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FESTIVE ORNAMENTS The red and white of these simple-to-make felt decorations are incredibly effective and will add an instant Scandi look to your festive home. YOU WILL NEED • Squares of red felt, approximately 23 cm x 23 cm • Scraps of white felt • Red and white stranded cotton embroidery threads • Pins and needles • Chalk or 'disappearing' fabric pen • A soft pencil • Small scissors • Polyester filling or cotton wool (for the stuffing) • Narrow red, white or red and white ribbon, about 20 cm per decoration • Small bells, buttons, sequins or other adornments (optional) • Red and white sewing threads (optional) METHOD 1 Decide which festive shape you're going to start with - maybe a heart, star, reindeer or Christmas tree - and then make a paper template. Draw round it on the felt using the soft pencil. Then cut it out, cutting just inside the pencil line, and repeat to produce a matching felt shape. 2 Now sew a decorative pattern, like a snowflake, or heart of white felt onto your red shape using tiny running stitches with one or two strands of red cotton. Or you could just add sequins or buttons. 3 Place the pair of felt pieces on top of each other, wrong sides together, and pin them in place. Cut a length of two strands of white thread and knot the end. Now do a blanket stitch around the edge (approximately 2-3 mm from the edge). Carry on round the whole shape until you get to the rope, where the ribbon will be. 4 Cut a length of ribbon that is 15-20 cm long, depending on preference. Fold it in half and insert the ends between the two pieces of felt, pinning them in place. Then continue stitching, taking care that the ribbon is caught by at least two stitches. Alternatively, you can sew the ribbon on the outside afterwards, turning the ends under to hide them, using matching sewing thread or a single strand of embroidery thread. 5 Stop your stitching at the appropriate corner, or else about 2 cm from the start of the stitching, to leave a gap for stuffing. Push small amounts of stuffing into the decoration, using the blunt end of a pencil to help fill narrow parts like the points of the star. Then close the hole with a few tiny stitches to stop it coming undone. Hide the end of the thread in the middle of the decoration. Trim round the edges with a small pair of scissors to make the felt edges tidy - and it's ready to hang. viking.com 29 29