Because life’s celebrations shouldn’t cost the Earth

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Christmas Gift Cone Tutorial

Fabric Hanging Cone




Appliqued Linen Cone


With only four weeks to go until Christmas, I thought this would be the perfect time to share a festive tutorial - For a lovely linen gift cone.

Fabric cones are a perfect festive sewing project, not least because they hold much less than a stocking!  They can also be adapted for any occasion, I made 25 personalised ones for Easter 2013, which you can read about here.  They would also make stunning wedding favours, carried by flower girls, and filled with confetti or rose petals.


   

Fabric Cone Tutorial
Materials

Christmas themed fabric or linen
Lining fabric
Iron-on interfacing
Ribbon
Button
Bell or pom-pom
Fusible web (Bondaweb/Steam a seam)


Method

First create a pattern for your cone.  I simply drew around a large serving plate and then trimmed it into a 'large quarter'! If you don't have a suitable plate to hand, paste mine into Publisher or Word and print out so that the sides measure approximately 6.5 inches. 



Prepare your chosen outer fabric by applying iron-on interfacing and then cut one cone piece from both this and the lining fabric.



Now comes the fun bit.......adding the decorations.  I decided on a cute little appliqued 'Christmas Pudding'.  This is a traditional dessert eaten here in England at Christmas and, as these cones are based on a Victorian idea, I thought a plum pudding which even Charles Dickens would recognise, was the perfect design!  

Draw a simple pudding shape onto fusible web and then, using your iron, apply to scraps of coloured fabric.


Position the pudding applique into place on your cone front and iron firmly.  Using black thread, machine stitch around the design at least twice - Don't worry about any wobbles, the aim is to produce a lovely 'sketch' like feel.  Add a little red button for the holly berry.


An equally lovely, and even quicker, decoration would be Suffolk Puffs (yo-yos), another traditional craft, perfect for Christmas.  As they are so easy to make, they're also a great way to get the children involved. The cone below is for George's teacher and he made the yo-yo himself, it's not quite circular, but I know she will really appreciate the effort!


Once your chosen embellishment is complete, fold both fabric pieces in half to create your cone shapes.  Pin and machine stitch then press seams open for a neat finish.


Remember to leave a small gap in the lining seam so that you can turn the completed cone through to the right side!


Place the lining inside the outer cone piece, right sides together.  Pin into place, also securing the hanging ribbon on either side.  Machine stitch and then turn the cone through to the right side, using the gap in the lining seam.  Push the lining inside the cone, leaving approximately a quarter of an inch showing at the top.  Stitch a little bell or pom-pom to the point and finally slip stitch the gap closed and that's it....All done!   


Now all that's left to do is hang the cone by the fire and wait for Santa to pay a visit!


Merry Christmas!


P.S. Don't forget to enter my Christmas Giveaway for a very lovely £25 Cuddly Buddly gift certificate. It's open to readers worldwide!



Good luck! 

18 comments:

  1. Oh very cute , thanks for showing !
    Greetings from Germany
    Silke

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  2. I'll tell you, Josie, the lamby cones just put a grin on my face-- SEW precious. Your Christmas puddings are pre-SHUS! ;-)

    What a quick little gift... Substitute for a Christmas stocking, eh? Adorable.

    Hugs and happy week,
    Kelley~

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  3. Oh, these are just lovely Josie and thanks for explaining the process. Something else to put on my "must make" list. Xx

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  4. what a great idea!! Thanks for the tute! i love how they can be decorated for any season or event!

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  5. These are lovely Josie, and so quick too!

    Thanks for linking up to Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew too

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  6. What a brilliant make! They would be great filled with Gingerbread biscuits as children presents!!
    Thanks so much for linking up with Ho Ho Ho and on we Sew!

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  7. They look great, I love the idea of using them for other seasons/festivities - especially as I'm sure my children would not let me get away with substituting them for stockings, Easter on the other hand I think I would manage!

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  8. No, I don't think my children would want one instead of a stocking either, but they're a great gift for lots of other special people at this time of year!

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  9. Hi Josie. I found your blog through the Threading My Way blog where your gift cones were featured. This is such a lovely gift idea! :o)

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  10. Hi Josie, Your gift cones are beautiful. Such a great idea. They've been featured today, along with your blog.

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  11. I love your cones, Josie - and they'll look great on the tree, too.

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  12. great little cones. I like the idea of them filled with biscuits.....or chocolates....or...lol

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  13. What a cute idea. I wonder what Santa is going to put in there.

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  14. Oh These are lovely. I have run out of time this year but I'm definitely pinning and hopefully I will be more organised next Oct Nov next year to fit them in! The little bell on the bottom is a perfect finishing touch.

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  15. What a lovely idea, thanks for sharing how to make them too.

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  16. These are very cute and special. Especially the named one! Thankyou for including the pattern. hugs Mrs A.

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  17. These are great, thanks for sharing the tutorial.

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