We are getting creative with our tree toppers this year! In the past, we’ve created paper stars to use as Christmas tree toppers. But today we have something a little different for you. Designed by Krista, this felt dove tree topper perches perfectly on our Christmas tree with its little felt cone.
If you already have a tree topper, you can also use the template and tutorial below to create a pretty dove stuffie without the cone. Whatever you decide to do, this felt dove is a great intermediate craft project for those of you who have made some of our stuffies before or have done some hand sewing and stitching.
Bringing Peace to Your Home
Our felt dove tree topper might be a little less traditional than a star topper, but it’s just as meaningful. This sweet little dove with its olive branch serves as a symbol of love and peace — such a great reminder for the holiday season! Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you (or someone else) can enjoy this felt dove as a stuffie instead.
Ready to start crafting? Follow our step-by-step tutorial below and share your project with us by using #MadeWithLia. Next week we will be sharing how to make felt baby dove decorations for your tree, so stay tuned!
Crafting Tip: New to crafting felt animal stuffies and want to learn more? Take our mini course, 8 Easy Steps to Create Any Felt Stuffie.
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Tools
- Cricut Maker (optional)
- Craft Scissors
- Detail Scissors (recommended)
- Embroidery Needle
- Straight Pins
- Stuffing Tool
- Iron and Ironing Board
Materials
- Lia Griffith’s Wool Blend Felt – White, Slate, and Spruce
- Embroidery Floss — DMC Gold (5282), Fern Green, Snow White, Dark Pewter Grey, and Very Dark Antique Mauve (3802)
- Poly-Fil
- Heat N Bond Fusible Interfacing – Extra Firm
How to Make a Felt Dove Tree Topper
- Gather your craft tools and materials. Then download the template below.
- Cut out felt according to the pattern using a Cricut Maker or scissors.
- Sew four french knots on one of the wings using gold embroidery floss, needle-wrapped once, as shown on the pattern.
- Match the wing on top of a second. We will be using a double running stitch so that it shows on both sides of the wing.
Full tutorial available for members. Join here!
Explore More DIY Ideas
Want more ideas? Browse our felt stuffies and handmade ornaments. You can also see all of our holiday crafts and ideas here.
For daily DIY inspiration, follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook. And be sure to check out our YouTube channel for video tutorials!
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Are you having trouble? Feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help you out.
8 Comments
Newbie to embroidery here. Wanted to point out that the photo tutorial says to use a leaf stitch for the details on the wings, but the written instruction calls the stitch a fly stitch. Double checked the BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO EMBROIDERY BASICS and looks like a fly stitch there. Confused me there for a bit while I did Google searches. 🙂 Just passing info along. Love the dove and all the bird patterns your team creates!!!
Thanks for catching that error! The tutorial should be fixed and updated now. 😉
Hi, where in the pattern do you use the Heat n Bond Fusible Interfacing? I can’t find it anywhere in the directions. Thanks!
Hi, Katie! It is step 24 in the directions.
Hi – I am on my second dove. I would love to know the best way to mark the embroidery stitches. The invisible marker still left a spot as did my other markers.
Thank you
Hi Joelle,
We have always used the invisible markers, try using a lighter color and marking on the the back side of the fabric instead. You could also use tracing paper, trace the pattern onto the tracing paper then pin the tracing paper to your fabric. You can then embroider through the paper and fabric then cut the paper away when you are done.
Hi Lia, I am on the step where I should add the plaited fly stitch to the neck of the dove. However, I can’t figure out how I can embroider the dove when I can’t access the back of the fabric. Specifically, I don’t know how to get it started. If you have any advice for me, I would really appreciate it! I love this dove and I am so excited to place it on my tree!
Hi Emily,
A note from our in house embroidery expert: Knot off your thread once, and poke it through the felt from the front a bit away from where you want to start. Poke the needle out where you will be starting your first stitch, and gently pull to get the knot inside the bird. You can do this again when you want to end your stitches. You can also knot your thread and go into the side seams of the bird with your needle, between the blanket stitches, to start.
We hope this help solve your problem and finish your dove 🙂