As you can see from the main image in the post, I decided to use baubles and a charger plate to give this Christmas tree decoration a good home – As I went to take the main image, I found an old poinsettia in a bag which gives it a sparkle 😉 I really enjoyed creating this but had some trouble getting the pattern created to a size that meant it was easy to stuff and still stood up straight! Ah, well. Forth time’s a charm (ish)!
Now cut 6 tree pieces from your fabric. The pattern clearly shows where to cut the fabric on the fold. This allows for less cutting and means each tree piece is symmetrical.Take your pieces, two at a time and place them right sides together on a flat surface. Pop the pattern piece on one half and either mark the fabric (with chalk) or push a pin into the fabric where the opening mark is. Flip the piece over and mark again on the opposite side.Now sew each set of two together starting at the first mark and ending at the second. Be sure to backstitch a little to reinforce the opening. This will make it less likely that you’ll end up pulling the pieces apart as you turn it right side out.Clip all the corners on each piece of fabric to reduce bulk.Now lay all three pieces together so that they match up as best you can. Smooth out the centre.Carefully sew a line down the centre of the pieces to attach them all together. I would suggest starting at the bottom and sewing up the tree rather than down. The bottom part will sit flat under your machines presser foot. The top is a little bulkier so it’s a little more difficult to start there.Time for stuffing! Add plenty of stuffing and use something you can push the stuffing into the tree ends with. Once you’ve found something that works well, it’s a fairly simple process, but I’d recommend doing it in front of the TV… it takes a while!Now the tree is nicely stuffed, using a ladder stitch, sew up all the openings in the bottom.This step is optional and the tree looks perfectly lovely without them, but I added small coloured bells to the end of each tree “branch”. If you decide to add them, I would recommend adding them underneath each section rather than right on the end, they sew in easier and hang much better!
Voila! The tree looks perfectly nice as is – But I placed it in the centre of a charger plate and added a few baubles and a poinsettia. Perfect for the centre of the table! 🙂
