While on my treat/retreat, I had the chance to do a good turn. The shop's owner Dawn was out of town, aiding her elderly grandmother who had taken a fall. This grandmother is the one who started Dawn on her sewing career, and is a special person to many.
I took along the following: 3 cookies cutters [bell, tree, gingerbread man], roll of white, roll of red 1/8" ribbon, pinking shears, small jingle bells, scrap batting. I asked the group to take a few minutes to do a holiday ornament for Dawn, for the tree she put up in the shop [it was pretty bare], if they had the time and were so inclined. I supplied everything except their fabric.
Trace the cookie cutter onto a piece of fabric or flannel. Layer batting and backing. Simply stitch around the marked out cookie cutter pattern [straight or decorative stitch!], then trim with pinking shears. Hand sew or attach a ribbon to hang [you can try to insert it between batting and backing while sewing together]. Add a jingle bell if you want.
Voila! an ornament in less than 5 minutes. Sign the back if you want.
I'm happy to say when I left there were about 15 ornaments donated to Dawn's tree, and some happy attendees who now have an idea to use at home!
You could use any type of cookie cutter, or fussy cut fabric [I did that for a Celtic ornament hung on point]. And, you can do this for any holiday or occasion ;)
Ginger in CA