HoliDIY

I've mentioned before that I'm no seamstress. However, I met a couple of very patient instructors from the Textile Center here in Minneapolis, Minnesota who taught me how to make a hand-stitched ornament using Marimekko fabric remnants. It was surprisingly very simple and they're absolutely adorable. If you're a pro, than this should take you no more than 10 - 15 minutes to make. If you're an amateur like me, it may take you about half an hour or so. The only supplies you will need are fabric remnants, thread, needle and buttons.

These ornaments are perfect for hanging on the tree or as a gift tag on a present. No matter how you decide to use them, spread some Marimekko and holiday cheer this season with these easy-to-make Marimekko ornaments. If I can do this, anyone can. Seriously. Note: Please excuse my sloppy stitching :-)

Trace a circle on a thick sheet of paper and cut it out to use as your pattern. Any size circle will do - mine was about 6 inches in diameter. Then pin the pattern to your favorite Marimekko fabric. This one is Marimekko Kioto.

Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut out your fabric.

Then fold your fabric in half and iron it to keep it flat.

Choose a thread in any shade you desire and do a running stitch (straight stitch) along the edge of the folded circle as shown above.

Once you're done stitching, place it on a flat surface as pictured above. (Again, please excuse my sloppy stitching.)

Take the top edge of the half-circle and fold it over to the right as shown in the above two images.

Then take the excess fabric and fold it over to the left as shown above. You may need to adjust the fold from the previous step to achieve your desired look.

And once again, take the excess fabric and fold it back to the right as pictured above. Feel free to adjust previous folds to get the look you want.

Once you achieve the 'tree' you want, iron the ornament to retain its shape.

Finally, sew a button of your choice as the tree topper and you're done! If you'd like to add sequins or additional buttons throughout the ornament, feel free to do so.

-Erica Dao

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