Ideas for embroidered Christmas tree ornaments - from #LRCrafts - DIY Passion: if you can think it, you can make it by Rici86.
I love decorating the house for any season. This means I get excited early over Christmas decorations, mainly if we have new projects to make. It happens we come back to Christmas crafts all year round: we are currently making a huge diorama that will take years to complete.
Sometimes, even when it’s hot and sunny, I think about crafts to make for winter. It’s better being ready in advance, do you agree?
But it could happen that you don’t have the time to begin early and December dawns, finding you unprepared. No worry, if you are into embroidery, like me, and look for quick though impressive crafts to make, here I have a few inspirations for you.
Over the years, I embroidered Christmas decorations, mounted on tiny 5cm diameter frames. They are perfect for crafty Christmas trees or for garlands (the solution I chose). So fast to make you can craft dozens of them right on Christmas eve!
Here are my embroidered decorations, with the stitches I used to make them.
Embroidery and sewing
Table of contents
Poinsettia
Stitches used:
✦ French knot
✦ Woven picot
This is my first Christmas embroidered decoration: a poinsettia flower, a typical present here where we live.
What I love is the 3D effect of this stitch, the woven picot. It makes it appear as though the flower is delicately resting on the fabric.
To enhance the lifelike appearance, I added two rows of petals, bringing depth and realism to the design.
I began by embroiderying the inner five petals and then layered the additional petals behind them, gently moving the front petals aside as I proceeded. While the woven picot stitch may look intricate, it is surprisingly easy to master, but the final rendition is awesome.
To complete the poinsettia, I added French knots in the middle. Did you know that the central part of the poinsettia is actually the petals? The red ones we commonly refer to as petals, are actually leaves!
Bell with bow
Stitches used:
✦ Padded lace stitch
Another 3D and realistic embroidery. This time I used the padded lace stitch, a stitch I learned to make an embroidery of our #LRCrafts logo. I drew the bell shape on fabric then tried to follow the real curves with the embroidery, enlarging and tightening to give structure and realism.
In that project, I used the stitch to make a 3D lightbulb, so the embroidery was filled with cotton. This time I did not use a filling, but I sewed a tiny jingle bell to be the clapper coming out of the mouth.
I completed the top adding a red bow, quite big in comparison with the bell size, but I think it adds that Christmas flavor to the finished craft. Besides, I love to mix other materials with the embroidery!
Candles with holly leaves
Stitches used:
✦ Fishbone stitch
✦ Long and short stitch
✦ Raised stem stitch
Also for this one I got inspiration from what I experimented making our logo embroidery, the hexagonal border in particular. To make the two candles, I used the raised stem stitch, a lovely stitch about which I also published a video and written tutorial.
This stitch gave the candles the 3D effect I love in embroidery, raising them up against the fabric, as the stitch name suggests.
The flames are simple long and short stitches, radially embroidered in two colors. I also added two-tone holly leaves, made using fishbone stitch.
The double colors give a sense of light and shadow. I didn’t want to get into needle painting, just convey a sense of shadow and tridimensionality.
Holly leaves
Stitches used:
✦ Fishbone stitch
✦ French knot
Those were really quick to make, but it’s a design I love, despite its simplicity.
First I embroidered the leaves using fishbone stitch, then added the red berries with simple French knots.
I made tons of variants, changing the number of berries and leaves and their orientation on the frame. This is the plant that for me conveys the sense of Christmas the most!
Indeed, I used those leaves also in other ornament designs, as in the candles.
Winter beanie with pompon
Stitches used:
✦ Chain stitch
✦ Spider web stitch
✦ Turkey work stitch or fringe stitch
One day I discovered the spider web stitch, the one used here in the beanie white border, and thought: it’s perfect to give the impression of knitwear!
And what’s the best stitch to pair it with? Yes, chain stitch. Actually, it’s chain stitch indeed I use while mending tiny holes on knitwear, or to add a contrasting color while faking it was knit that way from the start.
The pompon on top is Turkey work stitch or fringe stitch. I have a full project entirely made with this stitch: a fake grass for a USB charging station in the shape of a window with flowerpot.
Next time I want to embroider a beanie, I’ll add a proper pompon, though, like the one used on my daughter’s bunny costume.
Comet
Stitches used:
✦ Couching stitch
✦ Fishbone stitch
This is a super simple design, with the five-pointed star made with an easy fishbone stitch. I used two color to give just a hint of tridimensionality, nothing too fancy.
I added a comet tail moving freely from the main star. It’s just a series of long floss strands that I fixed to the fabric with a couching stitch. This way the ends fo the tail can float free out of the frame.
Candy cane
Stitches used:
✦ Padded satin stitch
Of this design, I made several variations with different orientations of the cane in respect to the frame.
I used a thick yarn to give the basic shape of the cane, fixing it on the fabric with a few couching stitches. This is the trick to the raised appearance.
I then covered all the yarn with white and red padded satin stitch, following the shape of the cane.
One quick stitch, a lovely 3D embroidery!
Christmas present
Stitches used:
✦ Chain stitch
✦ Couching stitch
This can be done in all the variations you can think of: multiple presents in the same embroidery, multiple colors, you can even add a tiny Christmas card!
The present wrapping is embroidered with chain stitch and the ribbon around it could easily be a real ribbon, but in this example I chose to use a contrasting color floss, fixed with couching stitch, a simple bow on top made with the same floss.
My version here is basic and quick to make, but the limit, as usual, is just your imagination.
Did you like my ideas to embroider to make tiny Christmas decorations? Which one is your favourite?
The comment section is waiting for you: tell everyone which embroidery you prefer, if you have other ideas to add to the list, drop us a link with your own versions.
Happy Christmas crafting!
