Ornaments for the Pet in Your Family

It's that time of year when those who make handmade gifts need to kick it in gear and get busy. If you haven't decided what you are going to make for those lucky enough to receive one of those gifts you need to do it now.

Every year I craft something for my each member of my small family, including my dogs. Yes. my dogs! After all they are an important part of my family. Where else do you get would you get the kind of unconditional love they give?

This year I decided to make some backstitched Christmas ornaments for everyone. Each with a unique saying just for the one receiving it. Problem. Where do I get patterns for all of these unique sayings?

Actually I found the sayings and made the patterns. This way everyone will have their own personalized ornament.

These are the ones I am making for the animals in our family.

Before you begin, you absolutely have the basic supplies required for this project. Among the supplies you will need is a good piece of aida cloth.

You need a medium to heavy weight cloth so your hard work won't end up looking saggy and baggy.

The aida cloth offered above is the perfect weight to make the perfect ornament.

I like to get the aida cloth by the yard because of all of the stitching I do. It ends up being more cost effective.

For someone who is just starting out, the package of aida cloth is the better choice.

I've been making hand stitched ornaments for years. They seemed to have become one of the favorite Christmas gifts of those who surround me, both family and friends.

It all started when I needed a little, inexpensive gift of a co-worker. I drove myself crazy trying to think of something small, but meaningful, to get for this co-worker that would reflect her interests.

I wandered around different store trying to get an idea, any idea. It was hopeless, the more I looked the less I found. There just didn't seem to be anything out there that I could purchase that my co-worker and friend would like.

So, I sat down and started a list of all of her interests. Maybe that would spark an idea. It didn't.

One day during lunch I mentioned my dilemma to another co-worker and friend who was clearly amazed that I was having such a problem.

"What's the matter with you" she said. "Why don't you just make her one of your pillow ornaments that are so cute?"

You could have knocked me over with a feather. It never occurred to me. I mean, I had been making them for my own Christmas tree but I had never made any for someone as a gift. It was an inspired idea.

I was rapidly running out of time so I had to come up with an idea of what to stitch real quick. I looked at the list I had made up of her interests and came up with a great idea.

She loved her dogs, she had six of them, and constantly referred to them as her kids. So I made up a stitched ornament that said "Dogs are just kids in fur coats". I backed it with a doggie Christmas print.

She loved it. She actually cried when she opened it. It was the first time anyone had made a handmade gift just for her.

The following Christmas I began making handmade ornaments and have been making them ever since.

Isn't that the truth. Your pet seems to rapidly wrap itself around your heartstrings and leave it's prints all over your heart.

You can also replace dogs with cats quite easily. It's perfect for either one.

This pattern was stitched on 14 count aida cloth. It's an easy pattern to follow and is adorable when backed with either a dog print, cat print, or Christmas fabric.

The Christmas before my mother's dog died I gave this ornament to her. She dearly loved that dog and it broke her heart when it died. I'm happy to say that she still hangs it on the tree at Christmas in memory of her beloved Bart. It seems to help her celebrate with him.

This saying is sure to tickle the pet owners funny bone.

This back stitch pattern is stitched on 14 count aida cloth.

Each pattern can be stitched in the color of your choice. I

I like to stitch my sayings in the favorite color of the pet owner.

You will see the finished stitched pattern below.

I can not tell a lie. My husband thought of this one. He thought it described the attitude of one of our dogs, Nina. She had a sway that just wouldn't quit.

Your pets wishes for Christmas are stated clearly here.

What dog wouldn't want Santa to leave them a mound of biscuits?

Your cat would equally love to have a mound of catnip.

Simply change the word biscuits to catnip and you'll please them both.

All of these patterns are stitched on white 14 count aida.

The stitched dog version of Deck the Halls is below.

This is my yearly doggie ornament. Every year I made a Dog ornament for my own tree. This year I thought this one was the perfect one for me. Merry Christmas to me.

Your pet's wishes will be out there for all the world to see.

This is the perfect gift for a dog lover. Tie it to a Christmas wrapped bag of dog biscuits and you've got a gift they will never forget.

For a cat lover change the word biscuits for the word catnip and tie it to a wrapped bag of catnip and they will love you forever.

They try to be good, really they do.

Show your pet you understand with this cute little note to Santa Paws.

They are good so much of the time, surely they are allowed a mistake every now and then.

Let Santa know they are terrific pets.

This stitched piece came into being when I saw an ornament that said "Dear Santa, I was good", I started thinking about how to change it around to fit a favored pet. Dear Santa Paws was the perfect switch. I liked it so much that I made an extra one for me. My Mother-in-law loved it. She thought it was perfect for her dog Sheba.

Show the world your dogs philosophy.

Live, love ( love that unconditional love), and bark is a perfect description of their lives.

This colorful design is sure to please the dog lover in your life.

To make it purrrfect for the cat in your life, change bark for meow and the biscuits for simple fish.

Look below to see how cute this pattern looks when stitched.

I came up with this particular piece when Julia Roberts movie "Eat love, pray" was popular. My brother loved it when he received it one Christmas.

It's true Cats Love Christmas too.

So do dogs.

Change cats to dogs and you've got both of them covered.

Show your pet or a pet owner that understand just how important Christmas is.

Stitch in your favorite color and back with the perfect fabric and you will have created a much treasured gift.

I stitched this for a life long friend who is a cat lover. Even though she no longer has the cat she still hangs her ornament on her tree every year.

What's a saying without an alphabet pattern. Here you will find an alphabet pattern will suit you. I blended different patterns to make my own alphabet pattern. You'll be able to do this yourself once you get the hang of it. Remember practice makes perfect.

Backstitching is an art, an easy art but still an art. The first part of cross stitching I learned was the backstitch. It's easy, quick, and not as frustrating as some of the stitches you come across.

I was about nine years old when my grandmother decided it was time I started learning the fine art of needlework. I was all thumbs in the beginning and begged her to let me stop.

After a few days I found myself able to backstitch a word that you could actually read. That was the beginning of a life long love affair with stitching. I will be forever grateful that my grandmother didn't give up on me.

The moral of the story is - if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Or, to paraphrase, don't give up until you make it work. If you give up too early you'll never know the delights you will miss.

I found two website sites that contain a whole bunch of free fonts patterns that are perfect for your saying ornaments. The first one is about.com, it has ten different alphabet patterns. The second site is New England Classic Stitch and it is loaded with different font patterns for you to choose from.

This is a terrific tutorial showing you how to make an ornament once you have finished stitching it.

It an easy way to show off your stitching and make the perfect gift for your pet lover friends and family.

Using a hoop to frame your backstitched saying is a fool proof and sewing free way to frame your saying.

Simply place you stitched piece face down, a piece of coordinating fabric best side up, and affix the frame to it. Tie a matching piece of ribbon at the top and you have a handmade ornament.