these handmade Dachshund Felt Ornaments are a sweet and festive nod to everyone's favorite Long Dog. a step by step guide makes it easy to do yourself!
Dachshund Felt Ornaments
I participated in Heather's ornament exchange last year, as part of Handmade Christmas 2010.
I am SO glad I did. It was SO much fun, and completely pulled me out of my comfort zone of No Sewing.
I do not sew.
Well, I guess I do now. 😉
I must have known I'd love this, because I signed up for the maximum of five. I make five ornaments, I get five in return. Then I told Heather (because I love her and because she organized this) that I would make one for her too. So, six.
What will I make, what will I make? What have I gotten myself into?
So, I'd give anyone who reads regularly or knows me, a HALF a guess as to what I would make.
Okay, onto the tutorial.
Gather your tools: Embroidery thread, sharp scissors, a needle, a chopstick.
Gather your material: Felt and stuffing.
Gather your inspiration: Dachshunds Basil, Jake and Elwood.
Basil !
Jake !
Elwood !
um, Elwood giving me the side eye.
Elwood!
ah... the inspiration is my favorite. 😀
Draw your shape, in this case, a dachshund. make a stencil. Ink an outline onto felt.
Cut out your template. You will use as a guide to cut out all doxies.
You need two pieces of felt for each dachshund.
Fold over a piece of felt, pin down template doxie, cut.
Cut two ears.
Now you are ready to start sewing! I used the blanket stitch:
Bring the threaded needle from the back of the fabric through to the front at the desired distance from the edge - this determines the width of the stitch. I start from the inside the pieces of felt, so the knot doesn't show.
To sew the first stitch, put the needle into the fabric from the front, the same distance from the edge as the thread came through in Step 1 and to the left. The distance between the two should remain consistent. When pulling needle / thread through, I stick my finger out to catch the loop before I pull all the way through.
Pass the needle through the loop and pull tight.
To sew the second stitch, put the needle through the back, at the same distance as the first, pull needle through to front, catching loop with finger and pass needle through loop. Pull tight. Repeat!
Then do the same stitching on each ear!
I actually stitched the ears first, then when I got to the top of each doxie head, I'd stitch the ears on as I went along... an ear for each side, flappable.
For these dachshund shapes, I began at the left of the belly, by the back leg, and sewed away from the belly all around the dachshund.
I take out the needle, but leave the thread in. After you stuff, you can keep sewing!
Ready to stuff!
Use very small amounts of stuffing at one time...
This is where the chopstick comes in.
Poke the stuffing into the leg, the tail if possible (the tail sticks up on its own), the head, front leg.
You need to hold the belly together to finish sewing...
Then sew a nose.
After the nose, stick the needle inside the head, poking out where you want the eye.
Sew an eye, poke through to the other side, sew another eye.
Well, Hello.
Hello Everyone!!
Next, pick another color of felt and cut a scarf.
Wrap around doxie, sew down in the middle, add a button. I used a silver charm on each one.
Using ⅛th inch satin ribbon, sew a hanger loop in the middle of the doxie back.
Completed Dachshund!
I made two for each recipient of the ornament exchange. I estimated they took about 2 ¼ hours each, and as I got into a groove, it was under 2 hours per pup.
I also made a few for a couple friends with dachshunds.
This one is custom:
I wish I had the time to make them for all the doxies I know!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS !
Zoe Geddes-Soltess says
These are absolutely adorable, Kristina! Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I especially love the scarves and little charms. Happy Holidays!
Zoe
Devri says
OMG Kris, I totally would buy these! How much?!
spabettie says
I have had a few people wanting them - I will have to add you to the list and get started making some! 🙂
Shirley @ gfe says
Oh those lucky recipients of these ornaments! Such a fabulous job, Kristina! They are adorable. Have I told you that we have THREE pairs of dachsunds at three different homes on our block. And may I just say these are not laidback doxies like Basil? Two of them have actually bitten our sweet, super reserved Sonny while we were out walking in the street with him on a leash. Good boy that he is, he doesn't even react or retaliate. Bad parenting (lack of training) is at play I think.
xo,
Shirley
spabettie says
thank you, Shirley!
oh NO, poor Sonny! unfortunately I think you are right, bad parenting 🙁 all of the dachshunds I have grown up with (and now Basil) all had very sweet dispositions. We see a dachshund pair on our neighborhood walks sometimes, and they are NOT friendly... and wouldn't you know, neither are their people! 😉
but to go after sweet Sonny? no! 🙁
XXO and happy holidays to you all! Kris
Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
I'm still totally in love with your dachshund ornaments! 😀
Merry Christmas, Kris! And greetings to Jason and Basil!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
That is too cute! I made sock dogs for the boys one year and I kind of get the itch to make more. I love homemade stuff like this.
spabettiemom says
Oh how fun to see all the doxie ornaments....so happy they are.....
Wonderful that your friend Christins' dog Rambo is on the mend; that
is so scary....I hope especially at this time of year, with all the chocolate
around , that everyone knows the dangers of chocolate for dogs.
spabettie says
wasn't it from Christmas chocolate that poor Kozmo got into that time? 🙁
I'm glad Rambo is okay too... and I hope it doesn't happen to other dogs!
Christin@purplebirdblog says
I loved these little guys last year, and I love them just as much this year! My Rambo had an emergency vet scare last night, so I'm just glad my little buddy is on the mend and will be here with us for another Christmas. <3
spabettie says
oh, no, Christin! what happened?? 🙁 happy the little guy is okay now, sending lots of Long Dog Love your way. XO
Christin@purplebirdblog says
Oh Kris, it was nuts. Alex wrapped some dark chocolate for me for Christmas and thought it was out of reach. I got home from yoga last night and Rambo had eaten an entire 3.5 oz 90% dark chocolate bar, enough to kill a dog 3 times his size! We've had a chocolate scare in the past but it was Lucy (who is much bigger) and much less chocolate (for which we induced vomiting and she was fine). I induced vomiting on Rambo with peroxide, but even after throwing up most of the chocolate, he was shaking all over and glassy eyed, so my neighbor helped me rush him to the vet. We went over treatment options and chose one I could afford. They induced vomiting again, gave him antinausea medication, and then activated charcoal. His heart rate was pretty elevated, so they kept him a while until it came down some, and then I brought him home to monitor him. He still had mild shivers and his heart rate stayed elevated most of the night, but he was able to get some rest - unlike his worried mama! Oh, and this was sad but funny - the combo of the chocolate and the charcoal apparently made him EXTREMELY thirsty, but they didn't want him drinking large amounts of water because it could make him vomit the charcoal up so I had to limit his intake. When Alex got home I snuck off to shower real quick, and Rambo came in the bathroom and hopped in the shower with me so he could take a drink! (He hates the bathtub.) Poor little man! This morning his heart rate was still a bit up but MUCH less than it was, and he has a small residual shiver which I'm hoping goes away as everything works its way out of his system. Poor Alex has been beating himself up over it all. I'm so grateful we have a half day at work today so I can go home and snuggle my little baby (and take a nap, I think I maybe got an hour of sleep total last night!). What. A. Night. Yikes.
spabettie says
oh, sweetie, I am so happy he is okay! and so sorry that happened, SO scary!!
that happened to one of my mom's dachshunds (gone now, but not from chocolate!) and he blew up huge, poor thing was so inflamed. I'm glad you can spend most of the day with Rambo... little sweetie. give him big hugs for me, and big hugs to you too! XO
Dorry says
of course I remember these precious things from last year - seriously so adorable! and made with so much love. <3
Heather @ Better With Veggies says
Oh wow - those are so cute and I can't believe you MADE them! I'm so completely impressed. I know who to exchange ornaments with now. =)
spabettie says
indeed! 🙂 (and I still can't believe I made them either...) 😀
Lindsay @ Lindsay's List says
Oh my word! these adorable! And so easy to change into some other figure. Henry needs R2D2!
spabettie says
R2 would be a FUN one to make!!