Winter Snowflake Ornament

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the canvas

   Cut a 12 cm square of 18-mesh canvas. Tape all edges with masking tape. Find the centre of the canvas and mark it with a pencil dot. Count out an 8 cm × 8 cm stitching area (about 56 × 56 holes on 18-mesh) and mark the corners lightly.

2. 2

   Stitch the snowflake arms

   Using silver metallic thread, stitch the snowflake from the centre outward. Work 6 straight stitches radiating from the centre, each 12 holes long, evenly spaced at 60-degree intervals. Add small branching stitches off each arm — 2 short diagonal stitches on each side of the arm, about 4 holes from the tip. These branches are what make it look like a real snowflake.

3. 3

   Fill the background

   Using icy blue thread, fill the entire background with tent stitches worked in the basketweave method. Work carefully around the silver snowflake arms, stitching right up to the edge of each arm. The contrast between the silver snowflake and the blue background is the whole effect, so take your time to keep the boundary clean.

4. 4

   Add a border

   Work a single row of tent stitches in white or pale silver around the outer edge of the stitching area. This frames the design and gives it a finished look. Alternatively, work the border in a darker blue for a more graphic effect.

5. 5

   Finish and hang

   Block the finished canvas by dampening and pinning square. Let it dry completely. Trim the canvas to within 1 cm of the stitching. Fold the canvas edges to the back and glue or sew them down. Glue a piece of felt to the back to cover the raw edges. Attach a ribbon loop to the top corner for hanging. Add a small bow if you like.