Holiday Ornament: Christmas Pickle
The Holiday spirit is in full swing here at Grainline studio! We have Charlie Brown Christmas on repeat and a stash of (gluten free) candy cane joe-joes at the ready. We have decorated our windows as well as our special tiny golden tree. To help you make your holiday season merry and bright, we have a small gift to share!
We've been itching to make more holiday ornament patterns for years as it has been too long since Jen created the snowy owl and narwhal patterns. This year we were able to make it happen with two new free ornament patterns for you and yours! A Christmas pickle and a sardine can. You read that right, a can of sardines! The idea for these ornaments came from two special traditions I enjoy celebrating with my family around Christmas time- the Christmas pickle and the feast of seven fishes.
Today we are sharing the pickle pattern and sew along, and tomorrow we will share the pattern and instructions for the can of sardines so stay tuned!
The Christmas pickle is a holiday tradition where a Christmas ornament in the shape of a pickle is hidden somewhere on the tree and the first to find the pickle on Christmas morning either receives an extra present, gets to open their presents first, or is said to receive good luck in the following year. No one really knows the true story of how it was started, though there are some very strange tales you can read about here. With this pattern you can make a pickle of your very own (or to give as a gift) and bring this fun tradition to your family this Christmas!
Ok! to get started gather your supplies.
SUPPLY LIST: Felt, matching thread, hand needle, stuffing, an embroidery needle and beading needle if beading your pickle. For embellishment we have metallic embroidery floss, sequins, seed beads, and puffy paint.
We used craft felt here but you can use any fabric or scraps you have lying around. We also have a painted version and a beaded version as examples but you can embellish as you like with whatever is on hand.
Trace and cut your pieces. Transfer match points from the pattern onto the wrong side of each piece.
Pin one piece to another right sides together along one side. Sew from match point to match point with 1/4"seam allowance.
Repeat 3 more times. On the last side, be sure to leave a 1” opening near the center of the seam for turning and stuffing. Back stitch on either side of opening.
Turn the pickle right side out and stuff.
Using a ladder stitch or a whip stitch, hand sew the opening closed.
Your pickle is ready to be embellished! Gather your pickle decorating supplies.
For the beaded pickle we used running stitches, french knots, and sequins with a bead anchor. For more in depth embroidery instructions you can reference our post here.
For the painted pickle we just used squiggly lines of glittery puffy paint and polka dots of metallic green puffy paint.
With embroidery floss, thread a length through the top and finish with a knot to make a hanging loop.
That's it you're done - Now go hide your pickle for a lucky so and so to find!
Download the Pattern Here!
Right click on the image below to save the image below to your computer. Then print!
