These handmade holiday dachshund ornaments are a sweet and festive nod to everyone's favorite long dog. A step by step guide makes it easy to do yourself!
tutorial originally published December 21, 2010
Handmade Holiday Dachshund Ornaments
In the spirit of learning something new, I signed up for a handmade holiday ornament exchange.
I am SO glad I did. It was SO much fun, and completely pulled me out of my comfort zone and was a fun challenge.
I do not sew.
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: natural fiber vegan felt and stuffing.
Gather your inspiration: Dachshunds Basil, Jake and Elwood.
Basil dachshund
Jake dachshund
Elwood dachshund
um, Elwood giving me the side eye.
The sweet puppy 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 dachshund, 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: use the chopstick to push the stuffing evenly into the head and legs.
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 dachshund.
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 to match a friend's dog:
I wish I had the time to make them for all the doxies I know!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS !
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday says
LOVE it!!
I have to make a cocker spaniel one!
spabettie says
DOOO IIIIT !!
Aimee says
SO cute! I love that they are wearing scarves. 🙂
spabettie says
but of course!! 😀
Caitlin says
MAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGIE
spabettie says
<3 <3
spabettie mom says
These doxies turned out just adorable!!!I am so proud
of you!! For not knowing how to sew....you did a terrific
job and I know you had fun watching them take shape...
..great tutorial....Love ya....
spabettie says
Mom, I LOVE YOU !! I SO could not have done this without you !!
<3 <3 <3 XXOXO !
Jason and I had SUCH a fun time yesterday, can't wait to see you again in a few !
Danielle says
This is SO CUTE! I passed it along to my friend, Hilary, who has two doxies. I wonder if these will be on her tree next year. Thanks for sharing!
spabettie says
oh, I HOPE SO !! 😀 thanks for sharing !!
LiveForTheRun says
Was your site overloaded with cuteness. Are you kidding me?! This is absolutely the most precious things. AWW!!
Do you do jack russells, lol?
spabettie says
hmm... give me some Jack Russell time... perhaps for next year? 😀
Beth says
Those are seriously adorable! I love the step by step because you make it look easy!
spabettie says
they really are pretty easy, and if I AM saying that, you KNOW it's true!!
assistantdoc says
These are so freaking cute they made me cry! Well, maybe the crying was from being pregnant but these are adorable just the same! My mom has an Advent Calender for Christmas with similar felt figures and you pin them into the Christmas tree scene each day. We are missing two figures so I think, after watching this, I will make them! Thank you sista friend!
spabettie says
<3 Love You, Sarah...
purplebirdblog says
OMG these are the most adorable ornaments I've ever seen! You are quite talented!! 😀
spabettie says
hee !! 🙂 thanks! as you can see, I had some pretty CUTE inspiration! 😀
Brittney says
Those are SO AWESOME! I can't believe how long they take to make! I totally understand that you can't make them for all the doxies you know because of this. That's a commitment! Maybe I'll attempt this project, but I'm admittedly intimidated!
spabettie says
you are next on my list for a Custom Clyde... <3