Making ornaments from embroidered motifs is fun, and a perfect exchange gift for your holiday parties. I have made ornaments from crewel work and cross stitch, and today I want to show you how to use your embroidery machine to do something different. My embroidery machine has cards with motifs on them. I began with this angel, but not in all the colors.
Threading the machine with a white rayon thread, when the machine stopped to change colors, I just hit the button to start again. I ended up with a lovely embroidery all in white.
I cut the piece to a square, and added white tone on tone borders, doing the top and bottom first.
Then I measured and cut the side borders.
Top assembly complete, I cut another square for backing.
I layered it with batting and stitched around the edge leaving an opening for turning.
I almost forgot to add the ribbon for a hanger. I picked out the few stitches and put the ribbon in at the center top.
Finished and turned.
Stitch around the edge to add detail and close the opening by machine. Then, stitch in the ditch around the motif.
I added four pearls to the corners just for a nice detail.
The same idea went into the next one, with just one change. I selected this church for the motif.
This time, I bypassed the main stitching #1 through #5 on the machine program, and went to the final stitching pattern. The #6 is outlining the pattern all in black. I threaded a blue thread on the machine, and stitched the outline only.
Then the little ornament is finished in the same manner.
The same idea can be done with words, like these three I made some years ago. These are mounted on large covered button hardware and finished with pearls and lace.
Using metallic threads, stitch out the holiday motif and again finish as you like.
Lastly, if you use two layers of Sulky Solvy, you can stitch out a design in all white for a lacy look. When you are done stitching, just soak the piece in water and the solvy will rinse away, leaving you with a pretty lace ornament.
See my post on Christmas Stitching With Ideas For Finishing for more ornament ideas. Of course, the ideas here can be used with handwork too.
Have you made any ornaments like these?
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From My Carolina Home 
They are all beautiful. I hope to get my embroidery machine out sometime next year and spend some quality time with it.
They are all so beautiful!
So pretty! I haven’t explored machine embroidery yet but I love seeing the ideas.
Good morning Carole. I would never have thought of making ornaments with my machine, but they are beautiful. I’ve used it for baby quilts, alternating the rows with 2 or 3 blocks in each row, using a card that has baby animals that are so cute. No time this year for ornaments though, maybe next year. Baking starts tomorrow, and I will be making over 1400 cookies to give as gifts to family and neighbors. There are some candies in the mix of cookies as well. For some reason, it takes me longer and longer to get the job done, with every passing year. lol
I really like how elegant the elegance that the pearls add. Great idea.
I just got a ntm embroidery machine. Thank you for your inspiring post. It gave me new ideas!
These are just beautiful, Carole….so elegant! It’s confession time….I bought an embroidery machine a few years ago on sale…and It’s not been out of it’s box yet. Oh…that felt so good to admit! In fact, I had forgotten about it until I saw this post! So thank you for the wonderful post AND the reminder! lol…..(it’s true about the machine…) Blessings and an early Merry Christmas to you! May 2020 be your very best year yet!
You are so talented, Carole. They are beautiful!
That angel is spectacular. These are great.
Wonderful gifts for your friends. Always nice to have ornaments made by a friend.
Hello Carole, Each of these embroideries that you have shared are beautiful! Great ideas to share indeed, many Thanks! Have a magnificent day!
I don’t own an embroidery machine, but if I did, it would never in 1000 years have occurred to me to do this single color or outline work, and it’s such a great idea! Thank you for opening my eyes to other possibilities. Now who do I know who has such a machine? =)
Those are wonderful!
Beautiful, I love the monochrome ones!
So beautiful Carole! That is quite a machine!
Jenna
These are lovely. Great to see them made in one colour. That works so well.