DIY felt partridge in a pear tree for Christmas tree…
This little partridge in a pear tree ornament has made a great addition to our Christmas tree this year, so we’re happy to share it with you today!
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Small confession: the “12 Days of Christmas” song kind of reminds me of “100 bottles of beer on a wall.” Just the monotony, maybe? Nevertheless, Christmas isn’t the same without hearing that song a few times, right? As for 100 bottles of beer…that could actually be fairly helpful around the holidays as well 😉.
As far as DIY felt ornaments go, if you’re looking for others, we’ve already shared:
if you’d like to try any of those. But today is about our partridge in a pear tree.
I used a free pattern for our partridge that I found on Pinterest. Ok, it’s not really a partridge. It’s a bird, but let’s pretend it’s a partridge. Not sure how many people will call us out on it, so I say we go for it.
You can download the BIRD pattern HERE
Supplies needed for partridge in a pear tree felt ornament:
- felt(in any color combination desired)
- contrasting/patterned fabric of choice (if desired)
- (2) tiny black beads(for eyes)
- thread (various colors depending on your color scheme)
- needle for hand-stitching
- fray check
- scissors
- stuffing
- yarn, ribbon or fishing line for making loop tree hanger
- bird nest(either real, or craft variety)
- fabric glue (if desired)
How to assemble partridge in a pear tree ornament:
There are some instructions for assembling the birds on the site where you’ll download the pattern. One little tip I’d offer up after making my bird:
- be careful when selecting fabric instead of felt for any part of the bird. I used a pretty, patterned fabric for the wings and belly, as well as for the tiny pears in the tree. BUT the fabric I chose frayed SUPER easily, which is not the best for this project. I listed fray check in the supplies in case you run into a similar situation. Simply apply the fray check to the edges of your fabric, and that will help ensure the integrity of your fabric as you work your way through the project.
As far as assembling the pear tree goes, here’s what I did:
1.) Hand sketch a tree onto a piece of paper.
Lay your partridge on the paper and use it as the basis for scaling your tree. If I were to do this project over again, I’d make the tree larger.
2.) Make a copy of your tree pattern so you have (2) identical copies.
3.) Cut out trees.
Cut one of your two tree patterns out completely, then separate the trunk from the canopy.
For the second copy of your tree pattern, you’ll only need to cut out the canopy. Then you’ll cut the canopy in order to create a pattern for the pocket in which the little partridge will sit. I’d recommend cutting the canopy lengthwise across the width of the tree at about 2/3 the height. This will give the bird a nice, deep pocket in which to sit.
4.) Cut felt for tree.
You’ll need the following pieces:
- (2) trunk pieces (front and back)
- (2) full-sized tree canopy pieces (front and back)
- (1) canopy piece cut lengthwise at 2/3 the canopy height (for bird pocket) as seen below (sorry the pic is blurry!)
5.) Stitch pocket to canopy.
As you can see in the image below, I stitched and stuffed my tree trunk first, which is also fine. Just don’t forget to stitch your pocket to the tree canopy before you stitch and stuff the canopy pieces together. It’s easier to sew your pocket on first.
6.) Stitch tree trunk and stuff.
With the pocket attached to the front of the canopy, it’s time to stitch our tree trunk and stuff it. Stitch around 2/3 of the trunk, then stuff. Close final 1/3 of trunk, then stitch to the piece of felt that will become the BACK of the canopy (as seen in image above).
7.) Attach ribbon ornament hanger to inside of canopy.
Either stitch or glue an approximately 10″ piece of ribbon to the inside of back piece of canopy (same side as the trunk is attached to). This ribbon will become the hanger for your ornament on the tree. By attaching the ribbon to the inside, it won’t be visible when you stitch your canopy together.
8) Stitch canopy and stuff.
Stitch 2/3 of the canopy front and back together (making sure that trunk attachment will be in the middle of the tree so the seam won’t show, and making sure your pocket will be exposed on the front of the tree). Stuff the canopy. Be careful not to overstuff. If you overstuff the canopy, the partridge will have a tough time sitting in the pocket without falling out. Once stuffed, stitch the final 1/3 of the canopy pieces together.
9.) Cut out and attach pears.
I traced a pear shape by hand onto a piece of paper, then cut it out and used it as a pattern for the little pears. Again be careful to use a good fabric that won’t fray easily for your pears. Mine was fraying like mad. The fray check helps, but it’s best to use felt, or a fabric with a super tight weave to avoid a mess. Also, do yourself a favor and use fabric glue for attaching your pears to your tree. I used hot glue, and it was a hot mess.
Like all of these felt ornaments we’ve shared, this one takes a time to put together, but it’s such a cute ornament for your tree when it’s done! Happy holidays!
Pin this post for later! And if you make one, leave a comment (or better yet, a photo) on the pin! That helps others know whether they want to try this project, too!
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Heather says
It’s darling, and I actually love the bird’s size compared with the tree. It’s part of the charm!