There’s not a time of year when DIY is more appreciated than at Christmas. In this commercial day and age, people are craving a more simple and heart-felt holiday. Hand-made ornaments bring a sincerity back to Christmas, while recycling offers frugality. Maybe Christmas isn’t about how much money we have after all, but rather about celebrating the moments with what we have.
In this example, we use plain white fabric from a simple, white sweater. This is the most basic of country chic. A tree with all white ornaments and all white lights is certainly high style, even if the ornaments are hand made from recycled materials. Most adult sweaters will have enough fabric to make a dozen ornaments, enough to fill a tree. Change the look completely by choosing a different type of sweater, or using multiple sweaters or shirts as source material.
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• To add a little “corn pone” to the look one could make the ornaments out of red or green, or red and green gingham.
• Bring the look to ultra chic by making the same ornaments out of a high sheen polyester – gold or silver preferred. And if the fabric comes from an old shirt, all the better.
• For a kid-centered Christmas tree, use a shirt or sweater from their old clothes. What could be cuter than a star with a superhero on it? Or use a plain sweater and allow the kids to decorate that ornament with glue and sequins.
Materials
- Sweater, any size, most fabrics
- Templates, pre-made or handmade
- Stuffing, can be commercial or tiny scraps of fabric or cotton from medicine bottles.
- Embroidery Needle
- Tapestry Needle
- Embroidery Floss
- Ribbon
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Sweater, any size, most fabrics
- Templates, pre-made or handmade
- Stuffing, can be commercial or tiny scraps of fabric or cotton from medicine bottles.
- Embroidery Needle
- Tapestry Needle
- Embroidery Floss
- Ribbon
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
Instructions
Instructions
1. Create templates for your ornaments, you can trace cookie cutters, cut out shapes from magazines, or freehand draw and cut out of stiff paper.
2. Lay out the sweater flat on the work surface.
3. Cut off the sleeves.
4. Cut up the seam to open the sleeves.
5. Lay one sleeve on top of the other. Flatten on the work surface.
6. Pin the templates onto the sleeves through both layers of fabric.
7. Carefully cut around the templates. You should have two of each.
8. Pin the two pieces together. Choose the side of the fabric you want to see and place those together facing OUT.
9. Sew around the edges of the pieces using a small margin and a short stitch. Leave about 2 inches open to stuff the ornament.
10. Stuff. Use more for a puffy look, less for a flatter look.
11. Complete sewing around the edge. Pull thread ends through and tie off to finish.
12. Using embroidery thread blanket stitch all around the outside edge.
13. Cut about five inches of a ribbon.
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14. Using the tapestry needle, thread a piece of ribbon through the top of the ornament. Pull half way through.
15. Make a knot at the top of the loose ends of the ribbon. It’s ready to hang on the tree!