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 !
[email protected] says
That is the most adorable thing I have ever seen, you are so talented!! P.S. I count my steps as I run too...maybe, we are OCD!
spabettie says
we are!! and that is okay!! most of the time I am counting and don't even realize it... 🙂
Samantha says
I love these sooo much! You should sell them, cause I bet you the doxie lovers of the world would buy them! I would! Plus, I love your photos of your dogs...Molly gives me the "side eye" quite often :/
spabettie says
yep, the doxies have that "side eye" down! I am thinking of an Etsy store for a DIFFERENT item, but can probably add these! 🙂
Erin @ A Girl & Her Mutt says
These are ADORABLE! You are a sewer at heart. Nice work!
spabettie says
Thanks, Erin!! 🙂 MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU !!
Paige is Running Around Normal says
I saw your ornaments over on Caitlin's blog and you did SUCH A good job. Very talented 🙂
spabettie says
Thanks, Paige! 🙂 I was SO excited when I made the Maggie one for Caitlin... with her spots and all... 😀
simplyshaka says
You are so flippin crafty! I took a sewing class once. Note that it was singular class, I sucked.
Basil is so dang handsome, yay for pups!!
spabettie says
Basil says Thank You ! and also HELLO to Linx!
Emily says
These are adorable! I don't really sew but I would love to make some of these ornaments! I too have a doxie and would love to adorn my tree with these 🙂
spabettie says
wouldn't that be FUN ? a big ol' tree FULL of doxies!! 🙂 what's your dachshund's name? I can add your blog to my DOXIE PAGE !!
Lauren @ Team Giles says
girlfriend! These are the cutest things ever!! I'm terrible at sewing, in fact, my husband is better at it than me. shameful. I'd love to make one of these as a Yorkie for my little Taxi 🙂 I may not be able to sew, but I like glue 😉
spabettie says
ha! actually, I think Jason sews better than me too!! 😀 it would be easy to make this into a Yorkie!! 😀
elise says
you are SO dang crafty!!! wow. love it.
spabettie says
Thanks, Elise!! It was fun! 😀
Sarah @ Long Legs Healthy Life says
Adorable!! What a fun project for the tree!
spabettie says
Thanks, Sarah! it was fun! 😀
Jennifer says
THESE ARE SO CUTE!!!!!!! I can't believe you were worried about pulling this off, these look like you are a sewing pro!!
spabettie says
Thanks, Jennifer!! 😀 I wouldn't say a PRO... 😉 I had fun, though!