A few years ago, I saw this beautiful advent calendar.
Thus began the dream of learning to sew...and attempting one of my own.
So, in late November and early December, felt and my sewing machine became a form of therapy.
And now, in late January, I thought I would share how my ornaments turned out.
Here's how I did them:
I found a design I liked on the internet or drew one of my own on freezer paper.
If I found it online, then I printed it out on freezer paper.
Next, I ironed the freezer paper on to the felt and cut it out...eventually peeling off the freezer paper.
Then, I sewed it together...putting a folded piece of elastic to hang the ornament.
(Elastic wasn't the best idea. It's just what I had on hand.)
I learned that if I wanted the back side to be neat and to match up well with the front side,
it was best not to cut out the backside before sewing.
Instead, I just sewed the front to a larger piece of felt and then cut the back to be even with the front. I hope that makes sense. It took me a while before I figured that one out.
They are far from perfect, but I learned a lot.
And, I liked how they turned out.
You can find the link for the book we used in this post.
We eventually stopped doing the readings, and just read the Scripture.
His Word was sufficient...and so good to think upon.
If you have a sewing machine and haven't played with wool felt, try it!
It is so much fun (and easy) to work with.
26 comments:
Awesome! They turned out fabulous! You are a great photographer too!
These are so great! I hope to try the Jesse tree with the girls next year! If you find yourself bored, I'm sure you could run a little side business to sell them to people like me who lack the creativity and time to follow through with such a project!
Mandy- They are fabulous! And I just pinned the book...I so want to do this for next Christmas! Thanks for the inspiration!
BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Love them so much! You are so talented! Love, Laura
those are awesome mandy - how neat to create a tradition. love & prayers continue from colorado
those are sooo cute!! I love the idea!!
I would purchase your ornaments.... They are that nice! Thanks for the inspiration!
I found your blog because I googled Jesse Tree - your ornaments are great! I am old in the Lord but just discovered the Jesse Tree advent tradition and I think you did a wonderful job - I agree with JC that you could sell them. I saw your post about Jude as well and just wanted to say I was blessed and touched by your faith and your story. May the Lord continue to minister and heal as only He can!
Thank you so very much! I enjoyed making them and am excited to get them out this year. And, thanks, Debbe, for your sweet words about Jude. The Lord is continuing to meet us and walk us through this season. We're taking it day by day.
Mandy, first off...thank you for sharing Jude's story. I came here from a Pin about your Jesse Tree and will leave touched. I look forward to reading more about his life.
I was wondering if you have any sources for your "patterns" for the ornaments and a link to a beginner's guide to wool felt. I am a pretty good sewer (machine or hand)...but have never worked with felt.
Rachel, thanks so much! :-) I love that little boy and will share his story with anyone who asks. :-)
I don't have the sources anymore for the ornaments. Some I freehanded and some I used off the internet. For example, the earth was something like this site:
http://www.how-to-draw-cartoons-online.com/cartoon-earth.html
I printed them on freezer paper (or traced them or drew them) and then ironed it on to the felt and cut it out. Then, you can just peel the paper off with no residue whatsoever. It's amazing! I bought my felt from http://www.prairiepointjunction.com and http://www.etsy.com/shop/BenzieBazaar. PPJ had the beginner's guide included in my package. You can find it here: http://www.prairiepointjunction.com/Wool%20Felt%20Prep.pdf . I hope that helps. If I find my original files, I can give you more info as to where I found them. :-)
I really want to use these but cannot find a guide to what scriptures you are using to correlate with these ornaments; could you please post the complementing scriptures that go with each ornament?
Hi Andrea! Sorry it took me so long to write you back. I know it's probably too late, but I will try to do that soon. The book is put away, but you can get there here:
https://www.google.com/shopping/product/9805585174541797490?q=the%20advent%20jesse%20tree&hl=en&safe=off&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bpcl=38897761&biw=1238&bih=683&sa=X&ei=bxetUICXLobY8gTKm4DICw&ved=0CFoQ8gIwAg
These are beautiful! You are so kind to take the time to respond to questions & comments here. For your Day 18 "The New Covenant" ornament, did you just sew a heart outline onto paper? Any pointers for making that one? Also, did you ever find the Day 9 ornament? Thank you and God bless you!!!
Thanks so much! :-) I wish I could do a better post with instructions and the images. Maybe someday...
The heart ornament I did using a passage from the Bible that I printed out on to Avery transfer paper...I think. I had some on hand, so I just used that. I then transferred the Bible passage onto fabric. Then I sewed it all together...sandwiching that Bible verse fabric between the heart outline that I had cut out of felt and more pink felt. Like I mentioned somewhere else...not cutting out the felt backing until the sewing was done ended up being MUCH easier.
I did find that ornament! It turned up later. :-) I think that my cat played with it. I will try to post another photo sometime soon. It's a bunch of grapes. :-)
What a beautiful job you did on these ornaments! Whenever you find these files, please post them or email them. alisonhsmith@gmail.com
I love the images you chose to put onto the felt.
Thank you! Now I just have to figure out how to do it.
Alison, thank you!
Here is a link to the folder that has the only files I have. The rest was freehanded...I think. I don't have the origin of the images saved either...as I was just looking for ideas. I think the Nativity scene is a file from a die cut machine such as the Silhouette.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kcip4e7j1ceieiy/byNIOFliki
Here is the link to my other post about our Jesse Tree. It contains a little more info...I think.
http://mandypelton.blogspot.com/2011/12/jesse-treeand-other-advent-traditions.html
Again, thank you so much for your sweet words. :-) I wish I had time to draw them all out again.
Your Jesse Tree ornaments were just what I was looking for! I have been wanting to make felt Jesse tree ornaments for years and loved yours! I started making mine the night I saw yours. Thank you. Blessings and peace to you and your family.
Mandy, hi. I love your ornaments--so very special. I have to make 30 colorful coat ornaments for a Jesse tree ornament exchange and am modeling my design after yours. Can you give me any clues about how you did the differently colored blocks of felt? It looks too neat to think you just freehand cut them all. Any hints you could give would be so helpful. Did I say 30?!;-)
Hi More or Les! :-). I did them so long ago that I don't fully remember. I think what I did for that one is cut out the coat out of the backing (maybe yellow?). So, having the coat outline, I laid out strips of felt that extended past the outline. In other words, they didn't fit the coat perfectly. I may have glued them down. I don't remember. Then I sewed them in place, making sure the hanging piece was in between it all and seen in as well. Then, I cut along the backing so that the strips lined up neatly. Does that make sense? I hope that helps. Have fun making your ornaments...whatever you end up doing! :-)
Mandy, thank you so much for sharing photos of all of the individual ornaments you made. I have been wanting to create some advent ornaments for a few years now, and when I saw your photos, I knew I wanted to save your post for inspiration. Your ornaments are so beautiful! What a treasure for your family for years to come. My felt from PPJ just arrived this week and I am going to start working on a set inspired by yours! Now if I can just steal enough hours to finish in time the start of advent. :)
Would you be willing to make and sell a set? I would love to buy?
Hi, Mandy - These are gorgeous!
I have a sewing question: on some of your pieces, can see stitches and on some I cannot. Did you glue some and just leave it glued only? (like the dove on the crown) Or did you needle felt some of it on?
Hi Kathryn! I did glue some. I don't remember which ones exactly, but if there was no stitching, I glued it. I also remember that I glued some and then stitched it...like Joseph's coat. Thanks so much for your sweet words! We still love using them...four years later. I am so thankful for how the Lord met me at the sewing machine...so healing for me...if that makes any sense. :-)
Let me know if you have any more questions! :-)
Hi Mandy! I love the simplicity and the beauty of the scrolls. I am making 30 of them for a Jesse Tree ornament exchange. It looks like they could easily be no-sew? (I am not a sewer!!!) Would you mind explaining to me how you made them? I'm assuming just cutting out square pieces of felt, rolling and hot gluing them, then tying on the little brown piece of felt? This sounds just about my speed, ha!
Hey Lori! I don’t blog anymore, but I am glad I still get notifications. :-) I think I did it Jut as you said except I sewed. I think I made a rectangle of felt, sewed the elastic (all I had) to one of the short edges (but I imagine you could hot glue it if it holds), rolled it up, and then tied it with a small strip of brown felt. It was really easy! I am sure you could make 30 easily. :-)
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