Make your own handmade Santa decoration with our free Pattern & Tutorial.

Materials:

• Black, white & red felt (see the pattern for the sizes)
• Fleece for hat and boot trim
• Craft filler
• Embroidery thread/floss (black, red, white)

Tools:

• Paper & fabric Scissors
• Needle & pins
• chopstick for stuffing
• A4 paper & printer – download the pattern below and print at 100%

Stitches used in this pattern:

• Running stitch
• Whip stitch
• Whip stitch applique

How to Make a Handmade Santa Decoration:

Print out the pattern above as instructed, cut out each paper piece, pin to the coloured felt required for the pattern and cut out all the felt pieces.

Assembling the pieces:

Starting with the main body whip stitch the head to the body.

Place the two body sections together and pin. Whip stitch around the body and the head, leaving a small space as shown in the image below for stuffing. Stuff and finish off the whip stitch.

Note: use the same coloured thread as the felt you are sewing on each piece. I generally use two strands of the embroidery thread for all the stitches in this pattern.

Next, whip stitch the sides of the hat together and using a running stitch attach the fleece trim along the base.

Attach the hands to the arms with a whip stitch, as in the body above. Place together and whip stitch around the whole arm, leaving a space for stuffing as shown in the image. Stuff and whip stitch closed.

Nose, using a running stitch with a knot at the end, work around the circumference of the circle of felt. Roll a small piece of stuffing into a ball and place in the centre. Pull the stitches closed and hold in place with a few stitches to make a ball shape for the nose.

Whip stitch appliqué the eyes and beard into place as shown below in the image.

Whip stitch appliqué the nose into place. Attach the hat to the top of the head using the same stitch.

Belt, sew the black square to the white square, then attach the white square to the centre point of the black rectangle of felt. Wrap around the centre of Santa’s body and secure with a stitch at the back.

Whip stitch appliqué the arms onto the sides of the body.

Boots, whip stitch the front part of the boot together, open up and line up the leg to the top of the boot and whip stitch together.

Find the centre point of the base of the boot by folding in half lengthways and mark with a pin. Line up this point with the front point of the boot and whip stitch together. Be sure to follow the curve of the boot base when attaching, I work my way from front to back on both sides.

Next whip stitch the back of the boot together and stuff. Whip stitch up along the leg and continue stuffing. To close the top of the leg work a running stitch around the top and pull closed, securing with a few stitches in place.

Then whip stitch appliqué the fleece to the top of the boot.

Finally position the body on top of the leg as shown in the image and whip stitch in place. Repeat on the second leg.

The Santa decoration is now finished.