Heart-Shape Snowman Ornament
This heart-shape ornament will give your Christmas tree a quaint homespun feel.
Materials (for one ornament)
- Fine-point permanent marking pen: black
- Freezer paper
- Two 8-inch squares of muslin
- Colored pencils: olive green, terra-cotta, and turquoise
- Decoupage medium (such as Mod Podge)
- Sewing thread: black
- Pinking shears
- Polyester fiberfill
- Scrap of muslin, small button, and fabric glue (optional)
- 15-inch length of twine
Prepare the Pattern
Trace full-size pattern (available, below) onto tracing paper using a black fine-point marking pen.
Cut a 7-1/2-inch square from freezer paper. Center paper, shiny side down, over one muslin square and press with a hot, dry iron. Note: The freezer paper keeps the fabric steady as you draw the snowman.
Tape pattern to a light box or a sunny window. Center and tape muslin backed with freezer paper atop pattern with muslin side up. Lightly trace heart outline onto muslin using a pencil; trace remainder of pattern using a black fine-point permanent marker.
Referring to photo, freehand-draw cross-hatching and diagonal lines to shade hat and to fill in eyes, mouth, buttons, and bow tie or scarf stripes. Use stippling (dots or short strokes) to shade snowman and nose.
Color the Snowman
Referring to photo, color snowman with olive green and terra-cotta colored pencils, and then add turquoise to the background and to areas on snowman as desired.
Thin 2 parts water to 1 part decoupage medium. Using thinned medium, brush a very light coat over the colored ornament, working one section at a time and cleaning the brush each time a section is coated with medium. Let dry. Remove freezer paper.
Place colored square, right side up, atop remaining muslin square. Using a sewing machine and black sewing thread, stitch around design on heart outline. Cut out heart shape close to stitching using pinking shears.
Carefully make a 2-inch vertical slit in back of ornament for stuffing. Insert fiberfill and hand-sew opening closed. Optional: To cover stitching on back of ornament, cut a small rectangle of muslin using pinking shears. Sew rectangle and a button together over stitching. Using fabric glue, adhere ends of muslin rectangle to back of ornament.
Add the Hanging Loop
Tie a knot at each end of a 12-inch length of twine. Hand-sew knots to back of ornament to create hanging loop. Tie a square knot in remaining twine and trim ends 1/2 inch from knot. Glue knot to center top of heart above snowman.