Let's get crafty!

I thought it would be nice to put a little DIY into our holiday decorating this year. I plan on making some garland for the tree (expect a post on that later), and while I was at it I figured I could make some ornaments. As a kid we had a tradition where every year we would go a store and pick out an ornament for the tree. It was something I thoroughly enjoyed and this year my mom sent me my box of ornaments to decorate my tree with :) I'm so excited to start this tradition with Silas and figured I'd add onto it by making him something for our tree every year. This ornament was pretty simple, but definitely a little time consuming. Embroidery is not something I have ever done so it took me awhile to get a hang of the stitching.

Materials

Wool felt in desired color (s) and cut into whichever shape you prefer. I went for a circle.
Embroidery thread (mine is size #5)
Needle
Fabric marker (or a thin sharpie works)
Stuffing of some sort (get creative, I used toilet paper!)

Directions

Cut out your desired shape. Write or draw your desired text/picture on whichever color you want. I chose the green side simply because you can read it easier. Next comes the embroidery! I made sure to cut an extra long piece of thread so that I could loop around the text. It doesn't matter how the back looks since it will be covered. Thread your needle with your embroidery thread by pulling the thread through and stopping about 3in before it it will pull through. You only want the stitches to be single thread otherwise it will be too bulky (especially if you decide to use cursive like I did). After you complete your text you are going to stitch and stuff. The best explanation for the type of stitch I used, which is called a buttonhole stitch, to close up my ornament can be found here (and while you're at it try making those felt shoes, SO cute!). I closed mine up about 1/2 way and then stuffed, did some more stitches and then stuffed some more!

Happy Crafting! xo