Crafting a Festive Masterpiece: My Maple Leaf Poinsettia Christmas Ornament

There’s something truly special about handmade Christmas ornaments, and this year, I’ve been captivated by the idea of creating a “Christmas in July” advent calendar series. One of my favorite pieces from this series is the Maple Leaf Poinsettia ornament – a unique blend of natural elegance and holiday cheer. It’s a beautiful way to bring a touch of nature indoors for the festive season.

Let me walk you through the techniques and materials I used to bring this delightful ornament to life.

Materials I Used:

To create this festive ornament, I gathered a few key supplies:

• White Cloth: I used a piece of white cloth, similar to pillowcase material, as the base. This provides a clean canvas for the leaves.
• HeatnBond: To give the white cloth base some stability and prevent fraying, I applied HeatnBond to its back.
• Ribbon:
  • Green Ribbon: For the outer, larger leaves that form the base of the poinsettia.
  • Gold Ribbon: For the inner, slightly smaller leaves, adding a touch of shimmer.
  • Red Ribbon: The vibrant star of the show, used to create the central poinsettia rosette.
• Felt: Small circular pieces of felt are essential for neatening the back of the leaves and securely attaching the hanger.
• Metal Ring: This forms the sturdy hanger for the ornament, allowing it to be easily placed on a tree.
• Pearl Beads: These delicate beads add a touch of elegance, embellishing the center of the rosette and the gold leaves.
• Glue: A reliable craft glue is necessary to assemble all the different components.

My Crafting Techniques: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process of creating this ornament is quite satisfying, combining a few distinct crafting techniques:

1. Preparing the Leaves

I started with the white cloth base, ensuring it was backed with HeatnBond for that crucial stability. Then, I carefully cut out leaf shapes from both the green and gold ribbons. It’s important to make sure these shapes are proportionate to the overall size I envisioned for the ornament.

For the green leaves, I glued two pieces together, rounding off the edges to create a natural leaf shape. To give them a clean finish and added durability, I attached a small circular piece of felt to the back of each green leaf. These green leaves were then securely glued onto the maple leaf base.

I repeated this process for the gold leaves, making them slightly smaller than the green ones. Once prepared, I attached the gold leaves on top of the green ones, creating a layered effect that mimics a real poinsettia.

2. The Decorative Blanket Stitch Edging

To give all the leaves a polished and secure finish, I meticulously applied a blanket stitch along all their edges. This not only adds a beautiful decorative touch but also helps to prevent fraying, ensuring the ornament lasts for many Christmases to come.

3. Crafting the Vibrant Rosette

The heart of the poinsettia is its vibrant red rosette. I took a piece of red ribbon and carefully pulled it tight down the center. This technique gathered the ribbon, creating a lovely, ruffled rosette shape. To complete the look, I glued a small pearl bead right in the center of the rosette, giving it a delicate sparkle.

4. Adding Embellishments

To further enhance the ornament, I created a tiny bow from a piece of ribbon and attached a single pearl to its center, mimicking a stem. This small detail was then glued onto the center of the gold leaves, just before I attached the main red rosette. The rosette then took its place proudly in the very center of the gold leaves, bringing all the elements together.

5. Creating a Sturdy Hanger

Every ornament needs a way to hang, and for this, I used a simple metal ring. I securely glued this ring onto the back of the ornament. To ensure a neat and professional finish, and to cover the glued area, I then covered it with another small circular piece of felt. This not only hides any imperfections but also provides extra reinforcement for the hanger.

My Festive Creation

This Maple Leaf Poinsettia ornament is a true labor of love and a highlight of my “July Advent Ornament” series. The combination of rich gold, lush green, and vibrant red, with a subtle hint of white from the base, creates a truly beautiful and festive piece that I’m proud to hang on my tree. It’s a testament to how simple materials and thoughtful techniques can come together to create something truly special for the holidays.