Twelve Days in Twelve Months!
For 2026, may I suggest stitching your way through the year by making one Twelve Days ornament pattern per month? The patterns start out easy and get more complex as you go through the series, so you’ll build your skills. By the time you embroider and craft your way from January to December, you’ll have a beautiful heirloom set of fifteen wool felt ornaments to decorate your Christmas tree and enjoy for years to come.
(BONUS: After finishing, you’ll be ready to jump into my intermediate ornament series: ’Twas The Night and Ebenezer!)
SEW ALONG WITH ME! I’ve accepted my own challenge for the 2nd year in a row so I can gift a set to my youngest daughter by Christmas 2026. Here are the color guides for the set I made during the first challenge: TDITM 2025
JUST JOINING? Catch up with the latest blog posts. Lots of helpful info!
HOW DO I JOIN? No formal membership needed! Just purchase the patterns if you don’t have them, and sign up for my newsletter for reminders straight to your inbox. You can also watch my Instagram, Facebook, and blog feeds to get monthly reminders and inspiration posts, plus see my own progress!
SHARE YOURS: Starting in January of 2026, add a photo of your makes in the comments of the monthly pinned posts on my Facebook page, or tag your instagram posts with @mmmcrafts and #twelvedaysin12months to share your progress! We’ll cheer each other on! Let’s do this.
(REMINDER: Please, do not share photos/videos of my pattern pages.)
Q: I’M TOTALLY NEW TO THIS. HOW DO I GET STARTED?
A: No problem, for this series all you need to know is a few hand stitches, like whipstitch, backstitch, and French knot. You can brush up on those here or another of many embroidery tutorials available online. My step-by-step pattern instructions will take you from there as you sew the patterns in order from 1-12. Please read through this Get Started page for more helpful info, and check out my FAQ to find quick answers to the most common questions.
Q: WHAT IF I DON’T START IN JANUARY? WILL IT BE TOO LATE?
A: 100% not too late! One pattern per month is actually a pretty sedate pace. Each of these ornaments takes two or three crafternoons to complete, so you can sew multiple patterns per month, if you like. It’s easy to catch up.
Q: DO YOU HAVE KITS?
A: No, I only sell the digital patterns, but Benzie Design has you covered with felt, floss, and most of what you need for the series. Have a look here for my detailed color guides and links to their kits:
KITS AND COLOR GUIDES
TO BUY PATTERNS: Pattern downloads sold exclusively via my Etsy shop, mmmcrafts.etsy.com
SKILL LEVEL: Confident beginner, if you take the patterns in order from 1-12
SEE MORE:
View the Instagram highlights of TDITM 2026
View the Instagram highlights of TDITM 2025
Read all TDITM blog posts from most recent to oldest.
I have one set of the Piper Piping ornaments to finish from 12 Days( I was working two sets simultaneously but decided to focus on a set for my daughter) then I will Jump into Twas’ the Night and maybe start Ebenezer. I will only be working one set of each of those for now. A monthly ornament sounds very doable. I can’t wait to see what your next creations will be.
Fantastic, sounds like you are making great progress!
I have one ornament left in my second set of 12 Days of Christmas, and have started on Twas the Night Before Christmas, but am taking a break from ornaments to do 2 Lodestar Tree toppers. I really want a new tree topper for my tree this year, and if I don’t start it now, It might not get done. Maybe my daughter’s will get done, maybe not. I love your patterns!!I found them at the perfect time for me about 4 years ago, when I needed a new craft and hobby. Thank You!!!!!!!
I love to hear that! Yes, the tree topper is a lot of stitches so give yourself plenty o time. Thanks so much!
Looking forward to the TDITM 2026. I love how complete and easy to follow your instructions are. I have all my supplies- I just need to get sewing!!
So just to be sure I just buy each pattern from Etsy to do the 12 days of Christmas
Hey there! Yes, to participate: Just buy the patterns if you do not have them, get your supplies, and sew along with me as I make a set in 2026. Details on how to share your progress are in the post. 🙂
Can’t wait to get started on the TDITM 2026 challenge, I’ve been building up my patterns and purchased the last ones I needed just before Christmas, so I’m all ready to go.
Fantastic! I’m excited to get going on it too.
Hi Larissa
Greetings and good wishes for the coming year from Liverpool UK.
I finished Twelve Days on Christmas Eve and they have joined a little house and Mr and Mrs Claus. Your designs are very clever and the instructions so thorough, they are a joy to make and give me much pleasure. I am now ready to start on Scrooge.
I was sorry to read about your mother and hope that the coming year will bring you and your family peace, consolation and many happy memories.
Hey Gillian, thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the patterns! Scrooge is a fun one — his grumpy face! Thank you so much about my mom. Lots of tears in December but we were so blessed to have her.