Wintery Christmas Magic: DIY Felt House Ornament Tutorial

Nov 08, 2023

Designer: Marcia Izabel Marchiori

---------------------------------------

As the winter season approaches and the air turns crisp, there's a special kind of magic in the air. The twinkle of fairy lights, the scent of freshly baked gingerbread cookies, and the joy of decorating our homes for the holidays all contribute to that warm, cozy feeling we associate with this time of year. If you're looking for a delightful and adorable addition to your winter and Christmas decor, you're in the right place.

In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how to create a charming felt house ornament that will capture the essence of winter and holiday cheer. This little felt house is the perfect addition to your tree, wreath, or mantle. It's a delightful project that both kids and adults can enjoy, and it's sure to become a cherished part of your seasonal decorations for years to come.

Whether you're an experienced crafter or a complete beginner, you'll find this project approachable and fun. So, gather your felt, thread, and a hot cup of cocoa, and let's get started on crafting your very own cozy winter wonderland in the form of a felt house ornament.

Tools & Supplies Needed

OLFA CM-9x12-01/YEL Double-Sided Self-Healing Cutting Mat
OLFA QR-1x12 1" X 12" Frosted Acrylic Ruler
OLFA AK-4 Cushion Grip Art Knife
OLFA 28mm RTY-1/C Quick-Change Rotary Cutter
OLFA RTY-2DX/MAG 45mm Ergonomic Rotary Cutter paired with PIB45-1 Stainless Steel Pinking Blade, 1pk
OLFA 5-Inch SCS-4 Precision Appliqué Scissors
Wool or acrylic felt in the following colors: beige, white and olive green
Therm O Web Iron-Adhesive Heat-n-Bond (interface)
Hot glue gun or fabric glue (used: Therm O Web Heatnbond fabric fuse liquid adhesive)
Embroidery floss (matching felt colors in beige, white and green. Used: Aurifil) and needles (used: Riley Blake Designs)
Polyester Fiber Fill Stuffing
Pencil, eraser, erasable fabric pen (such as Pilot FriXion), print paper and printer.
Iron and ironing board
Mini heart/star buttons
Twine
Templates

Instructions

Begin by printing the templates to scale

Using a pencil, trace the four walls and the base on the protective sheet side of the interfacing, to ensure you have enough material to cut all the house pieces.

Apply the Therm O Web interfacing, with the traced parts of the house (excluding the roof base) to the back of the beige felt. Follow the Therm O Web instructions for the best results. This step is important to give your 3D house a sturdy structure.

Then, use an OLFA 28mm rotary cutter and a ruler to cut out all the pieces out of the interfaced felt.

Carefully remove the protective sheet from the interfacing on each piece.

For the trees, door, and windows, repeat the interfacing process on the felt. Then, trace all the templates on the protective side as well. Use an OLFA AK-4 art knife and a ruler to cut out these smaller pieces. Carefully remove the protective sheet from the interfacing.

Using 1-strand embroidery floss (matching felt colors), stitch all the windows, trees, and the door to the sides of the house.

Tip: When making the windows, stitch from all sides, starting from the edges and moving towards the center of the window. This will enhance the stability of the embroidery, as shown below.

Making the roof: cut a 3/4 x 6-inch rectangle out of white felt and a 1 1/2 x 3-inch rectangle out of beige felt. Trace the roof base template and cut the beige felt with a rotary cutter. This piece won't require interfacing, as it'll already have several layers that provide enough structure.

Use an OLFA ergonomic rotary cutter paired with a pinking blade to cut both edges of the roof base.

Next, cut only one of the edges (lengthwise) of the white strip with an OLFA ergonomic rotary cutter paired with a pinking blade.

Cut both edges of the beige strip (lengthwise) with OLFA ergonomic rotary cutter paired with a pinking blade.

Let's start assembling the roof: Using fabric glue, attach the white rectangle to both sides, leaving an extra margin to finish later. Cut the strip and glue the remaining part to the other side of the roof.

Using fabric glue, adhere the beige rectangle to the top of the roof.

Using an OLFA rotary cutter and a ruler, cut all the loose ends of both lengths of the roof, as shown below.

Iron the roof in half to create a fold.

Your roof is now ready; set it aside.

Assembling the walls to the base: with 1-strand embroidery floss matching felt color, use blanket stitches to join all sides of the house together, following the provided scheme below:

Finish glueing/stitching all accents (heart and stars buttons).

Fill up the house with stuffing.

With the help of a needle, insert twine to the top of the roof. Use glue to attach the roof to the house: first adhere first side of the roof, let it dry well, then glue the other side.