I finally got the paw-print ornament done… but I ended up using a different fabric than I started out with

Here’s how it turned out:

I used my embroidery machine to write my dog’s name & “Christmas 2007″ with plain white thread.   I trimmed around the edges and then used a decorative zig-zag stitch to sew the fabric to a piece of white felt as a backing.  The hanger loop is just some 1/2″ decorative ribbon I had handy :-)  I thought it still looked a little plain, so I raided my button jar and used three glittery snowflake buttons.

I share my life with three mischievous dogs who I love dearly :-)  I like have ornaments on the tree that remind me of my pets and so I created this project.

If you’re not comfortable using paint on your dog’s paws, just use a small paint brush and paint your own version of pawprints.  If you are going to print using paint & your dog, make sure your paint is non-toxic.  You’ll be scrubbing it off right away, but why take the risk!  Non-toxic paint will have a seal of approval from the ASTM on it somewhere.

Just a reminder - the photos & instructions are my personal property & are not to be copied or re-posted!

I’m using 3 inch squares of fabric for my smallish dog.  If you have a larger dog I’d suggest using a larger square of fabric.  Fuse heavy-weight interfacing to the back.

I’d recommend making several squares - you don’t want to run out :-)  You’ll also need your paint & a paint brush (and not shown here, a small foam or paper plate).

Round up a helper and put lots of newspaper down. Seriously - do you really want to end up with paint-y pawprints all over?

Put a dollop of paint onto the plate and use the paintbrush to create a thin, even coat all over the plate.  Place your dog’s paw into the paint & then gently press it onto the fabric.  It took me three tries to get this print:

Let it dry overnight and I’ll show you how I used the print tomorrow

Oops.

I just left a very pretty Christmas wreath that I made out of yo-yos & ribbon at a local craft store.

Without taking a photo to share with you all!

It’s a demo for a class I’m teaching in December & I will get it back…  I just should have remembered before I left the store today

I do have another Christmasy yo-yo project though:

It’s a quick & easy 15 minute ornament.  I’ve strung 5 small (1″ across) yo-yos together, with a bead in between each yo-yo.   I made a little decorative picot on the bottom with 4 beads stitched into a circle.  The hanger is a piece of ribbon with a bow, stitched into the top yo-yo.

Seriously, 15 minutes for a cute ornament!