Thanksgiving is over and the holiday season is officially upon us, everyone! In honor of that fact, I made my first holiday craft of the year last weekend: some little vintage-inspired felt ornaments to decorate my Christmas tree. Read on if you’d like to learn how to make your own- I even created a printable template that you can have for free!

•Felt

•Embroidery floss

•Fabric or craft glue

•Printable Template (which you can download here for free)

•Sequins

•Thin ribbon or cord for hanger

•Stuffing

•Needle

•Fabric Scissors

•Fabric Marker or Chalk

Step 1: Print the template and cut out the shapes you would like to use. Trace the template shapes onto your felt with fabric marker or chalk. (I prefer the markers, which I blogged about in this post.) Make sure to cut 2 of each of the main pieces, as you will be sewing them together,

Step 2: Choose your design, and attach to front with embroidery floss or glue.

For this design, use the petal template to make the flower and leaves. I embroidered them on with a simple running stitch and then sewed on a few sequins for the center.

For this design, layer the circle and the star templates, sewing them on with a running stitch and then place a large sequin in the center, using a knot to keep it on.

For the ball, use fabric glue to adhere some ribbon stripes, making sure they are turned under and glued to the back side at the ends so they won’t fray.

For the acorn design, sew a row of sequins with embroidery floss, starting with the bottom row and working up until the “acorn cap” is covered. (I used smaller sequins for the top row).

For the starburst, use embroidery floss to sew on some sequins in any pattern you like. This is what I came up with.

I only put designs on one side of each ornament, but there’s no reason you can’t embellish both sides if you like. And, of course, you can mix and match all of the patterns, use different materials like buttons, beads, or even paint. Let your imagination run wild!

Step 3: Glue your hanger on the inside using fabric or craft glue and let it dry. (You could possibly use hot glue, though it might get too goopy and/or melt your felt, so beware)

Step 4: Sew your front and back pieces together around the edges with a small blanket stitches, stopping when you have about a 1-inch gap. If you need a visual for the blanket stitch, see below:

Step 5: Use the gap to lightly stuff your ornament before sewing it shut. I used the eraser side of a pencil to help me get the stuffing in. Keep in mind that you don’t need to stuff it very tightly- just a little to give it some shape.

Step 6: Sew the gap shut, tie off your embroidery floss, and snip the end. To avoid a visible “tail” I push the needle between the layers and then out the back, where I snip the end. That way the tail ends up hidden inside.

I hope you liked this little tutorial. If any of you use it to make your own ornaments, I’d love to see them. Post some pictures and leave me a link in the comments!