Cross Stitched Ornaments

Hello!  

Today I have a cross-stitch project to share with you, one that I actually stitched up a few years ago. I made these Cross Stitch Ornaments back in 2011 for my in-laws. To mark the first Christmas that they were grandparents.  

You see, unlike on my side of the family, on my husband’s side, my son has the privilege of being not only the oldest grandchild but also the oldest great-grandchild on both sides.  

Wow!  

In my family, things are a little different.  

Not only were there already 5 cousins in my immediate family when my son came along. But there were also over 20 great-grands already, on each side.

It really is something special. When the first grandchild comes along, and I wanted to mark and celebrate that in some way.

Below is a picture of my in-laws with their now 3 grandchildren.  

And, #4 will be arriving in June!

Also, I should note, that this time of year, when it is cold (and it is super cold here) and the snow is covering the ground, my craft of choice is cross-stitch.  

I mostly blame my older sister for this.  

When her oldest was born she cross-stitched him a beautiful stocking. Something my younger sister and I have done for our own children.  

So, that’s what I’m used to doing this time of year.  

Don’t worry, I’ll share my cross-stitched stocking here very soon.

But first, if you’d like to make your own simple Cross Stitched Ornaments, here is the how-to:

First off, make your pattern.  

I have not included a pattern here because I made this using free patterns I used online.  

I found the big calligraphy letter HERE and used this CAPTION MAKER to produce the rest of the lettering.  

Both of these patterns are really easy to use and print out very nicely.

After stitching out the lettering I outlined the first letter in green and then cross-stitched it in the background to make it square.

Once I finished the stitching I ironed on some heat bond and ironed the stitched material onto a green background, with a ribbon in between the two layers, to create a hanger.  

Finally, I headed to my sewing machine and stitched it around the outside to give it just a bit more strength.

And, that’s it!  

As with all cross-stitch projects, it doesn’t take any particular skill to complete this, but it does take some time!  

However, one of my favorite things to do this year is curl up in front of a movie with my husband, once the kids are asleep, and stitch, stitch, stitch!  

Because heaven forbid I could ever just relax and watch a movie!

Thanks for being here, and I hope your Advent season is full of reflection and family.

PS–don’d my in-laws have adorable grandparents’ names?  Bubba and Pappy?