Needle Felted Christmas Ornaments: Ideas, Sizes and Hanging Loops

Size, weight and firmness for tree ornaments

A branch on a typical artificial or cut tree holds a small felted ornament easily, but heavier pieces tilt and slide off. Aim for 5 to 8 cm across and 10 to 20 g of wool. That is roughly a core ball the size of a golf ball wrapped in a thin color layer. Larger centerpiece figures are better as tabletop decorations than hanging ones.

Felt ornaments firmer than you would a soft toy. They get handled, packed away and unpacked every year, and a soft surface pills and loses its shape in storage. When you squeeze a finished ornament it should barely give. Firm felting also keeps the loop anchor from tearing out.

Eight ornament ideas, easiest first

1. Felted ball ornaments: a firm core ball covered in red, green, white or a marbled mix, with felted dots or stripes. 2. Flat stars, hearts and trees: fill a metal cookie cutter with wool on your pad and poke it into shape, then remove and firm the edges. 3. Mini Christmas trees: a cone of green wool on a short brown trunk, with tiny colored wool balls as baubles.

4. Gnomes: a cone hat over a round or egg-shaped body, a ball nose and a fluffy beard of unfelted white wool attached only at the top. Gnomes need no face, which makes them very beginner friendly. 5. Snowmen: two or three white balls of decreasing size joined firmly, with a strip of colored wool as a scarf. 6. Robins: an egg-shaped body, a red-orange breast patch and a small felted beak.

7. Mushroom ornaments: a red toadstool with white spots, a popular Scandinavian style decoration. 8. Wool painting rounds: needle felt a small picture onto a circle of wool felt or prefelt in an embroidery hoop of about 7 to 10 cm and hang it by the hoop screw.

Compare molds and cookie cutters →

Flat ornaments with cookie cutters

Flat ornaments are the fastest way to make a set. Put a metal cookie cutter on a thick foam pad, fill it loosely with wool to about twice the height you want, and poke straight down inside the cutter, working the corners and edges as much as the middle. Lift the shape out every few minutes, flip it over and put it back in, so both sides felt evenly and the wool does not grow into the pad.

When the shape holds firmly on its own, take it out of the cutter and poke into the edges from the side to sharpen them. Add details with thin wisps of color: a yellow star point, a garland on a tree, a white trim on a stocking. For a stronger flat ornament, felt the shape onto a piece of wool felt and cut around it, leaving a 2 to 3 mm border.

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How to attach a hanging loop that will not pull out

The strongest method is to build the loop in. Before you add the final color layer, fold a 15 to 20 cm length of thin ribbon, cord or embroidery floss in half, tie a knot in the two cut ends, and lay the knot on top of the core. Cover the knot with a small wisp of wool and felt it down hard so the knot is buried. Then add the surface layer over it.

On a finished ornament, thread the cord through a large-eye sewing or doll needle, push it in at the top and out about 1 cm away, then back through and tie the ends. A small bead or a felted cap at the top hides the entry points. Avoid gluing loops onto the surface; glue on wool fails with handling.

Metal ornament hooks pushed directly into the wool work for light pieces but tend to work loose. A screw eye designed for ornaments holds better in a very firmly felted ball.

Wool, colors and supplies

Use inexpensive core wool for the inside of balls, gnomes and snowmen, then cover with a thin layer of colored merino or Corriedale. A Christmas palette needs only a few colors: two reds, two greens, white, a gold or yellow, brown and black. Most variety color packs include all of these. For gnome beards and snow, a curly wool such as wensleydale locks or a fluffy white merino top gives a soft look.

Glass or safety eyes are optional on robins and snowmen; many felters use a tiny black wool ball instead, which is safer on ornaments within reach of small children. Glitter, sequins and bells can be stitched on with thread for extra sparkle.

Compare core wool →

Frequently asked questions

How long does a needle felted ornament take? A felted ball or flat cookie cutter star takes 20 to 45 minutes. A gnome takes about an hour, and a robin or snowman one to two hours for a beginner.

How do I store felted ornaments? Wrap each one in tissue paper and store in a sealed box with a cedar block or lavender to deter moths. Avoid damp basements and attics.

Can kids make felted ornaments? Flat cookie cutter shapes are the safest needle felted project for older kids with supervision. Younger children can wet felt balls in soapy water instead.

Can I wash felted ornaments? Spot clean only. Dab with a damp cloth and let them air dry; soaking can make them shrink or distort.