DIY Felt Polar Bear Ornament (with Pattern)

In the very first batch of DIY felt animal ornaments I made, I sewed a DIY felt polar ornament but it was more of a cartoon shape.  When I decided to start fresh and draft a set of my own original felt animal ornament patterns, I wanted to create slightly more realistic – but still stylized – felt animals.  I studied photos of polar bears, including my own from seeing them at a sanctuary, and drew a few different pattern variations before settling on one I liked.  I wanted the polar bear looking upward, enjoying the night sky, but in real life polar bear’s necks look unnaturally long when they do that so my first few ornaments needed some scarves.  I think the proportions on the final version of my DIY felt polar bear ornament pattern are much better – with no scarf needed, lol, but you are, of course, welcome to add one for a little color!

Supplies:

• My Polar Bear Felt Ornament Template
• Soft White Felt (not the stiff/rigid kind)
• White Thread (I like Coats & Clark Hand Quilting Thread – it’s thin enough for beading, but strong enough to sew the ornament together)
• Green Heavy Duty Thread (optional – for hanging)
• Black Thread (for the nose and stitching on the eye bead)
• Transparent Silver Glass Seed Beads (I typically use sizes 10/0 OR 11/0, but you can use what you have)
• White, Clear, or Silver Bugle Beads in both a 5mm AND 9-12mm size (this pack has multiple lengths)
• 3 mm Black Bead (for the eye)
• Poly-fil or Wool Batting/Stuffing
• Beading Needle
• Hand Sewing Needle
• Short Fabric Sheers
• Printer
• Fine Tipped Sharpie + Printer Paper OR Gypsy Quilter Freezer Paper OR Stick N Stitch Self Adhesive Wash Away Stabilizer
• Stuffing Tool (optional)

You’ll see in this tutorial, I used two different sizes of beads for the eyes when I sewed different DIY felt polar bear ornaments.  I bought 3mm round black beads for some of my felt animal ornament patterns, but I think some might look better with a black seed bead?  It’s up to you!  Below is the polar bear ornament with the 3mm round bead, in the second photo (below), it’s sewn with a regular black seed bead.

Notes on Supplies:

Find more DIY felt ornament supply suggestions here.  But please note that you do NOT need to purchase everything on this list.  For example: you can skip beading or add embroidered details instead, if you have those supplies already.  Repurpose stuffing from old pillows or use felt/fabric scraps to stuff the ornaments.  Stick to a sharpie for tracing and use that same sharpie to stuff the ornaments, if you don’t want to purchase the freezer paper or stuffing tool.  You can make these with very minimal supplies.  I’ve linked everything I’ve used, but don’t feel pressured to buy it all – or buy it all at once.  Making DIY felt animal ornaments CAN be a very economical craft.

How to Use My Felt Ornament Pattern:

This pattern is a digital download, available to use immediately.  It’s scaled to 8.5 x 11″ and can be printed with any printer onto any paper, cut out, and traced.  Alternatively, you can purchase Gypsy Quilter Freezer Paper OR Stick N Stitch Self Adhesive Wash Away Stabilizer.  You can then print the pattern onto either material and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  Here’s a rundown of each method:

• Printer Paper: Print the pattern onto any printer paper, cut out the shapes, and then trace them onto your felt with a thin sharpie. Cut out the felt shapes.
• Freezer Paper: Print the pattern onto freezer paper, roughly cut out the shapes, iron them onto the felt and then cut out around the template.  Remove the freezer paper.  Benefit: it’s a steadier process than simply tracing and you don’t need to draw on the felt.
• Wash Away Stabilizer: Print the pattern onto stabilizer, roughly cut out the shapes, then stick them onto the felt.  Cut out the shapes and stitch on the beads.  Then dissolve the stabilizer with water.  Benefit: this option allows you to take advantage of the additional details on my pattern, which indicate where to place the beads.

Pattern Usage Rights:

Please note: this pattern is copyright protected and is for your PERSONAL USE ONLY.  It is not licensed to be shared online, used for commercial purposes, or sold.

How to Make a DIY Polar Bear Felt Ornament:

1. Print out my felt polar bear ornament pattern.
2. If using plain paper: cut out both of the three shapes and trace onto felt with a fine tipped permanent marker.
3. Cut out both shapes, inside the marker lines, with short fabric shears.
4. If using Freezer Paper or Wash Away Stabilizer: roughly cut out both shape first, then either iron/stick onto felt.
5. Cut out the both shapes, following the pattern, with short fabric shears.
6. Remove the freezer paper, but if using wash away stabilizer you can leave it on for the beading steps below – remove before sewing together the ornament.
7. Thread a beading needle with white thread, for the following 2 steps:
8. Stitch on a sprinkle of glass seed beads for “snow”.
9. Stitch on bugle beads for the chest “fur”.
10. Still using a beading needle, switch to black thread for the next step:
11. Stitch on the 3mm black round “eye” bead (or use a black seed bead).
12. Switch to a hand sewing needle and white thread for the following 7 steps:
13. Using a blanket stitch, sew together the front and back of the polar bear.
14. Stitch starting behind the ears, around the face and along the bottom of the ornament until the bum (marked on pattern).
15. Stop sewing and stuff the bottom of the ornament with poly-fil batting.
16. Use a pencil/capped pen or stuffing tool to work small sections of stuffing at a time into the face and legs.
17. Once the bottom has been stuffed, keep sewing but stop every inch or so to add more batting.
18. Repeat until the ornament is fully stuffed, and you’ve sewn the ornament fully closed.
19. Once you have sewn the seal closed, knot the thread to secure it, bury the end and trim the thread.
20. Still using a hand sewing needle, switch to black thread for the next step:
21. Add a few stitches, starting from the back, to create the “nose” shape.
22. Knot the black thread at the back of the ornament (on the “nose”), bury the end and trim the thread.
23. Still using a hand sewing needle, switch to green thread for the next step:
24. To hang, use a needle to string (preferably green) thread across the back.
25. Form a loop with the thread and secure with a knot.

Using the Polar Bear Felt Ornament Pattern:

For this tutorial, I’m using dissolving stabilizer (linked in the supply list).  Print the pattern onto the stabilizer and roughly cut out.  Stick on to the felt and cut out, inside the lines.  Leave it for the embellishment steps (seed beads, eye bead, and bugle beads) to help guide you with the bead placement.  Before sewing the ornament together, simply rinse away the stabilizer under lukewarm water, gently rubbing away the material as it dissolves.  Then allow the felt to air dry before continuing to sew.

Stitching on the Seed & Bugle Beads:

You’ll find more detailed photo instructions in my DIY Felt Seal Ornament and DIY Felt Fox Ornament tutorials, and the process here is the same.  Thread your beading needle with white thread, knot, and bring it up from the back of the felt.  Follow the pattern for placement and slide on a seed bead.  Then push the needle back down through the felt, securing the bead.  Repeat around the bear’s back for “snow”.  For bugle beads, bring the needle up, slide on a bugle bead and hold in place with your non-sewing hand.  Bring the needle back down at the edge of the bead, so it’s stitched on nice and secure.  Unlike with the seed beads, stitch through bugle beads twice for extra security.  Switch to black thread for stitching on the eye bead.

Rinsing Away the Stabilizer:

Before sewing the ornament together, simply rinse away the stabilizer under lukewarm water, gently rubbing away the material as it dissolves.  Then allow the felt to air dry before continuing to sew.  To speed up the drying process, you can place the felt between layers of a tea towel and iron on low/med heat (no steam/water).

Sewing & Stuffing the Ornament Closed:

Following my tutorial from other DIY felt animal ornaments, sew the polar closed using a blanket stitch.  Start stitching behind the ears and work toward the face and down the bottom of the body.  Keep stitching until you’ve reached the bum, then – before stuffing the ornament – stitch on the nose with black thread.  Use a stuffing tool to stuff the face, check, and legs with batting.  Keep stitching closed, stopping every inch or so to add more batting until fully sewn closed.  After stuffing, add a few stitches of black thread for a “nose,” then add a loop of thread on the back to hang!

How to Do a Blanket Stitch:

Below I’m borrowing photos from my DIY felt fox ornament tutorial, as the stitch is the same, to show you a detailed look at how to stitch the ornament closed.  Bring your new up through both layers of felt and guide the needle back through the loop you’ve created.  I’ll be putting together a tutorial on basic stitches in more depth, so watch for that coming soon!

The Finished DIY Felt Polar Bear Ornament:

Here’s what the finished DIY felt polar bear ornament will look like.  Feel free to add a little felt scarf or add more/less beading.  You’ll see from my DIY felt fox ornament tutorial that you can switch up the colors and beading completely, for an entirely unique look!

More DIY Felt Ornament Tutorials

Find all of my DIY felt animal ornaments patterns here, and check out these other blog posts for more DIY felt ornament tutorials:

• DIY Felt Seal Ornament Tutorial
• DIY Felt Fox Ornament Tutorial
• DIY Felt Gingerbread House Ornament Tutorial
• DIY Beaded Felt Moon Ornament Tutorial
• DIY Beaded Felt Heart Ornament Tutorial
• DIY Felt Cookies Ornaments Tutorial