Felt and cotton scraps cut into small squares beside pinking shears

Patterns The notebook

Felt birds for the tree: a quick winter ornament

A plump felt bird ornament with a separate wing and a hanging loop, ready in an hour and sturdy enough to pack away every year.

Pinned up on

Felt birds are the December project: small enough to make several in an evening, simple enough for older children to help with, and nicer on a tree than anything bought. A good one is plump, sits straight on its loop, and is still in shape next year.

Draw a bird about 10 cm from beak to tail: a round body, a short pointed beak and a raised tail. Draw a separate teardrop wing about 4 cm long.

Cut and decorate before joining

You need

  • felt
  • floss
  • small scissors

Cut two bodies and two wings, the wings in the contrast colour. Do any decoration now, while each piece is flat: a row of running stitch along the wing, or a few lazy daisy flowers on the breast. Embroidery after the bird is stuffed is awkward and shows the back of every stitch.

Sew on the wings

You need

  • contrast floss

Stitch one wing to each body piece with a small running stitch round its edge, leaving the tip free. Check that you have a left and a right. It is easy to make two left sides.

Make the eye

You need

  • dark floss or a small bead

A French knot is the safe choice for any house with small children. A bead looks bright but must be stitched through several times. Place the eye about a third of the way back from the beak, slightly above the centre line.

Join, stuff and add the loop

You need

  • matching floss
  • ribbon
  • fibrefill

Put the bodies wrong sides together and blanket stitch or whip stitch round the edge, starting under the tail. Before you reach the top of the back, fold the ribbon into a loop and sandwich the ends between the layers at the balance point, roughly above the wing. Stitch through it twice. Stuff lightly through the remaining gap, a little at a time, then close it.

Check the balance

You need

  • nothing extra

Hang the bird by its loop. If it tips nose down, add a pinch of stuffing to the tail. If it tips back, add some to the breast. Wrap the birds in tissue paper when you take the tree down and they will last for years.