoop and includes DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, and XXX formats.

How long does it take to make one handmade ornament?
Most handmade fabric ornaments take 20 to 45 minutes each, depending on the format. No-sew versions are the fastest, machine embroidery runs mostly unattended, and hand-finished sewn ornaments take the longest.

Are these ornament patterns beginner friendly?
Yes. The Woodland Animal Ornament pattern and the Heart & Home Ornament design are both rated Beginner by My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe, and the no-sew pattern requires no stitching at all!

Ready to start? Pick your format and download tonight! The No-Sew Ornament & Gift Toppers pattern for the fastest finish, the Woodland Animal Ornament pattern for a whole tree's worth of critters, or the Heart & Home Ornament Machine Embroidery design if you'd rather let the machine do the stitching. All three are downloadable patterns from My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe, and all three run on scraps.

P.S. Not sure which format is right for your machine? Reach out at info@mygirlfriendsquiltshoppe.com or 435-213-3229. We would love to help!