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Holly Leaf Ornament

December 24, 2015 Heidi Lund

It’s the Holidays and you want to make something special to dress up your Christmas tree or a perhaps a package. Let’s pull out some holiday fabrics and make a few 3-dimensional Holly Leaf ornaments. The leaves themselves are made using free-motion zigzag on your machine and there is a little bit of handwork of embellishments for assembly. Today I am sharing a step by step tutorial on how I assemble these holiday gems.

Holly Leaf Ornament

Supplies to create the Holly Leaf ornament:

Holly Leaf Ornament - BERNINA Presser Feet

Step 1

Trace Holly Leaf Pattern onto template plastic and cut out

Holly Leaf Ornament - Trace pattern

Holly Leaf Ornament - Trace the pattern

Step 2

Using a double sided fusible like Steam a Seam 2 and a medium iron, fuse your choice of fabric to felt

Holly Leaf Ornament - fuse your choice of fabric to felt

Step 3

Using your template, trace several holly leaves onto your fused fabric with a permanent marker

Holly Leaf Ornament - tracing the pattern to felt

Step 4

Set your machine up for free-motion. Make sure your sewing machine is cleaned and well oiled. Drop your feed dogs and attach your free-motion foot.

Step 5

Load your machine and your bobbin with matching thread. Use a beautiful rayon or blended cotton or metallic.

Holly Leaf Ornament - thread

Step 6

Set your machine for a zigzag satin stitch approximately 2.5 to 3.0 in width. You do not have to set your length, because you are sewing free-motion.

Holly Leaf Ornament

Step 7

Starting at the top of the holly leaf, stitch free-motion zigzag around your leaf design. Once you get back to the top of the leaf, switch to free-motion straight stitch and add the veins to your leaves.  Move onto the next leaf and repeat.

Holly Leaf Ornament - stitch free-motion zigzag around your leaf design

You can switch it up by using one color thread for the outline of the leaf and another color, perhaps metallic for the veins of the leaf.

Step 8

Once you have completed a “sheet” of leaves, use a sharp pair of scissor and cut out each leaf by trimming close to the stitching lines.

Holly Leaf Ornament - cut out each leaf by trimming close to the stitching lines

Holly Leaf Ornament - Holly Leaf Ornament - cut out leafs

Step 9

This is where the handwork starts. Load a size 10 beading needle with beading thread.

Holly Leaf Ornament - Load a size 10 beading needle with beading thread

Step 10

Cut a 6″ piece of the 1/8″ ribbon, make a loop and tie a knot. This is your “hanging loop”.

Step 11

Take three leaves, pivot them a little and with your beading thread, using your threaded needled and a thimble, stitch up and down through the leaves. On the second time of going back through them, stitch through the knot of the hanging loop.

Step 12

Now it is time to add your embellishments. Using the same needle and beading thread, add a shanked button or sequins, beads and trims.

Holly Leaf Ornament

These make perfect ornaments for the tree, but also work to dress up a package or a bottle of wine for a great gift. You can also change them up by changing the color of your thread to a red, burgundy or even a metallic gold.

Holly Leaf Ornament decorated

Happy Holidays from Heid Lund of Heid Lund – Sewfiber Inspirations.

Our December 24 Gift For You

Today’s gift is the design CD with the entire Continuous Line Holiday collection from OESD including a set of matching embroidery thread to one awesome WeAllSew fan.

All you have to do is post a comment below answering the following question:

Where would you decorate this Holly Leaf Ornament?

A winner will be chosen at random on December 26, 2015 and announced the following  week!

Good luck!

Congratulations to our WeAllSew reader “zino”, the winner of the December 24 gift. Enjoy!

2 days until Christmas

Difficulty level
Beginner
Projects
home décor
Techniques
sewing
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112 comments on “Holly Leaf Ornament”

    • I like to decorate my kitchen cabinets as I have an open-floor plan, so the kitchen is seen from the living and dining areas. I wrap two layers of different sized ribbon from top to bottom, and then I tie ornaments and greenery in the middle of the ribbon. I think these will look fabulous on my kitchen doors. Have to get busy to make this happen. Think I may be up LATE tonight!

  • Wow so beautiful. I would put them on Christmas packages and wrap the package in a plain colored paper so the ornament would get all the focus. Also I think it would be fun to use has a napkin holder.

  • I would use the leaves to decorate a Christmas wreath, since I just noticed I still have a fall wreath hanging on my door. Oops — at least it’s on the inside!

    • Perfect idea. You could also make 60 to 100 of the holly leaves and make your own wreath using beautiful tack pins and a foam wreath. Wheels are turning for next year. Cheers. Heidi Lund

  • I would use this beautiful holly leaf ornament on a bottle of olive oil in a basket with fresh baked bread for a gift for the hostess.
    Wouldn’t those holly leafs look great on a pillar candle also.
    Would also look good on a Christmas package.
    Thanks for the great instructions.
    Happy Holiday’s

  • I will be putting this Holly Leaf Ornament on my presents with my bows and tags. I will add the person’e first initial with my Bernina embroidery software. Best Wishes to All for a Merry Christmas! 🙂

  • In the guest bedroom on the four posts of the four poster bed; as package decorations; as an ornament on the tree, hanging from the corner of a mirror, the places to use this are
    endless.

    • I would use this (these) as a decoration on the four post of the bed in the guest bedroom ,or as decoration on the presents under the tree, or as an ornament on the tree, in the kitchen as door knob hangers, as table decorations, the possibilities are endless!

  • This is cute and easy enough to do. In addition to the ribbons, it would make a nice addition to the Christmas gifts I’m giving. Two gifts in one 🙂

  • Love these holly leaves. I would try several different way to decorate them. One way would be leaf edges and stems with a little glitter. Then add a few red beads for the holly berries.

    • Glitter and more beads would be a perfect addition.
      You could also use metallic threads when sewing the edges which would add another dimension of sparkle.
      I tried to create this tutorial so that even beginners would not be afraid to try.
      As a friend once told me “more is more – embellish away”!
      Cheers. Heidi Lund

  • Heid Lund decorated the holly leaf ornaments beautifully. It is hard to top her ideas, but I might add more beads in the veins of the holly. Also, a few big red beads for the berries would be nice. A stitched cardinal would accent the holly, too.

    • Hi Wendy,
      Those that know me, think this ornaments tame. Please embellish more!
      I was creating the tutorial for beginners as well. Add some metallic and holoshimmer threads for even more glitter effect!
      Happy New Year. Heidi Lund

  • Where would I decorate this ornament? Hmmm … perhaps some beads outlining the veins would be nice, or a light dusting of glitter to simulate frost. Then I’d put the leaves on packages and use groups of them around candles on the table.

    • Ohhhhhh, now we are talking. Dog dressing/decorating!
      I’m going to take you up on that for next year. My cockers will roll their eyes.
      Thanks Susan, glad you like them!
      Cheers. Heidi Lund

  • I think I would use them on the Mason jar cookie and brownie mixes that we made and gave as gifts. Then the recipient would have two gifts, the mix and the ornament.

    • Hi Leslie,
      This would be a perfect use for this ornament/tag.
      I received some festive mixes in mason jars this year and want to make my own next year.
      All the best. Heidi Lund

  • I made my daughter FSL snowflakes and ornaments for her tree as she has dogs that won’t leave the tree alone and a little baby. So no glass balls for her tree! I’d add these holly leaves to her collection.

  • At Christmas time we have moved our focus to Advent. Each year we do a lot for Advent, with the main events centering around our Advent calendar. Each year we pick a theme with daily presents surrounding that theme. Themes for past years have included Names of Jesus and Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecies. This year’s theme is Prayer. Each day the child opens a present with a clue to the specific scripture we are studying that day. For example they may get stuffed animals that say, “Sit. Stay. Pray.” From that they need to guess Jesus telling His disciples to sit, stay, and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is a meaningful time of spiritual growth for the family. This is the main way we celebrate Christmas. This all to say I would hang the holly leaf ornament on a corner of our Advent calendar.

  • Oh, my favorite! I would hang these on a tree, on my doors, from light fixtures, any place you can hang things. I hope I can do this one one of my machines, because I don’t have a Bernina (maybe someday?) lisajcowell(at)cs(dot)com

    • Hi grannysattic,
      These are created on my home sewing machine (a Bernina 770qe) not on an embroidery machine. I use straight stitch and zigzag stitch. You can do it, give the instructions a try!
      Cheers and Happy New Year,
      Heidi Lund

    • Hi Nancy,
      I’ve done this with fall leaf shapes, pumpkins and hearts for valentines,
      They are always a great addition to a bottle of wine when heading to a dinner party or gathering.
      Happy New Year!
      Heidi Lund

  • I’d make about 50 or more of these holly leaves, and apply them to a wall hanging in the shape of a Christmas Tree. Each can be embellished with ribbons, beads, mini bells, sequins, buttons…what ever you want. You could even sew eyelet openings for mini light sets to stick through.

  • I would add some large red beads for the berries. Alternatively I would make the berries out of red fabric; these would then be glued onto my homemade Christmas cards for family and friends. Thank you for the lovely ideas!

  • You could use these to wrap around rolled up guest towels and face cloths when guests are visiting. They would also make great additions when wrapping Christmas packages; you could add one to each package. This is a really cute project.

  • I would digitize the holly leaves and do a bunch in the hoop and then intersperse them with scrappy strips of Christmas fabric for an adorable long garland!

  • I LOVE this! I hope Santa brings me an embroidery machine for Christmas!!

    Any who, I think I would decorate my mantle with these lovely little holly leaves, along with white candles.

    • Hi gympygirl,
      No need for an embroidery machine to stitch these babies.
      I have created them on my Bernina 770qe, and my older Bernina machines. You just need to use a machine that has straight stitch and zigzag stitch. I drop the feed dogs to use my machine freemotion (even in zigzag). If your machine’s feet do not drop, you can tape a business card over the feed dogs and punch a hole in it where your needle needs to come up and down and side to side.
      Best wishes and Happy New Year.
      Heidi Lund

  • These are so beautiful! I would make several for my dinner party and place them around napkins as a party favor my guests can take home with them. They would be a wonderful accent anywhere. Thank you for the how-to pattern.

  • My home is too small for a Christmas Tree, so I would make a banner of these beautiful holly leaves. I’d also add them to the wreaths I have around my house. They would also look nice on a holiday hotpad.

  • These would be great gifts for grandchildren for the Christmas tree, personalized with their name and the year as a memorable ornament for many years to come as they decorate their trees for years to come!

  • What a wonderful project. And such great ideas from everyone who posted. Many I hadn’t thought of. There isn’t enough time to make enough holly leaves for all of the projects suggested, but I will make some as place markers for my guests at the dinner table. That’ll wow everyone I’m sure.

  • I think they will be beautiful hanging from the back of my dining room table chairs, as the guests come into the room…kind of a mistletoe feeling, and very festive!

  • I would use the holly leaves to applique on Christmas table runners. They would also be great to use as Christmas tree ornaments. Adding them to Christmas gifts as package decorations, instead of bows, would also be a good way to utilize them. One could also add a pin and use them for a decorative pin to brighten winter coats.

  • Think I will use them as decorations on secret Santa gifts for coworkers! The they can repurpose and use them as they see fit on their tree or presents. So one cute set of holly leaves gets used multiple times in one year.

  • I love this! I could definitely see using it for “tags” for housewarming gifts, but I really like the idea of it being the bow for a bottle of cheer.

  • I have a holly leaf shape with my accuquilt go. I’ll try cutting the leaves from a green felted wool coat that I got at the thrift store and maybe I can make a pin for my sweater or coat. Will also try free motioning with the zig zag stitch and try digitizing the leaves to see if I can do it on my embroidery machine. Cute idea. Thanks

    • They are really fun to make and embellish as you like. Five years after I wrote these instructions, folks are still emailing me that they love them. Have fun with your accuquilt, but know your Bernina works wonders!
      Merry Sewing and Have fun!
      Heidi

  • I love to make different color Pom Poms for door wreaths. How perfect it would be to make these leaves and add around the wreath on top of the Pom Poms. Smaller red poms or beautiful beads could be added to the tops of the leaf groupings when attaching. Thank you for this unique idea for my Pom projects!

  • Many great ideas from previous replies. I think I will decorate packages with some and enclose in cards with others. Maybe at this late date a little ambitious.

    • Teesee,
      Yes, a holly wreath nest for candles is an great idea. Be sure to search my name here on the We All Sew site and see how I’ve used the same technique to make a poinsettia pin. Ideas are contagious! They are really fun to make and embellish as you like.
      Merry Sewing and Have fun!
      Heidi

    • Thank you for checking out our “We All Sew” blog projects. These holly leaf ornaments are really fun to make and embellish as you like. Five years after I wrote these instructions, folks are still emailing me that they love them. Merry Sewing and Have fun!
      Heidi

  • These look really nice for small places to be decorated! I have a lot of knobs and doors that could really use them. Plus they look sturdy enough to survive Mr. Destructo the cat!

    • Indeed these ornaments are sturdy, but so are cat claws and teeth. Good luck keeping Mr. Destructo from anything that might catch his eye this holiday season.
      Wishing you lots of sewing and most of all, have fun!
      Heidi

  • I think the holly leaves would look great on the door knobs of my glassware hutch. I like them as package decorations too. Very cute and can be used to add a festive touch to many things.

    • Yes, these holly leaves can decorate a multitude of things for the holidays. I use them on my towel bars in the guest bathroom and as tags on my holiday gifts. Adding them to cupboards and hutches is a great idea. They are really fun to make and embellish as you like. Merry Sewing and Have fun!
      Heidi

    • Free Motion is my thing. It is very rhythmic and relaxing once you get into a pattern. Your Bernina hums with each stitch and it is delightful to see what comes from needle and thread. They are really fun to make and embellish as you like. Merry Sewing and Have fun!
      Heidi

  • Love just how easy these are with free motion! Thanks for making our holiday cheery and bright!
    I would use many of these to cover a wreath form and hang on my front door with a bit candy cane striped bow to accent the holy leaves!

    • Absolutely, these holly leaves would make a great wreath. Just make a pile of leaves in whatever colors you like! I like your idea of attaching them to a foam wreath with candy canes and some great ribbons!
      Enjoy and Happy Sewing.
      Heidi

    • They are really fun to make and embellish as you like. My co-workers get them every year as package tags on their gifts. Nice thin is, you can make them in advance for next year! Merry Sewing and Have fun!
      Heidi

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