Sweet Snowgirl Needle Felted Ornament

Jump into the world of needle felting with this fun Christmas ornament. Featuring a tiny sewn felt hat, this Christmas ornament tutorial shows you how to create an adorable snowgirl using basic needle felting techniques. This project is recommended for crafters who have some beginner experience with needle felting, so it’s a great project for expanding your skillset. Complete your snowgirl with a carrot nose, striped scarf and hair color of your choice!

Skill Level: Confident beginner with some knowledge assumed

Materials:

• 13” of 1 1/4” wide knit tubing in a Christmas color (Note: This is available where doll making supplies are sold. You can also make your own with a French Knitter.)
• Wool top (for needle felting) in white, orange, black, and yellow
• Needle felting needle and accessories (Note: The designer prefers the Clover range and their Pen Style needle in particular for fine details.)
• Piece of cord about 10” long to hang the ornament
• General crafting supplies including scissors, markers, and glue suitable for use with fabric (Note: It is handy to include a hand sewing needle and some thread to match the hat. It feels more secure to stitch this on, especially considering that it is taking the weight of the ornament.)
• PDF Pattern – This is located at the bottom of this page. See printing instructions below.

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.

Instructions:

MAKING YOUR ORNAMENT:

DESIGNER NOTE: Please read all instructions, assembly requirements, and the printable template before beginning this project.

1. Begin with the snowballs. The first one is the larger one for the body and is 3” wide. TIP: Don’t be overly fussy about the size. It must be in proportion to the head but a small amount of difference does not matter.
2. Roughly shape a ball of wool top about twice the size needed. Begin to felt with a multiple needle (this is quicker) and add more wool if it becomes too small and compacted. Tip: Needle felting tools come in many forms and many can take more than one needle. These needles are the ones to buy because you can add or remove needles depending on how fine you need to work.
   
   
3. When the body is finished, make the head in the same way. This time, the size to aim for is about 2”. Attach the head to the body by felting around the neck. Keep going until the head feels very secure on the body.
   
   
4. The nose comes next. Take a small amount of orange wool and roll it until it is long and thin and about twice the volume needed. Felt (this is where the pen style felting tool with only one needle comes in very handy) until it resembles a carrot about 1” long. TIP: Attach the nose to her face after the hair is in place so that you can place it really well.
   
5. The hair is made with a long strand of yellow wool about 2 1/2” wide and 7” long. Find the middle and felt it down the middle (where a natural parting might be), then secure the felt into two bunches on the sides where the body and head join. Slightly spread the felt and felt it around the neck too. This secures the hair to the neck and slightly reduces the bulk too, so that when the scarf is tied on, it looks more natural.
   
   
6. Attach the nose now and use some black wool in small amounts for the eyes. TIP: Roll the eyes into little balls before you attach them and attach with a single needle. The more you felt, the smaller they will be.
   
   
   
7. Make her hat with the printable template. Cut the hat from felt and machine sew to make a cone shape.
8. As you near the tip of the cone, add the folded in half cord. This will be the hanger.
   
   
9. Attach the hat to her head with tiny running stitches. TIP: Don’t attach the hat with it aligned straight on the head. It looks better to angle it and then fold the front up (this hides the stitches, too). It can then be decorated on the fold-up with Christmas charms and ribbon, too.
   
   
10. Finally, cut a piece of tubing 12” long and knot it around the neck for a scarf. TIP: The scarf goes over the top of the hair and helps to keep it all in place. Secure with some stitches.