When my Mom had my eldest sibling, she was an extra cautious new mother. Instead of hanging glass balls, she cut out Christmas shapes (trees, angels, etc), stuffed them, and hand sewed them together to make fabric ornaments. Between the cat and the new kid, she didn't want to risk having shattered glass on the floor. Trust me, this was a painstaking, motherly sacrifice. She does not enjoy sewing (not entirely sure we're actually related).
So, in an effort to keep any additional babies safe, I have started my fabric ornament collection. Heaven knows I have enough scraps to cover a hundred Christmas trees in fabric ornaments. For this project, I also used scrap zipper trim, which was the least enjoyable part. So, if you're short on time or patience, skip the trim and just sew the two pieces together and enjoy some eggnog.
Disclaimer: Baby safe ornaments aren't toys. It's just to make sure that if an ornament gets pulled down or knocked over, no one is ending up with glass in their body.
The circle I used as a template is about 3 inches across. I used my 5-in-1 Seam Gauge to draw the circle, but really any small, upside down mixing bowl will do. Cut your fabric scraps into strips. Feel free to mix and match and go as gaudy as you like. After all, this is the one time of the year it's okay to over glitter, over print, and over sequence everything. More sparkle equals more fun!
TIP: I busted out the handy 1/4 Inch Foot with Guide for this little project. The guide makes perfect seam allowances a breeze. Love that foot.
Next, add the trim. I had some left over zipper trim. Originally, I thought it was a great idea to add zipper trim. And then I realize that it's super hard to wrap around a tiny circle. You have to cut a ton of notches and pin like crazy. Not my favorite part, but after a few &$#&@, the job got done.
Sew on the backing, right sides together, leaving a hole large enough to turn the fabric right sides out. Stuff with polyfilament and sew shut with clear thread and a hand sewing needle.
Create the hanging loop with some embroidery floss or thread. Simply use a hand sewing needle and knot off both ends. Ah, the sparkle.
Ah, the gold. Just my cup of tea.
I also made a few angels to go with my Smirking Angel. It's just a foam ball, a large circle cut from lace, and ribbon tied in a bow. Super simple, doesn't break, and gives me a valid excuse to buy expensive lace fabric (only a 1/4 yard, but it keeps my fabric addiction satisfied).
