Classic Hound: DIY Felt Dog Ornament Classic Hound Style

I'm not sure what came over me last weekend, but I decided I needed to have ornaments of my two doggies. So I gave it a go. You know how we love silhouettes here at Classic Hound, so I already had half the work done. Here's the final outcome of my DIY felt doggie ornament adventure:

In case some of you would like to try it yourself (seems like a great Eve of Christmas Eve project to me!), I threw together a little tutorial on now to sew your own doggie felt ornament. This is my first tutorial, so I hope it makes sense! Let me know if you find anything confusing or have any suggestions. Here goes.

Materials

1. Your color choice of felt (I used red wool felt)
2. Heat N Bond (instructions here). Note, you will not be using this fusible material for fusing - just tracing.
3. Iron
4. Pillow Fill
5. Scrap of ribbon for the "collar"
6. 4" ribbon for hanging ornament
7. Thin cardboard (I used one side of a Cheerio's box)
8. Scissors, thread, and a sewing machine
9. Liquid Stitch or hot glue to attach the ribbon/collar for your doggie

Instructions

1. Download and print our (free) greyhound/whippet silhouette and cut it out.

2. Trace the silhouette onto a piece of thin cardboard (I used a Cheerios box).

3. This step is important. Carefully cut out the silhouette. Make special care to cute directly ON THE LINES, since you will be tracing and cutting again. This will prevent a chunky looking greyhound, or a mutant looking, bully whippet.

4. Iron a piece of Heat-n-Bond onto the wrong side (not applicable to most felts, but check in case yours has an obvious good and bad side) of your felt.

5. You are basically going to be sewing a doggie "sandwich", so flip your cardboard greyhound/whippet over and trace it's mirror image.

6. Cut out your silhouettes out (cut directly on those lines!). I cut out all along the outside lines and just thought this looked cool.
7. Even looks cool on the other side!
8. Once both silhouettes are both cut, peel of the paper.
9. Grab you 4" piece of ribbon to hang your ornament with, fold it over, and hold it in place (onto the smooth heat-n-bond side), and make your "sandwich". This is a great place to start sewing. Not only are you going to fix your ornament string in place, but you it's a great place to add the last of your stuffing and sew it closed.

10. Start right here on the ribbon.

11. Sew along the edge, about 1/8" seam.
12. Add a little stuffing along the way, about 1/2 way once you've got somewhat of a pocket to work with.
13. Keep going!
14. Stop once you get to the base of the neck.

15. Push the last bit that is unsewn open and a tad bit more stuffing with a chopstick or pen.

16. Back stitch and finish sewing your fantastically new dog ornament closed!
17. Do any trimming of threads and any mismatched edges of the felt.
18. Add some liquid stitch glue exactly where you'd like your collar to go.
19. Tightly wrap and press your ribbon into place.
20. Pinch with a clothespin and let dry.
21. Do a happy dance, because you're done!!!

Because Dewey is a super mutt (not to be confused with a super mutant referenced above) I had to draw my own version of they little guy.

And here they are together! I love them! My husband's first response to my artistic representation of our two dogs, was an immediate, "Was Dewey's "business" REALLY necessary to add there? I mean, seriously? That's pretty gross."

Well.

Yes, it is necessary. Considering how much the dude pees (along with other manly duties), yes, I'd say it was appropriate and necessary.

You may or many not want to add your boy doggie's business, but however you decide to sew your doggie's felt ornament, I hope you'll tell me about it, either here, through email (contact@classichound.com) or on Facebook!