O Christmas Tree Paper Pieced Ornament

Get ready to break out your holiday fat quarters to make this striking design! Dive into the world of paper piecing by creating a beautiful homemade 3D ornament for your Christmas tree. This Christmas ornament pattern is an excellent project to try out your paper piecing skills and shows you how to stitch together small fabric pieces to make a delicate ornament in shades of green and gold. Top your tiny Christmas tree off with a shiny golden star!

Materials:

• PDF Templates – These are located at the bottom of this page. See printing instructions below.
  • PDF #1:  Diagram of colors and piecing
  • PDF #2-3:  Piecing sections A – N
• White thread
• Hand sewing needle
• 2 gold or silver star buttons
• 10 inches of gold ribbon
• Polyfil or similar stuffing

Fabric Requirements:

• 1/2 fat quarter each of:
  • 4 greens
  • Border fabric (white or gold)
• 1/4 fat quarter of brown

PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS:

To download the PDF pattern, click on the download button at the bottom of the page. We recommend opening your download using Adobe Acrobat.

Sewing Instructions:

Designer Notes:

• 1/4” seam with small stitch 2.0 mm
• Pinning the paper pieces to the fabric and to each other when sewing increases accuracy.
• You must follow steps 1-7 twice to make 2 sides for a 3-D ornament.

1. Using sticky labels or paper and pins, label all fabrics by number 1-6 using PDF #1 (numbers in square brackets indicate color numbers). The other letters and numbers in PDF #1 are the piecing instructions.
2. Print PDF #2 and #3 twice and cut out the paper piecing shapes, keeping each copy separate. These shapes are mirror images of the finished piece because they are placed on the wrong side of the fabric.

PAPER PIECING HINTS:

• Always start with Section 1 on the labeled pieces in alphabet groups (A-N).
• The first section needs to be slightly bigger than the shape and the paper is placed face up on the wrong side of the fabric.
• Attach each additional numbered section (2++) by placing the fabric right sides together so that the edge of the new fabric is over the line joining the sections.
• Sew on the top of the paper along the line through 3 three layers (paper, both fabric pieces).
• Fold over to cover the paper shape and press with steam.
• Continue attaching the pieces in the same way.
• Trim each piece around the outside dotted line using scissors or rotary cutter.
• When joining pieces, place right sides together, matching seams and sew along line.  Press open – using steam.
• Remember, you will always be making a mirror image of what you see in the piecing diagram.

Sewing Instructions Continued:

1. Cut pieces B1, C1, and D1, E1 and F1 and set aside.
2. Create Trunk Section:
   1. Join A1 to A2 to A3 to A4 – Join A5.
3. Create Left Side of Tree:
   1. Join M1 to M2 to M3 to M4.
   2. Join N1 to N2.
   3. Join M section to N section.
   4. Join I1 to I2 to I3 to I4.
   5. Join J1 to J2 to J3.
   6. Join I section to J Section.
   7. Join I section to M/N.
   8. Join D1 to M/N.
4. Create Right Side of the Tree:
   1. Join K1 to K2 to K3 to K4.
   2. Join L1 to L2.
   3. Join K section to L section.
   4. Join G1 to G2 to G3 to G4.
   5. Join H1 to H2 to H3.
   6. Join G section to H section.
   7. Join G section to K/L.
5. Add the trunk by joining A to I/J/H/G.
6. For next section:
   1. Join F1 to D/E.
   2. Join B1 to F/D/A.
   3. Join C1 to F/E/A.
7. Create the triangle shape:
   1. Place the ruler measuring  1/2” away from the diagonal green seam on each side.  Cut, using a rotary cutter all the way past the tip and bottom of the tree.
   2. Place the ruler measuring 1/2” from the bottom of the trunk.
8. Create a second tree using the above steps and PDF #1- #3.
9. Press each side of the tree, wet with water using a spray bottle, and remove paper from back using a pin or stitch ripper.  When you have removed MOST of the paper, press with steam.
10. Cut a 10” piece of gold ribbon. Place one side of the tree triangle right side up. Pin the ribbon with the loop down and the ends crossed at the top.  Place the other half of the tree triangle right sides together. Pin the tree so the edges match. Sew using a 1/4” seam starting at one side – leaving a space at the bottom by the trunk for stuffing.
11. Turn the tree right side out – use a crochet hook to push out the edges.  Stuff (I used the inside of an old pillow but you can buy Polyfil stuffing). Hand-sew the opening closed using a blind stitch.  Attach a star button to the top of each side of the tree ornament.