Twelve Days Ornament Series

*Samples above made with the Jewel Colorway from Felt On The Fly*

YOUR RESOURCE PAGE FOR MY ORIGINAL TWELVE DAYS ORNAMENT SERIES!

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to meeeeee…
ornament patterns! Yay!
#twelvedaysornaments

I’ve always loved the Twelve Days of Christmas song, so I designed this series of hand-sewn folk ornaments for each of the twelve days, based on the original carol from 1780*. It’s a bit different than the modern version:

The twelfth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Twelve lords a-leaping,
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

SKILL LEVEL: CONFIDENT BEGINNER
See skills required below. Sew the series in order.

BEST VALUE: PURCHASE THE COMPLETE BUNDLE

If you need singles or smaller bundles, check the full selection in the shop.

MORE INFO:

This project started as a serial Christmas gift for my BFF Robyn (how patient you were, Robyn!) and then snowballed into a sewing pattern series. The hand-sewn ornaments make wonderful gifts, individually or as a set!

Total number of patterns in the series: 12
Total number of ornaments in the series: 15 (There are bonus ornaments in nos. 1, 6 and 12.)
Average size of the finished ornaments: About 4 x 5 inches (10 x 13 cm) Of course, it varies because the shapes vary, but that will give you an idea.

WAIT A SEC, AREN’T THESE OUT OF ORDER? The modern version of the song is the one most folks are familiar with, but I used the original carol from 1780*. The order of the gifts differs a bit toward the end. It also uses the term “colly bird” (old English term for blackbird) as opposed to “calling bird”, which came later. It’s all good. The best thing about DIY is you can number* your series any way you like, and make your colly bird in any colors you like!

*There is a supplement pattern in my shop to modernize the numbering if that is how you’d rather roll. Here’s the blog post. Click below to buy:

GIFTING:
A gift of patterns? Aren’t you nice! Because my patterns are downloads, it’s best to give your crafty giftee an Etsy gift card (or cash) along with a link to my shop (mmmcrafts.etsy.com) and let them download the patterns for themselves. Creating an Etsy account is easy and free for them, and their purchase will be backed up at Etsy in case of computer crashes, lightning strikes, or toddlers with peanut buttery hands.

WHERE TO BUY:
Purchase the Twelve Days PDFs exclusively from my Etsy shop and download them at your convenience. Your download links do not expire. You can purchase the patterns singly or in discounted bundles. (If you see my patterns for sale anywhere else, it ain’t legit. Beware of getting scammed!)

PLEASE NOTE: International VAT and/or other applicable taxes will be automatically added at checkout according to your nation’s tax law.

FREQUENTLY QUERIED QUESTIONS:

Q: HOW DO I FIND MY PATTERN DOWNLOAD?
Etsy emails you receipts that include your download links. Check your spam folder if it’s missing. You can also download your patterns anytime from your Etsy purchase history using a browser (not the Etsy app). GUEST CHECKOUTS: Please note the only way to access your guest checkout pattern is via your Etsy email receipt. Guest purchases will not show in your Etsy account unless you link them. It’s easy.

Q: I DON’T HAVE A PRINTER. DO I NEED ONE?
Yes. You do not have to print the instructions if you plan to read from a screen, but you will need to print the pattern pages to regular paper and also print or copy them to the Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch. Once you have a master set of pattern pages on regular paper, keep ’em handy. Then you can use a copier. Suggestions:

Perhaps you have a friend/son/daughter/life coach/tolerant neighbor/secret crush that has a printer you can borrow?
Perhaps you work somewhere that will allow you to print a few personal pages?
Libraries and churches often have copiers and printers you may use and may charge per page.
Note: office supply stores will not print my patterns without checking with me first because my patterns are copyrighted. Just contact me via my Etsy shop if you run into that issue.

Q: WHERE DO I BUY THE MATERIALS like felt, floss, stabilizer, beads, and other stuff needed?
I list US sources for materials in the back of all my patterns. Also Benzie Design offers lovely kits to go with my detailed color guides.

Q: I’M OUTSIDE THE US. WHERE DO I BUY THE MATERIALS?
I have a short list of international wool felt vendors here, recommended to me by customers. Also, Benzie Design gladly ships internationally.

Q: SO, WHAT DO I BUY TO MAKE THE WHOLE SERIES OF ORNAMENTS?
Each pattern includes a materials list, but what if you want to buy supplies for the whole series? Gotcha covered. Below is a comprehensive list of all materials needed to make the entire series (this list is also included when you purchase the full set of patterns). Zoom in or feel free to save/print this list:

Q: ARE THESE DIFFICULT TO MAKE?
They are easier than you think! If you can
1) sew basic stitches well by hand (backstitch, whip stitch and French knots) and
2) cut small pieces with precision,
then you can totally make these ornaments and make them well. There is no tedious embroidery transfer or pattern tracing involved. The secret to making them is a Sulky Stick ‘N Stitch. Simply print or copy my pattern to the stabilizer, peel off the backing, adhere it directly to wool felt, and stitch right on the lines. See more about how to get started here!

Q: HELP! WHAT COLORS SHOULD I USE?
Use your own favorite wool felt and floss colors or coordinate with your Christmas decor. I’ve seen pretty sets in every color combo imaginable (tagged on Instagram). However, I know that picking colors can be intimidating and stressful to lots of folks. Worry no more! I always make samples in delicious color combos and share the color guides, along with handy links to buy the felt/floss kits.
Click below for the color guides:

ERRATA and UPDATES:
Over the years I’ve made minor revisions in the patterns. Check these posts for updates to make sure you have the latest info:
https://mmmcrafts.com/minor-correction-for-swan-a-swimming-pattern-and-maybe-i-should-just-use-a-pipe-cleaner-anyway/
https://mmmcrafts.com/twelve-days-update-you-can-sub-pellon-70-peltex-for-the-wings-and-two-other-notes/

NEED HELP?
Click below for tutorials to help you perfect your mmmaker skills:

CRAFTSY/BLUPRINT: If you previously purchased Twelve Days patterns from Craftsy/Bluprint, no worries – your purchases are backed up under your account and can be found in your pattern library.

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE washing away the Sulky stabilizer? Please read this post!

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS! Use the tag #twelvedaysornaments on Instagram and Facebook. If you search that tag on Instagram you can view ornaments that others have made!
Note: Please do not post/share images or video of my actual pattern pages.

VIEW EVERY TWELVE DAYS BLOG POST: If you’d like to read and see more photos of all the patterns and prototypes, click here for a chronological sorting of all my blog posts.

PINTEREST BOARDS: A handy way to view lots of my Twelve Days ornaments samples in one place, plus there’s a board now just for Benzie colors and Felt On The Fly colors.

I hope this resource page was helpful! If you have questions, please contact me via my Etsy shop! That is the quickest way to get an answer. Happy sewing! 🙂