A few sheets of felt and a glue gun are enough to fill a Christmas tree, and nothing on this list needs a sewing machine. These 15 felt Christmas ornaments, from a 15-minute felt tree to a hand-stitched Santa, were chosen from more than 30 tutorials for clear steps and a finish worth hanging.
We start with our own tabletop felt tree and felt Christmas gnome, then move through the rest of the no-sew ornaments, so begin there if you want a quick win with kids. If you would rather make a keepsake to hang for years, jump to the sewn ornaments, and the felt characters at the end work especially well as gifts. They all belong in our Christmas crafts collection, and the felt and fabric crafts hub has more patterns for the rest of the year.
Felt Christmas Ornaments at a Glance
| Craft | Method | Difficulty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mini Felt Tree | Hot glue | Beginner | Tabletop tree scenes |
| 2. Felt Christmas Gnome | Glue and knots | Beginner | Kids’ first gnome |
| 3. No-Sew Felt Tree | Glue | Beginner | First craft with kids |
| 4. Felt Poinsettia | Hot glue | Beginner | A statement ornament |
| 5. Felt Gingerbread Man | Glue | Beginner | Using up craft scraps |
| 6. No-Sew Candy Cane | Low-temp glue | Beginner | Gift toppers |
| 7. No-Sew Nativity | Glue | Beginner | A nativity gift |
| 8. Sewn Felt Tree | Hand sewn | Beginner | Your first sewing project |
| 9. Stuffed Felt Star | Machine or hand | Beginner | Sewing with scraps |
| 10. Felt Mitten | Glue or machine | Beginner | A cozy farmhouse look |
| 11. Felt Snowman | Hand sewn | Intermediate | Stitched snowman gifts |
| 12. Felt Reindeer | Hand sewn | Beginner | Embroidery practice |
| 13. Felt Penguin | Hand sewn | Beginner | A quick stitched animal |
| 14. Felt Gnome | Hand sewn | Beginner | Gnome collectors |
| 15. Felt Santa | Sewn and glued | Intermediate | A detailed Santa |
No-Sew Felt Ornaments (Glue Only)
These end up on a child’s first tree and in classroom ornament swaps, and none of them needs a needle. Fabric glue or a hot glue gun joins the pieces, so younger crafters can help once an adult handles anything hot. Our own tabletop tree and gnome lead the list, followed by five hanging ornaments chosen for the range of looks they cover, from a flat tree a preschooler can decorate to a poinsettia that fills a quiet afternoon.
1. Mini Felt Christmas Tree
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 15 min per tree · Materials: Felt, dry twig, hot glue, small wooden base
Best for: Tabletop tree scenes
Folded felt tree shapes are glued around a dry twig to make a tiny 3D tree that stands on a small wooden base. The pattern includes four sizes and each tree costs under a dollar, so a group of them makes a cozy scene on a shelf or mantel next to your hanging ornaments. The full tutorial is free, and the printable pattern is available in our shop.
Make the mini felt Christmas tree →
2. Felt and Cardboard Christmas Gnome
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 30 to 40 min per gnome · Materials: Felt, cardboard, yarn, glue
Best for: Kids’ first gnome
A cardboard cone dressed in felt, with a yarn beard made from simple knots and no sewing at all. It sits on a mantel or tops a gift rather than hanging, so think of it as the shelf companion to the ornaments that follow. The tutorial includes a free printable template and a video, and suits ages 6 and up with adult help.
Make the felt Christmas gnome →
3. No-Sew Felt Christmas Tree Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: Under 30 min · Materials: Felt, ribbon, tacky glue, printable template
Best for: First craft with kids
Two green felt triangles close around a ribbon loop, then a brown trunk and a yellow star finish the shape. Buttons or fabric-marker squiggles stand in for lights. The page suggests an adult pre-cuts the shapes for preschoolers, which makes this one easy to run as a group activity.
Make the no-sew felt tree at Darcy and Brian →
4. Felt Poinsettia Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: Red felt, hot glue gun, large button, ribbon
Best for: A statement ornament
Fourteen small red felt circles are rolled into cones, paired up and glued into a ring of petals around a button center. The gluing is repetitive rather than hard, and the finished flower looks closer to a shop-bought ornament than most felt projects do. Use only a little glue so the petals stay crisp.
Make the felt poinsettia at Cutesy Crafts →
5. Felt Gingerbread Man Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: Brown felt, tacky or hot glue, buttons or puffy paint, ribbon, free template
Best for: Using up craft scraps
A brown felt cutout becomes a gingerbread man once the buttons, puffy paint or pom poms go on. The tutorial treats the decorating as open ended, so every ornament can look different. A cookie cutter works as a template if you would rather skip the printable.
Make the felt gingerbread man at Fox Farm Home →
6. No-Sew Felt Candy Cane Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: White felt, red pipe cleaners, ribbon, low-temp glue gun, wire
Best for: Gift toppers
White felt is rolled around a bendable core and a red pipe cleaner spirals over the top for the stripe. One 9 by 12 inch sheet of felt makes two canes. The photo shows one tied to a wrapped present with a ribbon, so it doubles as a gift topper.
Make the felt candy cane at Blue Susan Makes →
7. No-Sew Felt Nativity Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: Felt, fabric glue or hot glue, ribbon, printable template
Best for: A nativity gift
Felt pieces are traced from a printable template and glued onto a house-shaped base to form the stable, the figures and the star, with a ribbon loop at the top. The figures are simple cutouts, so children can handle most of the build. It works well as a family or church gift.
Make the no-sew nativity ornament at Big Family Blessings →
Simple Sewn Felt Ornaments
What sets these apart is the stitched edge: sewn felt holds its shape season after season, and the shapes here are forgiving of uneven stitches. A tree, a star and a mitten are all simple enough for a first sewing project, and each needs only a little stuffing. They earned their slots for clear photos and patterns that print and cut easily.
8. Sewn Felt Christmas Tree Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 30 min · Materials: Felt, fiberfill, ribbon, thread, free pattern
Best for: Your first sewing project
This tree is written as a numbered step-by-step guide that covers cutting, stitching, stuffing and attaching a star on top. The author rates it easy and puts the cost at about a dollar. It suggests rounded-tip scissors if children are helping.
Sew the felt tree ornament at Beginner Sewing Projects →
9. Stuffed Felt Star Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: Felt scraps, ribbon, stuffing, thread
Best for: Sewing with scraps
A smaller contrasting star is stitched onto each large star piece first, then the two layers are sewn together with a ribbon loop and stuffed through a gap before closing. Free printable star templates are linked in the tutorial. It is a good home for leftover felt in two colors.
Sew the felt star ornament at AppleGreen Cottage →
10. Felt Mitten Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: Craft felt, fabric glue or sewing machine, stiff wire or jute cord, fiberfill
Best for: A cozy farmhouse look
The mitten comes in three template sizes with folded-over cuffs, and the seams can be glued or machine sewn before a little fiberfill goes in. Cream and gray felt, twine hangers and small paper tags give the set a farmhouse look that suits a natural-toned tree.
Make the felt mitten ornaments at DIY Beautify →
Felt Character Ornaments
Faces are what turn a felt ornament into a keepsake, and a few embroidery stitches are enough to give a snowman or a penguin real personality. These five work as gifts for kids and as a yearly family tradition, adding one new character to the tree each December. They rose to the top by balancing friendly faces against stitches a beginner can manage.
11. Felt Snowman Ornament
Difficulty: Intermediate · Time: 20 min · Materials: Felt, thread, black embroidery thread, stuffing, free pattern
Best for: Stitched snowman gifts
The head and body are stitched together and stuffed through an open side, with the hat and scarf cut separately. The author rates it medium difficulty, so it is a good second project after one of the simpler sewn shapes above. The rosy cheeks and stick arms give it a lot of charm for 20 minutes of work.
Sew the felt snowman at Mommy Made That →
12. Felt Reindeer Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: Brown, cream, black, white and red felt, embroidery thread, stuffing, ribbon
Best for: Embroidery practice
Fifteen numbered steps cover the face, ears, antlers, ribbon hanger and stuffing, with a printable template. Links to blanket stitch and basic embroidery stitch videos sit on the page for anyone who needs a refresher before starting.
Sew the felt reindeer at Dear Creatives →
13. Felt Penguin Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: White, gray and yellow felt, stuffing, embroidery floss, ribbon, pink paint
Best for: A quick stitched animal
Three felt colors and simple embroidery stitches build a small penguin with painted pink cheeks and a ribbon hanger. The author notes that glue could replace some of the stitching, which is handy if you are short on time.
Sew the felt penguin at Handmade in the Heartland →
14. Felt Gnome Ornament
Difficulty: Beginner · Materials: Felt, thread, stuffing, ribbon or twine, free template
Best for: Gnome collectors
The free template comes in two sizes, and the larger one is recommended for beginners. Hat decorations such as hearts and snowflakes are added at the end, so one pattern can produce a whole row of different gnomes.
Sew the felt gnome ornament at Red Ted Art →
15. Felt Santa Ornament
Difficulty: Intermediate · Materials: Red, white, black and flesh-tone felt, thread, black beads, string, free template
Best for: A detailed Santa
Santa is built from layered pieces: a hat, two body pieces, a face circle, a beard, a moustache and a pompom, finished with black bead eyes and a string hanger. The free template and photo steps keep the layering manageable, but it is the most detailed ornament on this list.
Make the felt Santa at Kitchen Counter Chronicle →
Tips for Making Felt Christmas Ornaments
- Choose thick felt, around 1.5 to 2 mm, or a wool blend for glued ornaments. Thin acrylic felt tends to tear along the glue line and pill with handling.
- Give fabric glue time to cure fully, ideally overnight for stuffed shapes, before you hang them on the tree.
- Print templates at 100 percent scale rather than fit to page, so the pieces match the sizes the tutorial was written for.
- New to blanket stitch? Our felt fall ornaments are a gentle place to practice the same stitch before you start on a snowman or reindeer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did we choose these felt Christmas ornaments?
We reviewed more than 30 tutorials and kept only single, hands-on projects with a clear step-by-step method, leaving out other roundups, shop pages and thin posts. Each pick needed clear photos or a template, materials a beginner can find easily and a finished ornament we would happily hang. We balanced no-sew and sewn projects across a range of shapes and difficulty, listed our own two tutorials first, and link every other pick to its original source.
How do you make felt Christmas ornaments without sewing?
Cut two matching felt shapes, glue a ribbon loop between them and glue the edges together with fabric glue or a hot glue gun. Thick felt holds the shape best, and fabric glue needs time to dry before hanging. The no-sew section above has seven projects that follow this approach.
What is the best felt for Christmas ornaments?
Thick craft felt, around 1.5 to 2 mm, or a wool blend holds its shape and resists tearing along glued or stitched edges. Thin acrylic felt works for flat decorations but tends to pill and tear with handling.
Do felt Christmas ornaments need stuffing?
Only some do. Flat ornaments such as the glued tree, gingerbread man and nativity need no stuffing. Sewn shapes like the star, mitten, snowman and penguin take a light layer of polyester fiberfill so they stay soft but still hang neatly.
How long does it take to make a felt Christmas ornament?
The simpler projects here take about 15 to 30 minutes each, including the mini felt tree at 15 minutes, the snowman at 20 and the sewn felt tree at 30. Detailed ornaments such as the poinsettia and Santa take longer because they have more pieces.
Are felt Christmas ornaments safe for young children to make?
Yes, with adult help for scissors and hot glue. Flat glued designs are the easiest for little hands, and it is safest to use felt dots instead of beads or pom poms on anything made for children under four, since small parts are a choking hazard.
Felt is forgiving, so even a slightly lopsided tree or a wobbly set of stitches still reads as handmade charm once it is hanging among the lights.
Made one of these? Share your felt Christmas ornament in the I Made It space inside Craftaholic Community. The most-loved post each month wins a one year free Premium membership.
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