Holly Joy Ornaments

Add something special to any Christmas tree.

After attending Quilt Market, realizing that we as quilters will be inundated with fabulous new fabrics in the very near future, it's time to address scraps and stash. Holly Jolly Ornaments does that. While you're waiting for all those wonderful new fabrics to hit the racks at your local quilt shop, why don't you use some of your scraps to make these cute ornaments? If you start now, you can have a good start on the holidays and make room for a bit of new fabrics. I, for one, intend to start cleaning out the scrap basket!

Designs by Chris Malone

Angel With Bell

Project Specifications

Skill Level: Intermediate
Ornament Size: 6 1/2" high

Materials

Scraps light green tonal and pale pink solid
1/8 yard white tonal
Scraps fleece or needled polyester batting
All-purpose thread to match fabrics
1 1/2"-diameter wooden disc or rounded button
1 yard 5/8" red satin ribbon (wire-edge optional)
2 (3/16") black buttons
1 (3/4") white button
9 (6mm) red beads
Red beading or quilting thread
7/8" silver jingle bell
4" length 5/8"-wide silver ribbon
8" length silver cord
Cosmetic blush and cotton-tip swab
Fabric glue
Large-eye embroidery needle
Basic sewing tools and supplies

Completing the Ornament

Step 1. Trace angel body and arm pieces onto the wrong side of the white tonal, reversing pattern for second arm.

Step 2. Fold fabric in half with drawn lines on top and pin to a scrap of fleece or needled batting.

Step 3. Sew all around traced shapes, leaving top edge open on body; repeat on layered arm pieces, leaving no opening.

Step 4. Cut out each shape 1/8" from seam; clip curves.

Step 5. Turn body shape right side out through top opening; press.

Step 6. Machine- or hand-stitch top opening closed, if desired.

Step 7. Cut a slit through one layer only on each arm piece where indicated on pattern; turn arms right side out through the opening and press. Whipstitch the openings closed.

Step 8. Repeat Steps 1-6, leaving the square end open, to make two holly-leaf wings.

Step 9. Machine-stitch a vein line down the center of each leaf.

Step 10. To make the head, glue fleece to the top of the wooden disc or button; trim to fit.

Step 11. Cut a 3 1/4" circle from pale pink solid fabric; hand-sew a line of stitches 1/8" from edge all around. Do not cut thread.

Step 12. Place the disc, fleece side down, on the inside of the fabric circle; pull thread to gather fabric edges firmly to the center back of the disk and secure thread.

Step 13. Sew black buttons to face for eyes. Use cotton-tip swab to apply blush to cheeks.

Step 14. Sew red beads to the top and side of head using red beading or quilting thread, taking two stitches for each bead.

Step 15. Glue the head to the top edge of the body front; apply a dot of fabric glue to the top of the arm and to the "hand" area; press arm to body front referring to the Placement Diagram for positioning. Repeat for the second arm.

Step 16. Glue end of holly-leaf wings to back of head.

Step 17. Glue white button to back of head to finish or cover raw edges.

Step 18. Cut an 8" piece of red satin ribbon; tie in a bow.

Step 19. Trim ends in a V-cut and glue to body front under face.

Step 20. Starting 1/4" from one end of the remainder of the ribbon and using 2 strands of matching thread, sew along the length of the ribbon in a zigzag pattern with 1/2" between stitches at each edge as shown in Figure 1, gathering as you sew and stopping 1/4" from end.

Step 21. Pull thread until ribbon fits around the angel skirt, about 1" up from bottom edge. Glue the ruched ribbon to the skirt, overlapping ends at center back.

Step 22. Thread silver ribbon through the hole at the top of the bell; tie ends in a double knot. Glue or tack knot to body between hands.

Step 23. Thread cord through the large-eye embroidery needle; take a small stitch at the top back of the head. Remove cord from needle; tie ends in knot and trim close to knot to make hanger to finish.

Patchwork Ornament

Project Specifications

Skill Level: Beginner
Ornament Size: 5 5/8" x 5 5/8" without tassel

Materials

Scrap red, yellow, blue and green dotted tonals and black-and-white print
Scrap fleece or needled polyester batting
All-purpose thread to match fabrics
Black hand-quilting thread
No. 5 black pearl cotton
3/4" red wooden bead with 1/4" hole
25-36 multicolor glass E beads
3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square sturdy cardboard
Large-eye embroidery needle
Basic sewing tools and supplies

Completing the Ornament

Step 1. Cut one 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" square from each of the four dotted tonals.

Step 2. Join squares together to make two sets of two squares each; press seams in opposite directions. Join the sets to make a Four-Patch unit.

Step 3. Cut a 4" x 4" square of fleece or batting and black-and-white print for backing.

Step 4. Layer the pieced top, batting and backing with right sides out; pin or baste to hold layers together. Hand-quilt diagonally from corner to corner using black hand-quilting thread.

Step 5. Cut a 2 1/4" x 22" binding strip black-and-white print. Fold the strip in half with wrong sides together along length and press.

Step 6. Bind edges referring to the General Instructions.

Step 7. To make tassel, wrap the black pearl cotton around the cardboard square about 40 times. Carefully slip the loops off the cardboard and wrap a short piece of pearl cotton around the whole bundle about 3/4" from top fold; tie off as shown in Figure 2.

Step 8. Cut another short piece; slip it through the top fold. Thread these ends up through the hole in the large red bead and pull to bring tassel top through bead with about 1/2" above the top as shown in Figure 3. Cut through the fold at the bottom of the tassel so ends hang free.

Step 9. Thread one, two or three E beads on one hanging cord; tie a double knot below beads to hold; repeat until about 12 cords have beads.

Step 10. Thread one end of top cord in needle and take a small stitch at one bottom corner of the patchwork ornament. Tie ends together so tassel hangs just under the corner of the ornament. For hanger, thread an 8" piece of black pearl cotton in needle and take a small stitch in the back top corner opposite the tassel. Tie ends together in a knot; trim close to knot to finish.

Santa Ornament

Project Specifications

Skill Level: Beginner
Ornament Size: 4" x 5 1/4"

Materials

Scraps 2 coordinating red-and-white prints, white tonal and pale pink solid
Scrap fleece
All-purpose thread to match fabrics
White hand-quilting thread
2 (1/4") black buttons
1 (6mm) red bead
3 small red E beads
9" length 3/8"-wide black velvet ribbon
5/8" red star button with shank removed
5" piece mini holly garland
8" length red cord
Cosmetic blush and cotton-tip swab
Fabric glue
Polyester fiberfill
Large-eye embroidery needle
Basic sewing tools and supplies

Completing the Ornament

Note: If making a quantity of ornaments, sew long strips of fabric together and subcut into 10"-long segments.

Step 1. Cut one 2" x 10" A strip pale pink solid, one 2 1/2" x 10" B strip of one red-and-white print and one 3" x 10" C strip of the second red-and-white print.

Step 2. Join strips with right sides together in alphabetical order; press seams in one direction.

Step 3. Prepare a template for Santa using pattern given; place the pattern on the wrong side of the A-B-C strip set, matching lines on pattern with seams on the strip, and trace.

Step 4. Fold the strip with right sides together, carefully matching seam lines; pin to hold.

Step 5. Sew all around on the marked line, leaving an opening at one side as marked on pattern.

Step 6. Cut out 1/4" from seam; clip curves, turn right side out and stuff firmly with fiberfill. Fold in seam allowance at opening; slipstitch closed.

Step 7. Draw beard and mustache patterns on the wrong side of the white tonal. Fold fabric in half with right sides together and drawn pattern on top; pin to fleece scrap.

Step 8. Stitch all around on marked lines; cut out 1/8" from seam; clip curves and indents. Trim fleece very close to seam on mustache.

Step 9. Cut a slash through one layer only on each piece as indicated on patterns. Turn right side out through the openings; press. Whipstitch opening closed.

Step 10. Hand-quilt around beard about 1/4" from edge with white quilting thread. Hand-sew gathering stitches down the center of the mustache with matching thread; pull tight to gather and wrap thread around the center two times before knotting.

Step 11. Sew black buttons to face for eyes and 6mm red bead for nose. Apply glue to back of beard at top and center, leaving sides free; press in place on face. Glue mustache to the top of the beard directly below the nose.

Step 12. Glue 3/8"-wide black velvet ribbon over body seam, butting ends together at center front. Glue the red star button over the ends.

Step 13. Wrap the holly garland around the top of the head to shape; remove and twist ends to-gether. Place on head with twisted ends in back; tack in place.

Step 14. Sew three small red E beads to garland at one side.

Step 15. For hanger, thread large-eye embroidery needle with red cord; take a small stitch at the top back of the head. Remove cord from needle; tie ends in knot. Clip ends close to knot to finish.