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When they finally appeared, many people thought they were unnecessary, impractical and even scandalous
Sew yourself a whole forest of firs using Elspeth Jackson’s fabric Christmas tree pattern. This project is really quick and easy to stitch, so it’s perfect for beginners.
This project is a great way to use up any leftover fabric pieces in a fun and creative way.
Need more festive inspiration? We’ve got more fantastic Christmas sewing projects for you to try or check out our quick gifts to sew collection to make last-minute Christmas presents. We particularly love this cute reindeer pattern by Lucy Ward.
Read on to find out how to make Elspeth’s fabric Christmas tree pattern step by step.
Notes
Use a 5mm (¼in) seam allowance.
Download the free fabric Christmas tree templates from Simply Sewing Magazine.
You will need
-
Fabric A
30x20cm (12x8in) for sections 1 and 4 -
Fabric B
30x20cm (12x8in), for sections 2 and 5 -
Fabric C
15x15cm (6x6in), for section 3 -
Polyester fibrefill
30g -
Wooden cube
6cm (2 3/8in) - White spray paint
-
bamboo skewer
5mmx24cm (1/4x10in), cut to length - Drill with 5mm (1/4in) drill bit
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Sequins
- Matching thread
- Basic sewing kit
Method
Preparing the wooden base
1
Measure and mark the centre of the wooden cube with a pencil.
2
Drill a 5mm (¼in) wide and approx. 4cm (15⁄8in) deep hole in the centre of the wooden block.
3
Spray paint the wooden cube and bamboo skewer white. Leave to dry.
Cutting out
1
Download and print the five tree template sections then cut them out.
2
From Fabric A cut: 2 using template 1 and 2 using template 4.
3
From Fabric B cut: 2 using template 2 and 2 using template 5.
4
From Fabric C: Cut 2 using template 3.
Sewing the shapes together
1
Pin two of each matching fabric shapes right sides (RS) together.
2
Sew around each pair, leaving a seam allowance of 5mm (¼in) all the way around. Leave a 1.5cm (5⁄8in) gap at the top of each section, except for section 1. Leave a 5mm (¼in) gap at the bottom of all sections.
Stuffing the tree
1
Turn each shape inside out and press.
2
Stuff each shape with polyester fibrefill. Use a pencil or knitting needle to poke the stuffing carefully into each section so they are firmly and evenly filled. Don’t worry if there is a little poking out the top and bottom.
Assembling the tree
1
Slide sections one and two onto the skewer. Section one should be balanced at the top of the skewer and section two just below.
2
If needed, poke more stuffing into both sections to make sure they are full.
3
Turn the skewer so section one points down. Use the glue gun to apply glue around the skewer on the bottom of section one. Don’t use too much or it will ooze out.
4
Slide section two downwards to join it to section one. Hold firmly until the glue dries.
5
Slide each remaining section onto the skewer in size order. As in steps three and four, glue section two to three, section three to four and section four to five.
6
Once all the sections are securely glued together, hand-sew the bottom of section five closed around the skewer using a ladder stitch.
Finishing off
1
Attach the sequins onto the tree as baubles by hand-sewing or using a glue gun.
2
Insert the bottom of the bamboo skewer into the hole in the wooden base. Push it in firmly to ensure the tree is stable.
You’re done! We hope you enjoyed stitching Elspeth’s fabric Christmas tree pattern.
