Felt Ornament Workshop: Stitching Into the Holidays

I couldn’t stop making felt ornaments so naturally it had to be Decembers 55+ Craft Class activity at the WOW Center in Merchantville, NJ. I’d been stitching them for fun, gifting them to friends getting engaged, and honestly just enjoying how relaxing they are to make. At some point it clicked, this would be a perfect end-of-year project for my 55+ class.

I designed two ornament options for the workshop: a simple snowman for anyone easing back into stitching, and a Christmas tree design that included beads for those who wanted a little extra detail. Both patterns were meant to be flexible. Nothing was precious. You could follow the pattern exactly, or completely make it your own.

What I loved most was watching everyone settle into their own rhythm. Some people hadn’t stitched in years, others jumped right in and started experimenting. There was a lot of customizing, changing stitches, colors, layouts, adding details, adjusting designs based on comfort level and creativity. It wasn’t about perfection, just making something that felt good to create.

We cut the felt, stitched the details, then sewed everything together, adding polyfill and a ribbon loop so the ornaments were ready to hang. By the end, every single one looked different, which is exactly how it should be.

It was such a fun, relaxed way to wrap up our last crafting class of the year. A little creative time, a lot of conversation, and everyone leaving with something handmade to take into the holidays. I am so thankful for this class and the connections I have made over the last two years. The Wow Center truly is a place of love and community.