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)
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 around it on the felt using
the soft pencil. Cut out the shape, cutting
just inside the pencil line, and repeat the
process to produce a matching felt shape.
2. 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 from two strands of
white thread and knot the end. Do a blanket
stitch around the edge (approximately
2-3 mm from the edge). Carry on around
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. Close the hole with a few tiny stitches to
stop it from coming undone. Hide the end of
the thread in the middle of the decoration.
Trim around the edges with a small pair of
scissors to make the felt edges tidy—and it's
ready to hang.
TRADITIONAL ADVENT
CHRISTMAS WREATH
In Scandinavia, Christmas wreaths—
particularly the Advent wreath with four
candles—are more than decoration.
They're a symbol of welcome and warmth
during the long winter nights.
Traditionally crafted from evergreen
branches, they reflect nature's resilience
and the promise of light returning after
the solstice. While Scandinavian wreaths
often feature simple, natural elements,
the art of wreath making spans cultures.
Join Karine Hagen, Executive Vice
President of Product at Viking, in Passau,
Germany for a lesson on making
traditional German Advent wreaths.
Make your own festive
SCANDINAVIAN
ORNAMENTS
The red and white of these simple-to-make felt decorations are incredibly
effective and will add an instant Scandinavian look to your festive home.
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