Patterns, patchworks and projects
Image from Eileen's Attic
Eileen of Eileen’s Attic blog made this adorable baby quilt top of elephants holding a flower with their trunks. So cute.
The block is an original design from Milk and Honey Quilts. Get the free block here.
There are some Christmas quilt themes that feel timeless no matter how many holiday seasons roll by, and ornaments are right at the top of that list. They’re cheerful, colourful, easy to recognise, and wonderfully flexible. A quilted ornament can look sweet and traditional in red and green, elegant in metallics and winter whites, or surprisingly modern in brights, ginghams, and low-volume prints. That makes ornament quilt patterns one of the easiest ways to add a festive feel to your sewing without getting boxed into one very specific Christmas look.
What makes this theme especially useful is how many directions it can take. Some patterns turn ornaments into full quilt blocks for throws, pillows, and wall hangings. Others lean into small handmade decorations you can hang on the tree, tuck onto gift wrap, or sew as quick stash-busting projects in the middle of December when your to-do list is already looking a bit rude. So whether you want a full holiday quilt or just a handful of handmade extras, there’s plenty to work with here.
If you enjoy building out a whole holiday sewing theme, this category also pairs beautifully with your own Christmas content on CraftGossip, especially 25+ Christmas Holiday Quilt Block Patterns For Holiday Quilts, Little Quilted Star Ornament Tutorial, and 25 Free Scrap Fabric Christmas Ornament Patterns. They all sit naturally alongside an ornament-focused roundup like this.
These ornament blocks are such a fun option if you love the look of a themed Christmas quilt but still want something playful and easy to personalise. They’re especially good for showing off festive prints, fussy cuts, and little novelty fabrics that deserve more than hiding in a scrap bin. This kind of block would look lovely in a full quilt, but it would also work beautifully in pillows or a mini wall hanging.
This pattern is a nice choice if you want smaller festive projects with a sweet, handmade feel. It includes several ornament-style designs, which makes it ideal for holiday décor, gift tags, or little stitched extras that can be finished fairly quickly. If you like projects that feel cute without being overly fussy, this one has a lot going for it.
This one is especially appealing if you enjoy making actual hanging ornaments rather than just ornament-themed quilt blocks. The pattern is designed around a set of four sweet Christmas ornaments, which makes it feel perfect for decorating a tree, putting together a handmade gift set, or creating keepsakes that can come out year after year. It’s festive in a very classic, comforting way.
This is a lovely option if you’re specifically in the mood to make actual fabric ornaments rather than quilt blocks. Multiple sizes make it easier to create a coordinated set, which is perfect for tree trimming, handmade gifts, or holiday market makes. This kind of pattern also tends to be very stash-friendly, which never hurts in December.
A multi-pattern set like this is ideal if you enjoy variety and don’t want every ornament on the tree looking exactly the same. It gives you more room to mix fabrics, colours, and embellishments while still keeping a cohesive handmade look. This would be especially appealing for quilters who love batch sewing in the lead-up to Christmas.
Christmas ornament quilt patterns are such an easy win because they work at almost every scale. You can make one statement block for a pillow, stitch a whole quilt full of baubles, or spend an afternoon making a handful of small hanging ornaments from scraps. They also give you endless freedom with fabric choice, which means you can make them traditional, sweet, elegant, rustic, or bright and modern depending on what you already have in your stash.
And really, that’s part of the magic of Christmas sewing. The best projects are the ones that feel festive the moment you look at them, but still leave enough room for your own fabrics and style to do the talking. Ornament patterns do that beautifully. They’re quick to recognise, easy to personalise, and cheerful enough to make even a slightly chaotic December sewing session feel worth it.
Elephant block. Have stumbled at the first hurdle. Tried to piece I onto H. But I is 2.5 inches and the rectangle H is only 4.5. I can’t make them fit. Clearly I dont understand the principle behind this. Also when it says trim seam, is the left hand corner two material pieces thick or does H get trimmed right back as well?
If someoe could explain this I can get stuck in. I am a good seamstress but a novice quilter – but I thought they would all fit together easy peasy. Help!!!!!!!
this is a way of making triangles without having to cut the triangle. lay I at the lefter corner of H. sew your seam from the corner to corner of I starting with the bottom left of I and sewing to the top right corner of I. then you trim both I and H at a 1/4 inch and press seam. It should only be one layer. then lay another I square over the right end of H. this time sewing corner to corner of I square from the top left corner to the bottm right ocrner. this makes the triangle of the elephant head. /\ then trim this one and press the I back open. I hope this helps.
Loved loved loved this little quilt. Enjoyed piecing it and the entire process. I am new to quilting and this was a nice challenge. I will make it again. Thanks for being so generous to share this cute idea.
So glad you enjoyed making this pattern Cloey! Welcome to quilting. Scarlett