This weekend, I brought my beloved joyful owl pattern to life in a new way!
A Downeast Thunder Farm Christmas pattern book has an ornament-size full-bodied Joyful Owl sporting a Santa hat. I made some of the felt owls this weekend with a bit of a twist. Instead of a hat, I gave her a scarf like I did my Joyful Owl tree topper.
I used wire for the legs and wrapped the wire around a bit of twig for a simpler, natural look.
The back is finished, so she looks stylish in whichever direction you see her. The scarf is a length of crocheted chain stitches using skinny red and white cotton yarn.
Then, I decided to explore my creative side with paper crafting. These might make fun paper for gift tags that could also be used for ornaments.
I used some fun handcrafted scrapbook paper Mom gave me years ago that’s been sitting on a shelf. I used my Cricket Maker 3 to cut out the pieces (I made a bunch!), glued the pieces together, and then tucked the owls under a book to dry flat. I drew the lines with a permanent marker where I would have stitched the felt version.
I repeated the wing on the back and then glued the two bodies together. In hindsight, I could have glued the sides together at the top only to leave room for a gift message inside. It’s a work in progress!
I wish you all the joy that comes from embracing creativity and finding new ways to bring these patterns to life!
Here’s the basic pattern for the ornament-sized Joyful Owl I used.
Thanks Susan for this delightful pattern, really all your patterns. Our Christmas tree is full of different kinds of birds. Some blown glass, some Dollar Tree finds, some from Lowes. They all bring me joy. I have been adding a bird or two from your patterns for about ten years. They also make great little gifts. Thank you for you wonderful photos, they keep me in touch with my New England roots down here in Mississippi.
You’re welcome!Happy Christmas!
Thank you for all your lovely designs. I thoroughly enjoy making them. The owls are particularly impressive.
Merry Christmas to you and your entire family.