Tulip Tree
A holiday ornament that’s a reminder of the coming spring
It is hard to miss the painted cupboard that stands more than 7 feet high and 6 feet wide in the Jan Curtis and Frank J. Spayth Gallery of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum.
The sheer size of the two-piece cupboard, built in Ohio circa 1830, makes for a noteworthy piece of American painted furniture, and the carved eagle that grasps a pitcher and a decanter rather than arrows and an olive branch likely indicates the cupboard was used in a public building such as a tavern.
But it was the floral motif that caught our eye.
The tulip shapes painted around the edges and on the drawers inspired our design for a simple, handmade ornament that will add color and a hint of the coming spring to this year’s holiday decorations. This easy, three-step project allows for time to make a bouquet for your holiday tree.
Supplies
- Matching Embroidery Thread
- Stuffing
- Pins
- Needle
- Scissors
- Ribbon
- Felt (9×12 sheets work well)
- Tulip Template
Instructions
Step 1
Print out two copies of the tulip template. Using the templates as a guide, cut two pieces each of #1, #2, #3 and #5. You’ll need four of the #4 pieces. Felt can shift when it’s being cut. Rather than pre-cut the templates, cut one layer of felt at a time using a new copy of the pattern piece each time.
Step 2
Use the photo to determine the placement of the stitches. We used a blind stitch (see diagram below):
Stitch #1 to #2.
Stitch #2 to #5.
Stitch #3 to #5.
Stitch #4 to #5.
Repeat.
Stitching Diagram
This image illustrates the blanket stitch and the blind stitched used in this project.
Step 3
To complete the tulip ornament, pin the wrong sides together, matching the edges. Pin a ribbon to the top and stitch around the edges. We used the blanket stitch (see stitching diagram).
Add a bit of stuffing between the large felt pieces before completing the stitching to create dimension.
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