This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Get ready for the holiday season by crafting these charming felt gingerbread ornaments! Although Christmas ornaments can be bought at the store, it’s so much more fun making your own. This DIY felt gingerbread man ornament is really simple and satisfying to make and it will add a charming touch to your festive decor this year (and every year after!) They make the perfect heartfelt gifts for teachers, friends, family, or anyone special on your list. The tutorial for this cute felt Christmas ornament has easy-to-follow instructions and a free pattern template.
You only need a few simple supplies to make your own felt gingerbread man ornament. This is a fun crafting project that’s great for the Christmas holidays.
You might also like to make mason jar cocktail gift sets, clay name ornaments, a crochet star garland, or a homemade Ferrero Rocher Christmas tree.
Why You’ll Love It
Fun to make: Seasonal crafting is a great idea if you’re looking for a fun project for the holidays, and this felt gingerbread man ornament is enjoyable to make.
Great for gifting: Make several of these because they really do make great gifts.
You can personalize them: Choose your favorite embellishments to make these gingerbread man ornaments your own, varying the colors of the scarf, the eyes and buttons, and even the gingerbread men themselves.
Gingerbread Man Felt Supplies
A complete list of materials and amounts can be found in the instructions card below.
PDF pattern: All you need to do is print it.
Felt: Light brown or ginger felt works well and you can make one ornament with a 5 x 3½-inch piece. I used this felt.
Craft safety eyes: Choose 6mm ones like this.
Embroidery floss: You’ll need brown and white skeins.
Small buttons: For a decoration 6mm size works well.
Polyester fiberfill: For the stuffing. Just a small bag of fiberfill will be enough (unless you’re planning on stuffing some cushions too!)
Ribbon: ⅛-inch wide ribbon works well if you want to make a ribbon loop for hanging.
Fleece scrap: To make the scarf.
Scissors: Fabric scissors or general household ones will be fine (I used these!)
Sewing needles and pins: Keen crafters will already have plenty!
How to Make a Felt Gingerbread Ornament
For more detailed instructions with measurements, jump to the printable instructions card.
Cut out the body: Pin the body pattern piece on the felt and cut it out. You need 2 of these to make 1 ornament.
Add the eyes: Make a small hole for each craft safety eye and secure them to the fabric.
Add more decorations: Sew on a mouth with white embroidery floss and sew a couple of small buttons on the front of the body.
Stuff the gingerbread man ornament: Pin the front body piece to the back one and sew around. When there is only a small opening left, use polyester fiberfill to stuff the ornament.
Make a hanging loop: Make a hang tag with the ribbon and finish sewing the ornament closed.
The finishing touch: Tie a piece of fleece around the neck as a scarf and trim the ends.
Substitutions and Variations
Different felt: Use any kind of craft felt, such as a wool-blend, wool or synthetic. You can use any color you want too. No felt? Use fleece or another kind of fabric, preferably something with a little stretch in it.
Eyes: Instead of craft eyes, use plastic half-pearls, embroidery thread, Sharpie, or embroidery thread.
Embroidery thread: You can use regular sewing thread although the mouth comes out better if you use embroidery thread.
Hanging ribbon: Use regular ribbon, twine, yard, or string to make the hang tag.
Fiberfill: Any stuffing material will work, such as scraps of fabric or yarn.
Buttons: Any shape and color buttons will work, or you could sew on felt scraps or draw them on with Sharpie.
Seasonal Snacks to Pair with Crafting
Savory snacks: Enjoy some antipasto Christmas tree bites or Christmas deviled eggs while you work.
Sweet treats: A slice of rum bundt cake or Christmas poke cake is sure to put you in a Christmassy mood!
Festive sips: Spiced holiday punch is always a festive favorite. Cheers!
Top Tips
No over-stuffing: Stuff the gingerbread man ornaments until they are full but not overly so, otherwise they won’t look as tidy and the stitching might break.
Effective hang tags: It’s best to tie the ribbon in a knot and have that part inside the gingerbread man head. Add a stitch through the knot when sewing up the gingerbread man to secure it in place.
Supervise the kids: If you’re making these with the kids, keep an eye on them if they’re young because of the pins, needles and scissors. Older kids shouldn’t need much supervision.
Gingerbread Man Felt Decoration FAQs
Yes, you can use a hot glue gun to attach the buttons and hang tag, as well as attaching the front body to the back body. Draw on the mouth with a Sharpie.
Use a blanket stitch, running stitch, whip stitch, or any other stitch you prefer.
Sure, it’s a nice project for novices because there aren’t many pieces and it’s an easy project. Because of the small and sharp pieces, it’s best suited to older kids if you’re making it a family project.
Felt Gingerbread Decorations Tutorial
Felt Gingerbread Man Ornament
Supplies
- PDF pattern, printed
- light brown or ginger felt, one 3½ x 5-inch piece per ornament
- 2 craft safety eyes, black, 6mm size
- embroidery floss , brown and white
- 2 small buttons, black, 6mm size
- polyester fiberfill
- ⅛ Inch wide cream ribbon, 6 inches long (optional, for hang tag)
- fleece scrap, for scarf
- scissors
- sewing needles and pins
Instructions
- Pin the gingerbread body pattern piece onto the felt and cut it out. You need to cut two identical body pieces to make one gingerbread ornament.
- Using a sharp pair of scissors, make a small hole at each eye insertion point in the front piece of the ornament. Insert each of the safety eyes, and attach their backs.
- Using 3 strands of white embroidery floss, embroider a mouth to complete the face.
- Sew 2 small buttons onto the front of the ornament.
- Pin the front and back pieces of the gingerbread ornament together (right sides out) and starting near the top of the head, sew all the way around the edge using a blanket stitch (or another stitch of your choice) leaving an opening at the top of the head for stuffing.
- Lightly stuff the ornament with polyester fiberfill.
- Cut a 6-inch piece of ribbon and knot it to form a hang tag. Tack the hang tag in place (with the knot inside the head so it can’t pull out) then finish sewing around the edge of the ornament to close the hole. Ensure one stitch goes through the ribbon hang tag to secure it in place.
- Cut a ¼ x 7-inch piece of fleece for a scarf, tie it around the gingerbread ornament’s neck, and trim the ends to the desired length.
Notes
Effective hang tags: It’s best to tie the ribbon in a knot and have that part inside the gingerbread man head. Add a stitch through the knot when sewing up the gingerbread man to secure it in place.
Supervise the kids: If you’re making these with the kids, keep an eye on them if they’re young because of the pins, needles and scissors. Older kids shouldn’t need much supervision.
Looking for a fun Christmas crafting project? This felt gingerbread man ornament is so easy to make and a perfect idea for your Christmas decor this year. Most gingerbread men are for munching but these are for displaying. Make extra gingerbread people as fun gifts. This is one of the best crafts if you want to make Christmas tree decor in a gingerbread shape.
More Crafts to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Hello,
I would love to make these adorable gingerbread men but when I click on the download button I get a tree template. What am I doing wrong?
Many thanks.
Hi Annie, I am not sure what happened but I redid the link for the download so it should be working now.