How to Sew a Scrappy Christmas Tree Ornament

Brighten up your Christmas tree with cute fabric tree ornaments.  Quilted Christmas ornaments will add an old-fashioned charm to a tree. Make this quilt strip-pieced tree ornament to adorn your tree or give as a gift.

Need a scrap-buster project for the overflowing fabric scraps in your sewing room?  This Christmas tree ornament is sewn from scrap Christmas fabric left over from other finished projects. This ornament costs almost nothing to make if you have Christmas-colored fabric in your stash.

DIY Christmas ornaments are a meaningful way to decorate your tree. To make this ornament, you will learn how to strip piece fabric together, how to cut the triangular pieces, and how to stitch them together to make this strip-pieced Christmas tree ornament.

No time to make fabric ornaments yourself.  Etsy had a nice selection for sale.  You will find a link to Etsy at the end of this article.

Watch this video tutorial and read on to see how to make tree ornaments.

Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make scrappy tree ornaments

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Scrap Fabric
• Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat
• Quilt Ruler with a 60-degree angle marked
• Sewing Machine
• Cord for Hanging Ornament
• Basic Sewing Supplies

INSTRUCTIONS to sew the ornament

STEP 1: Choose Your Fabrics

Grab your fabric scrap bin.  Sort through it for all the Christmas-colored fabric in the stash.  Any size fabric can be used.

If you don't have Christmas-colored fabric, you can still make these ornaments. Purchase some fat-eighths or fat-quarters of Christmas fabric.

STEP 2: CUTTING THE FABRIC

With a rotary cutter and mat, cut strips of fabric of various widths.  For best results, cut the strips in widths ranging from 1" to 1 1/2" and 6" long.

STEP 3: SEWING STRIPS TOGETHER

After the strips are cut, begin sewing the strips together. To sew them together, place two strips together, right-side together, and sew using a 1/4" seam.

Continue adding strips until the piece measures 5 1/2" to 6" wide.

Once you have enough strips together, press the seams all in one direction.  Press the front nice a flat.

STEP 4: CUTTING TREE SHAPE

To cut the tree shape, you need a ruler with a 60-degree line.

Line up the 60-degree line along the top edge of the strip-piece. The right-hand edge of the ruler should align with the bottom corner of the fabric.

Cut off the edge piece by cutting along the ruler on the right side.

Turn the fabric around. Next, line up the 60-degree line along the bottom edge of the piece and cut.

You have the triangular piece for the tree.

STEP 5: MAKING THE TREE TRUNK

To make the trunk of the tree, cut two 2" x 2" pieces of brown fabric.

Place the pieces with right sides together and sew along three sides using a 1/4" seam.

Clip corners, turn right side out, and press flat.

STEP 6: ASSEMBLING THE ORNAMENT

For the back of the ornament, cut a piece of fabric the same size as the triangle. You can cut the back from the strip-pieced fabric or a solid pattern fabric.

Put the strip-piece triangle right side up on the work surface.

Place the trunk along the bottom of the tree, centered, with the raw edges together, facing upward. Pin in place.

Pin a piece of cord to the top, facing downward toward the center of the tree.

Pin the backing piece on top with the right side facing down.

Sew around the outside using a 1/4" seam and leaving an opening of about 2" on one side. 

When sewing, as you approach a corner, stop and stitch diagonally for one or two stitches before stitching the next side. These diagonal stitches will help reduce the bulk in the corners when turning right-side-out.

Clip corners.

STEP 7: FINISHING ORNAMENT

Turn the ornament right-side-out, pushing out the corners. Press flat.

Close the opening by hand-stitching it or edgestitching it with your sewing machine. Edgestitching is stitching around the tree about 1/8" from the edge.

I hand-stitched my ornaments closed with a slip-stitch or ladder stitch.

This finished ornament will add a little country charm to your holiday decoration by hanging it on a tree or making it into a garland by attaching it to some ribbon or cord.  They also make lovely gifts for friends, teachers, and workmates.

Some other fun ornaments to make are:

• Fabric Yo-yo Snowman or Santa
• Christmas Wreath Felt Ornament 
• Stacked Christmas Tree Ornament