GNOME for the Holidays (DIY felt Christmas Ornament)

 Gnomes are super trendy right now, and what could be cuter than a "GNOME for the holidays" Christmas ornament? I love a good pun, and I am really loving the adorable gnome ornaments I made for my friends and family this year. Today, I'm sharing the step by step instructions (and the templates you need) to make this super-cute felt Christmas ornament.

First, download and print the templates I created. Click on the photo below, right-click, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo. You can also insert it into a Word document and print it that way.

Cut a hat from red felt, a beard from white felt, a shirt from grey felt, and a nose from pink felt.

Then... (per the picture below) sew the beard to the to the shirt, and the hat to the beard. Finish the front of the gnome by sewing on the nose and button at the top.

To make the back of the gnome, trace the assembled pieces onto a piece of red felt, and cut out. Sew a hanger to the back piece, and then sew the front and back pieces together.

Isn't it adorable?

I can't wait to send out these darling gnomes with my Christmas cards this year. I hope you make a few for your friends and family too!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the felt ornament ideas here.

Snowy Day SNOWMAN Felt Ornament

Every year I make felt ornaments for my family and close friends. I choose simple designs because I don't have a lot of time, and I like to make quite a few ornaments. This year, I made adorable "snowy day SNOWMEN" felt ornaments... and I absolutely love them!

To make a felt snowman ornament:

1) Cut two felt circles from red felt. (One is the front and one is the back.)

2) Cut a "hanger" from a piece of yarn. Tie a knot in the end.

3) Cut a snowman shape from white felt and an a nose from orange felt. Sew both pieces to the front piece.

4) Cut three pieces of "scarf" from green felt, and sew onto the snowman.

5) Use black fabric paint to draw a mouth and white fabric paint to draw snowflakes falling from the sky. (I actually used "glow in the dark" paint on mine for an added surprise.)

6) Sew the front and back pieces together.

Isn't the finished ornament sweet?

Sharing handmade felt ornaments with the people I love is an important Christmas tradition for me. Do you have a DIY gift that you like to share with family and friends during the holidays?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more ideas for simple felt ornaments here.

Felt Angel Ornaments

Every year, I design and stitch a new felt Christmas ornament for my family and friends. I like to keep the design simple, and I use felt so that it is light and I can mail it with my Christmas cards. This year, I made adorable felt angels.

I started by cutting the follow from felt: 2 red bodies, a gold heart, gold hair (front and back), a beige face and white wings. I also cut a piece of yarn to be used as a hanger.

Then...

1) I stitched the heart to the front of one of the body pieces, I attached the hanger, and I stitched the front and back of the body together (with the wings inserted between the two pieces).

2) I stitched the hair to the front and back of the ornament.

3) I added eyes and a mouth with black fabric paint.

This is a simple design that is easy to sew, and it results in a charming little ornament to share with friends and family. 

I love this ornament, don't you? The felt is super-easy to work with too, so this is a fantastic project for beginners. Do you have any special homemade ornaments on your Christmas tree? Handmade treasures are my favourites!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS (You can find more simple felt ornament designs here.)

Simple Felt Christmas Ornaments

Felt is a wonderful, easy, and inexpensive material to use for making Christmas ornaments. It lays flat, it is easy to cut, and you don't need to worry about fraying edges. If you are a "beginner" when it comes to sewing, you are going to love the simple felt Christmas ornaments I am sharing today. They are perfect projects for kids learning to sew too!

These colourful lightbulb ornaments are sure to brighten your tree. Find the full step-by-step instructions here.

These simple stockings are super cute and super easy to make. Find the full step-by-step instructions here. 

This round "santa belly" ornament incorporates a traditional round ornament shape, and the gold button adds a festive flair. Find the full step-by-step tutorial here. 

This simple and elegant felt angel ornament is adorable, and you can find the full step by step tutorial here.

If you can draw basic shapes, you can make this adorable felt tree ornament. Find the full step-by-step instructions here. 

The traditional colours of Christmas (red and green) are used to create this simple star ornament. Find the full step-by-step instructions here.

This adorable "snowy day" felt snowman makes me smile. It's adorable, and the fabric paint details make it simple to create. Find the step-by-step instructions here.

This whimsical elf boot ornament is made with a festive and fun patterned piece of felt. It's unique, and easy to make. Find the full step-by-step instructions here.

Memorial ornaments (that use a piece of the deceased clothing) are a special way to pay tribute to a loved one during the holiday season. Find the step-by-step instructions here. 

I made these bird ornaments in memory of my grandfather, and I made these teacup ornaments in memory of my grandmother.

Adorable felt gnome - Celebrate being "gnome" for the holidays with the trendy and super cute ornament here.

I love all of these felt ornaments, but the memorial ornament holds a special place in my heart. Do you have a favourite?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more easy and inexpensive Christmas ideas here.

{simple} Felt Elf Boot Ornament

Every year I make simple felt ornaments to send to my family and friends. I always come up with an easy design, so I can mail the ornaments with Christmas cards. This year, I made adorable elf boot ornaments, and today I'm sharing the step-by-step instructions.

To make a simple felt elf boot ornament:

1) Cut two elf boot shapes from patterned felt and two "stocking tops" from green felt. Then, cut a piece of white yarn to use as a hanger.

2) Sew the yarn to the top of one of the "boot" pieces.

3) Stitch the front and back of the boots together.

4) Sew the green tops to the boots.

The result is an adorable and whimsical tree ornament.

I made a bunch of them, and sent them out with my Christmas cards. Cute, right?

It's a lot of work to make so many ornaments each year, but it is one of my favourite traditions. I hope my friends and family enjoy their fun "elf boot" ornaments this year... and I hope you make one for your tree!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Memorial Ornaments

In October, I lost my beloved grandfather, and my boys lost their great grandfather. He was very special to my whole family, and with Christmas coming, I wanted to find a way to incorporate his memory into our celebrations. So, I thought I would make the members of my family "memorial ornaments".

I took a blanket that belonged to my grandfather, and I used it to make the wings on bird ornaments. I sewed felt pieces together, added the heart-shaped wing, and used fabric paint to make an eye.

I love how this little ornament turned out, don't you? I can't wait to hang it on my tree each year.

I'm mailing the rest of them out (to my family members) with my Christmas cards.

With each card, I sent a little note that said, "The wing of this bird is made from Grampie's blanket. I hope you hang it proudly on your Christmas tree, and that it reminds you of his kindness and loving heart.

It was a lot of work to sew all these ornaments, but I hope that they will bring a little comfort to those I love during this difficult holiday season. And, perhaps one of my readers will be inspired to make memorial ornaments in memory of someone they loved as much as I loved my Grampie.

UPDATE: In 2018, my Grampie's lovely war bride passed away... so in 2019, I made ornaments in her memory for my family members. She was a English lady who loved a cup of tea, so I made this felt ornament (using her favourite quilt to make a heart in the centre of the tea cup). She was the centre of our loving family, so I thought it was fitting. RIP Nanny. ♥

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can make them for animals too. I made this one for my sister when she lost her beloved cat. It's obviously not made from clothing, but I think the heart button symbolizes her love for her kitty.)

PPS (If you aren't crafty, you can order them from my shop here.)

Simple Felt Finger Puppets

At the end of a busy day, I love winding down with my husband and watching a good show on TV. However, being idle makes me slightly anxious, so I like to find something to do while I am sitting. Sometimes I fold laundry, sometimes I do a little work, and sometimes I craft. Recently, I decided to design and make some simple finger puppets. I set a goal to make 50 puppets to donate to a local children's hospital*.

Given that I was making these finger puppets for children, I wanted to make the designs simple and colourful. Below you will find some close ups of (and instructions for) my cheerful designs.

How cute is this felt dinosaur finger puppet? I cut two dinosaur shapes (a top piece and a bottom piece) from a bright colour of felt. I cut teeth from a piece of white felt and stitched them in place. I stitched the top and bottom pieces together, stuffed a bit of cotton into the head, and used hot glue to attach googly eyes.

And, given that my three boys are huge Star Wars fans, I designed a cute felt R2D2 finger puppet. I started with two pieces of white felt (cut into the shape of R2D2). Then, I stitched on the blue details (which are simple shapes) and a red dot. I finished by stitching the front and back pieces together.

Next, I designed an adorable baby bird finger puppet. I cut two pieces (a front and back) from a piece of yellow felt. Then I stitched on a felt triangle orange beak and two colourful felt wings. I finished by gluing on two googly eyes.

This simple felt mouse finger puppet is another cute option. I started by cutting two pieces (a front and a back) from grey felt. Then, I stitched two pink pieces onto the ears. I used hot glue to attach two googly eyes, and used fabric paint to draw a nose, mouth and whiskers. I finished by stitching the front and back together.

This felt owl finger puppet is also fun, and it can be made using different colour combinations. I started by cutting two pieces of felt into the shape of an owl. I stitched two wings and a beak onto the front piece. Then, I stitched the front and back pieces together, and used hot glue to attach two googly eyes.

This Minion felt finger puppet is a simple design, and kids will love it. I cut two pieces (a front piece and a back piece) from yellow felt, I stitched a black band to the front piece, and I stitched the front and back pieces together. Then, I used hot glue to attach a googly eye, and I used fabric paint to draw a mouth. I finished by tying a thread of "hair" to the top.

Monkeys are always cute and loveable, so I adore this little felt monkey finger puppet. I cut two pieces from brown felt (a front and a back piece), I stitched a white face onto the front piece, and I stitched the front and back pieces together. Then, I used hot glue to attach two googly eyes and fabric paint to draw a nose and mouth.

This little bird is decorated on both sides, and is super-cute. I cut two bird shapes, stitched a wing on each side, stuck a beak in between the two sides, and then sewed the two sides together (leaving a space for a child to insert a finger). I finished by adding an eye on each side with fabric paint.

I made 50 finger puppets and sent them to a sick kids' hospital. It was a wonderful feeling to pop them in the mail, and I highly encourage you (or your children) to do the same. Here is where I sent mine:

Volunteer Resources
Level 2 - Women's Building
IWK Health Centre
5850/5980 University Avenue,
Halifax, NS B3K 6R8

*NOTE: Some hospitals (like the one I sent mine too) have rules about having detachable pieces (like eyes and buttons) attached to puppets, so if you are planning to donate the puppets, use fabric paint instead of googly eyes.

These finger puppets would also be wonderful for putting inside plastic Easter Eggs. They will last longer than chocolate... and they are healthier too! I think the little chick would be an adorable Easter option.

And wouldn't they be cute to give away as class treats or to use as loot bags / goodie bags?

Which of my simple felt finger puppet designs are your favourite? My boys love the R2D2, and I love the green dinosaur... but they are all sweet. 

These finger puppets are wonderful projects for moms and kids who are beginners when it comes to sewing. The designs are simple, and the felt is super-easy to work with. Happy stitching!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Update: I just sent another 30 to the hospital. These two designs are perfect because they don't have any small parts, buttons, etc...