Old-Fashioned Trims

Get creative with felt and trims.

• Tracing or typing paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Pins
• Felt in desired colors
• Fabric glue
• Embroidery floss in a color to contrast felt colors
• Needle
• Assorted holiday buttons and charms, including 2 star buttons
• 8-inch-long piece of 1/4-inch ribbon
• Fiberfill

1. Download the free patterns. (Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.)

Wear your heart on your tree.

2. Cut out felt. Trace the patterns onto tracing or typing paper. Cut out the pattern pieces. Pin the patterns to the desired colors of felt. Cut out 2 pieces of felt in each shape, for the back and the background. (For example, in the photos, the background shape is cut from white felt.) Then cut out the crazy-quilt shapes from other colors of felt.

3. Glue in place. Arrange the crazy pieces on top of one background piece with no space between pieces. Glue the crazy pieces in place.

4. Stitch. Using three plies of embroidery floss, stitch over the seams using a herringbone stitch. Stitch around the edges with a running stitch. Use a floss color that contrasts with the felt color.

5. Sew on buttons and charms. Do not sew on the star buttons yet. Refer to photos for placement ideas.

6. Assemble. Pin the crazy quilt unit on top of the remaining background piece. Fold each ribbon piece in half. Put the ends between the two background pieces. Center the ribbon for the tree and heart and put in the right corner for the stocking.

7. Stitch and stuff. Stitch the edges of the ivory pieces together using blanket stitches, stopping 2 inches from the beginning stitch. Stuff the ornaments with fiberfill, then continue with the blanket stitch.

8. Add star buttons. Sew 1 star button to the top of the tree and 1 to the top right corner of the stocking.

• To make stitching easier, keep the glue away from the seams where the decorative stitching will appear.
• If you'd rather not sew the decorative stitching, use paint or marker to make faux stitches.
• Select meaningful charms to sew on the trims, such as an apple for a teacher or ballet slippers for a dancer.
• To use the stockings as small gift wraps instead of ornaments, leave the top edge open to insert a tiny package, gift certificate, or money.