Sher's Creative Space: Tutorial - Gingerbread Gift Card Ornaments

Here's a great craft that the kids will enjoy! I designed them in two sizes. One size will fit gift cards, while the other will hold your scratch-off tickets. So quick and easy! You can whip up a bunch in no time at all.

Supplies:
Felt square(s)
***one felt square will make 2 holders
Scraps of beige fabric or felt (fabric was used in the samples)
Medium or heavy weight paper-backed fusible webbing,
***1/8 yd will make 5 gingerbread guys
Medium weight fusible interfacing,
***1/4 yd (18 - 22” wide) will make 4 holders
3-dimensional paint in black, white, red, green
8” piece of 1/8” wide ribbon for each holder
8” piece of 3/8” wide ribbon for each holder
Good quality, thick craft glue (I like Fabri-tac by Beacon)
Thread to match holders
Embroidery floss, only needed if you are not using a sewing machine
Ribbon or metallic thread for hangers (optional)

General supplies:
Scissors, pins, sewing needles, embroidery needle (if not using a sewing machine), paper & pencil, paper or cardstock (for printing pattern pieces), iron & ironing board, sewing machine (optional), cutting mat with ruler & rotary cutter (optional)

Supplies notes: Fabrics (not the felt) can be pre-washed but do not use a fabric softener. It can prevent your adhesive from sticking.

Pattern Pieces for Gift Card Ornament

Right click and save to your computer

Pattern Pieces for Scratch-off Ornament

Right click and save to your computer

Instructions:
1. Print out the pattern pieces and cut out. If you use card stock, it will be so much easier to trace around them. Set aside for now. You will notice a 3" line. Make sure that line measures 3" so that your gingerbread people will properly fit your holder.

2. Cut your fusible interfacing just a wee bit smaller than your felt square(s). Fuse the interfacing to one of the sides of the felt, following the manufacturer’s directions for the interfacing you are using.

3. For each holder cut two pieces as follows:

For the Gift Card: 3 x 4 inches

For the Lottery Scratch-offs: 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches, will fit tickets that measure 2 1/2 x 4 inches

~if your tickets are bigger, just add the difference to the height and width

4. Pin the two holder pieces together with the felt facing out. Stitch around three sides leaving the upper edge (one of the short edges) open. Be sure not to go over a 1/4 inch seam allowance and pivot at the corners. Trim away the excess seam allowance, close to the stitching line.

If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can use a blanket stitch and 6 strands of floss around the edges. Just keep your stitching no bigger than1/4 inches in. You can find a tutorial right here on my blog for the blanket stitch:

Sher's Blanket Stitch Tutorial

5. Trace around your pattern pieces onto the paper side of the paperbacked fusible webbing. Just cut around the traced lines, NOT on them. You will cut on the lines later.

6. With the paper side facing up, iron the fusible webbing to the back side of your felt or fabric scraps, following the manufacturer’s instructions for the webbing you are using. Now you can cut on the traced line and remove the paper backing.

7. Making sure that the adhesive side is facing the felt, center the gingerbread person on the holder but leave a bigger margin at the upper (open) edge. You’ll want to leave room to place your bow.

8. Using the black 3-dimensional paint, make two dots for eyes in center of face, and a curved line for a smile.

9. Using the red or green 3-dimensional paint, make dots or hearts down front. The hearts are very easy to make. Just make a tiny “V” by beginning your paint application at the upper left, come down at an angle to the center. Lift the tip of the bottle and create the other side of the “V” the same way you did this one. That is how you get a tiny little heart!

10. Using the white 3-dimensional paint, make little squiggly lines on top of head, each hand, boy’s feet, and bottom of the girl’s dress.

11. Using the red or green 3-dimensional paint, go along the sides and bottom with squiggly lines. Let paint dry completely before completing, usually overnight.

If you've never used 3-dimensional paints before, you can get some very helpful information right here on my blog by clicking HERE.

12. From the 1/8” wide ribbon, make tiny little bows and glue to the neck.

13. From the 3/8” wide ribbon, make bows and place at the upper edge of your holder.

Finishing:
If you plan on making an ornament, attach metallic thread or ribbon to the upper corners. Just be sure to place them so they don’t interfere with the size of the opening.