DIY Memory Keepsake Ornament

DIY Memory Keepsake Ornament is a guest post from Leah over at Home GrOwen

I’m Leah – For 24 years I have spent every August preparing for the all-important, all-consuming, First Day of School. This year, I am spending the evening starting this new space, chronicling my new and most favorite First Day of being a part-time Stay at Home Mom (#SAHM, apparently). 

DIY Memory Keepsake Ornament

This year, I decided to make a lot of our Christmas gifts for family. Don’t get me wrong, I love a nice new sweater, but we are all adults, and I feel as though we are in a place in life in which any one of us can go get the nice new sweater for ourselves. With a new baby almost one-year-old, the crafting is endless in my house! I think his grandparents will soon be sick of tiny hand and footprint crafts. Ooops! Anyway, I love these special keepsake ornaments because they strike a different chord with family members, filling hearts with precious memories. For these ornaments, there are SO many ways to craft them up, and can easily be done by any novice – you don’t even need a sewing machine! You can use these three versions, and even venture to add your own creative touches!

I chose to use my grandfather’s jacket for this keepsake project. He passed many years ago, but this jacket has remained a treasure in our family, and parts of it were used to make a small keepsake throw pillow a few years back. I can’t imagine throwing it away without using every inch of fabric to make a really special keepsake, and for this one – an ornament.

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Beginner – Hand-Sewn Keepsake Ornament

The beginner version is so simple and fast – no sewing experience required!

Materials:

• Keepsake Fabric/clothing
• Fabric Scissors – Pinking Shears if you’d like to add a decorative edge!
• Coordinating ribbon or twine
• Coordinating embroidery floss
• Coordinating felt
• Embroidery needle (or a regular sewing needle will do!)

1. Select a shape to create your ornament. I chose a simple circle and used my favorite coffee mug to trace. You could easily use a fun cookie cutter – maybe a star or angel shape! – Or other household items to make the ornament shape of your liking. Cut 2 out of your keepsake fabric, and 1-2 out of your felt depending on how thick you want your ornament.

2. Layer your pieces of fabric and felt so that the outside of the keepsake fabric is showing on either side (WRONG sides together).

3. Begin by threading your embroidery thread through the needle and knot the end. Put the needle into the felt about ½ inch in from the edge, burying your knot between felt and one side of the keepsake fabric. Pull this taut, ensuring that the ends of the thread are tucked well inside the fabric.

4. Move your needle from front to back making even stitches, a few centimeters apart. I like the look of long stitches that are close to each other, that way you can see that one side appears to have short, or little, stitches, while the other side has longer stitches. That’s just my preference, but you could also make them perfectly even. Continue around the ornament shape, about ½ inch from the edge, but do not go all the way around just yet!

5. When you get close to the end of your sewing, take a moment to prepare your ribbon or twine. This is how your ornament will hang from the tree. I chose twine for this one. Cut about 8 inches and fold in half, tying a knot at the bottom.

6. Tuck the knotted end inside of the layers, right in the middle.

7. Sew your final stitches making sure the knot is INSIDE, tucked under your last stitches, and will get caught in the stitches if pulled.

8. After your final stitches are made, end your last stitch in between the layers. Tie a knot, trimming the tails and tucking them inside the layers of felt.

9. Trim the outside edge with pinking shears or another decorative edge to finish it up!

Intermediate – Pillowed Keepsake Ornament

For this version, you could easily hand sew this one as well, but I did find a machine to make the sewing a bit faster, though it is certainly not necessary!

Materials:

• Keepsake Fabric/clothing
• Fabric Scissors
• Coordinating ribbon or twine
• Crafter’s Fiber Fill – a small bag will do
• Coordinating thread
• Needle
• Heart Shape Template – Download It here: Small Heart Template DIY Keepsake Ornament

1. Select the area of fabric that you want to use. I used a pocket piece of the fabric for the front of my ornament, which I find to just be so sweet and a cute little place for holding memory notes. Trace and cut out two pieces of fabric.

2. Cut 6-8 inches of ribbon. Fold it in half, and tuck the loop in between the fabric RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. Pin all the way around.

3. Sew with a ¼” seam allowance, leaving a 2-inch opening to turn the ornament out. It also helps to snip the edges, since this will end up being rounded. It will only help the fabric to move more easily. Turn right side out and press.

4. Stuff the shape with Fiber Fill, filling to your liking. Take the time to try all different levels of stuffing. I thought I was pleased with the shape of mine, and then I added a bit more stuffing and was REALLY pleased with it once it was more full.

5. Hand stitch the opening closed, tucking the ends of the thread inside.

Hang your ornament and enjoy!

Advanced – Piped and Stuffed Keepsake Ornament

This version is recommended for those of you who have experience with creating and using piping. I love the extra touch it gives to the ornament, adding an extra finish. In this example, I use a high contrast color (tan) so that you could see how it lies/lines up on the ornament. I would suggest using a coordinating color for your piping and thread, which will also help to hide any seams that slip out of line. I also love that I get to use my zipper foot on my sewing machine for this DIY project – it is so useful!

Materials:

• Keepsake Fabric/clothing
• Fabric Scissors
• Coordinating ribbon or twine
• Crafter’s Fiber Fill – a small bag will do
• Coordinating thread
• Needle
• Heart Shape Template – Download It here: Large Heart Template DIY Keepsake Ornament
• Piping – I used ¼ inch, but ⅛” or 1/16” is probably better
• Coordinating fabric (if you are creating your own piping)
• Zipper foot for sewing machine

1. Using the template, trace and cut out two pieces of fabric.

2. Create your piping by encasing the piping within your coordinating fabric. Your fabric should be cut to the length of your shape perimeter + 5 inches by 2 inches wide. Sew your piping inside with ½” seam allowance. If your sewing machine has a zipper foot – NOW IS THE TIME to use it!!!

3. Once your piping is created, pin it all the way around ONE of your fabric pieces, attaching it to the RIGHT SIDE. This is tricky and looks really awful, but the more pins, the better! Sew this down with a ¼ inch seam allowance, again using your zipper foot.

4. Cut your ribbon or twine to 6-8 inches. I used burlap for this one, knowing that the tan color would make it a little more “country-chic” for this version of the keepsake ornament. Fold it in half, and tuck the loop side in between your piped piece of fabric, and the second piece of fabric, RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER.

5. Sew your ornament together using a zipper foot, leaving a 2-inch opening to turn the ornament right side out. Turn and press. Fill with Fiber Fill to your liking.

6. Hand sew the 2-inch opening closed and add decorative touches. This bow came from the dollar store, and the sweet red button was just floating in my sewing bag. Add your own adorable finishes to personalize your keepsake ornament as a gift to yourself, or to a loved one!