A felt re-make of a holiday classic!
The “most wonderful time of the year” is quickly approaching and that means Christmas trees are being selected from tree farms or have already been pulled out of storage to be adorned with your favorite ornaments, old and new! If you're looking to add to your collection this year or to gift something handcrafted this holiday season, handmade felt ornaments are a meaningful and adorable way to bring smiles to friends and loved ones alike. Follow my step-by-step tutorial, including free template, to create your own felt Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ornament.
Let's gather our supplies and tools:
Template:
Downloadable Reindeer Ornament Pattern PDF
Instructions:
1. I am using a Cricut Maker to cut out my felt pieces, but you could also print the template and attach it to your felt pieces, tracing with your disappearing ink tool and cutting using your fabric scissors. If you are using the latter method to cut your felt, be sure to attach your templates to your felt using pins to avoid slippage while you are tracing and cutting. Once all of your pieces are cut using the method of your choosing, it's time to start sewing your ornament together.
Note: you can find simple tutorials on YouTube for all of the stitches mentioned in this tutorial.
2. Start by attaching your light brown forehead piece to a beige head piece. Align the top of the forehead piece with the top of the brown beige piece so that they fit together like a puzzle. Take a piece of brown sewing thread and stitch them together using a running stitch.
3. Add the famous red nose to the bottom of the forehead piece using red thread and a running stitch. The nose will overlap with the bottom of the forehead piece (straight edge). If you have any confusion about the placement of each element of the Rudolph face, see the final ornament photo for reference.
4. I like to add my safety eyes next and I use a ruler and my disappearing ink tool to mark out my guides. You can also just “eyeball” this part of the process, but I find using a ruler makes my final ornament look more symmetrical. Use scissors or a sharp tool to create holes in the felt where the safety eyes will be inserted, but take care not to make the holes too big. Insert each safety eye and attach a washer to the back.
5. Using some black thread and a back-stitch, stitch on Rudolph's mouth. Once again, you may find it easier to use your disappearing ink tool here, adding guides to follow as you make your stitches. Using brown thread, add two straight stitches above the safety eyes as eyebrows. Always be sure to tie off any lose ends.
6. Take your two pink pieces and, using a running stitch, stitch them to either side of Rudolph's red nose – creating a “rosy cheek” look. Your face can now be set aside as we work on the ears.
7. To create the ears, grab one of your four pieces of light brown felt (cut into ear shapes). Place the “inner ear” (beige piece) on top and stitch them together using beige thread and a running stitch. Repeat this process for the other ear (just be sure to mirror them so you don't end up with two right or left ears). Close the ears up by adding a second light brown “outer ear” to the back and closing with a blanket stitch. Set aside.
8. Now it's time to start stitching everything together. Grab the back of the head (light brown head piece) and line it up with the face you have created so that they are a perfect match. Start at the base of the ornament and work your way around in a counter-clockwise direction. This ensures that there is a space left (on the right side of Rudolph's face) to insert fiber fill stuffing. Using a blanket stitch and beige thread, start stitching around the bottom of the face and up the left side. When you get to where Rudolph's forehead (light brown piece) begins, you can securely tie off your beige thread and cut any loose ends.
9. Grab a piece of brown thread and, using a blanket stitch, insert Rudolph's left ear. Once you've attached the ear, grab one of the antlers - I like to use the 3mm thick wool felt for the antlers because it is stiff enough that the antlers hold their shape and don't flop over. Insert your antler and attach it, as you did the ear, with a blanket stitch.
10. Make a few more blanket stitches until you reach the center of the ornament (top of Rudolph's head). Grab a piece of twine or embroidery floss in a color of your choice and create a loop, tying a knot at the end. Insert the knot into the top of the head, leaving the loop on the outside of the head. Use a blanket stitch to secure the loop to the head, ensuring that the knot stays inside the ornament.
11. Repeat step 9 to add the right antler and ear, but be sure to add the antler first! Once your other ear is inserted, continue with your blanket stitches down the right side of Rudolph's head, leaving enough space to insert fiber fill stuffing.
12. Grab your fiber fill stuffing and chopstick and stuff the head until it's as plush as you desire. Once you're satisfied with how plush the head is, close it up by continuing your blanket stitch and tying it off securely at the end. I like to tie it up to three times to ensure it is extra secure.
Your handmade felt Rudolph ornament is now complete. You may choose to add embellishments, such as bows or bells, to give your Rudolph a personalized touch. Wrap it up and gift it to a friend or loved one (there's nothing quite like “handmade”) or hang it on your own Christmas tree to be enjoyed and admired for years to come.
We'd love to see your finished reindeer! Share your versions on social media and be sure to tag @the.felted.fawn and @the_felt_store.
Happy Crafting and Happy Holidays!
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