Handmade Christmas ornaments do not have to be complicated to look special. This little felt candy cane uses just a few inexpensive materials, but the combination of snowy white felt, bright red stitching, and narrow red ribbon gives it all the charm of an old-fashioned Christmas decoration.
The design is especially appealing because it does not try to imitate a real candy cane too precisely. Instead, the white felt provides a soft base, red ribbon creates the familiar diagonal stripes, and visible blanket stitching celebrates the fact that the ornament was made by hand.
It is a lovely project for an evening of Christmas crafting, and once you have made one, it is easy to create a whole collection. Hang them on the tree, attach them to presents, tuck them into stockings, or string several together for a handmade Christmas garland.
🍬 What This Felt Candy Cane Looks Like
The inspiration ornament is made from two layers of white felt cut into a classic hooked candy cane shape. Red embroidery thread surrounds the outside edge in visible blanket stitches, creating a decorative border while also joining the two layers together.
Narrow red satin ribbon wraps diagonally around the white candy cane to form the stripes. A little additional red ribbon near the curved top adds another festive detail, while a simple light-colored loop allows the ornament to hang from a Christmas tree branch.
The finished piece is softly stuffed rather than completely flat, giving it enough dimension to stand out among the branches without making it heavy.
That combination of red, white, felt, ribbon, and visible hand stitching gives the ornament a traditional homemade character that works beautifully with classic Christmas décor.
✂️ What You’ll Need
For each ornament, gather white craft felt, red embroidery floss, a hand-sewing needle, sharp fabric scissors, a small amount of polyester fiberfill, narrow red satin ribbon, and thin cord or embroidery thread for the hanging loop. Pins or sewing clips are helpful for keeping the felt layers aligned, and fabric glue is optional if you prefer gluing the ribbon ends rather than stitching them in place.
You will also need a simple candy cane template. You can draw one yourself on paper or cardboard. A finished ornament around four to six inches long is a comfortable size because it is large enough to sew easily but still light enough for a Christmas tree.
The supplies are inexpensive, and one sheet of felt can produce several ornaments.
✏️ Make a Simple Candy Cane Template
Begin by drawing a candy cane shape on paper.
Do not make the hook too narrow. A slightly generous curve is easier to cut, stitch, and stuff than a very thin candy cane, particularly if this is one of your first hand-sewing projects.
Cut out the paper shape and place it on the white felt. Trace around it twice so you have a front and back.
An easy alternative is to fold or stack two pieces of felt, pin the template over both layers, and cut through everything at once. This helps ensure that the two candy cane pieces match closely.
Felt is wonderfully forgiving, so do not worry if the shapes are not mathematically identical. Small irregularities disappear once the ornament is stitched and stuffed.
✂️ Cut Two Matching Felt Pieces
Use sharp scissors to cut slowly around the candy cane shape.
The curved top deserves a little extra attention. Rather than making several large cuts, use short controlled snips as you work around the hook. This produces a smoother curve and reduces the chance of accidentally cutting too far into the felt.
Once both pieces are cut, place them together and check the edges.
If one piece extends slightly beyond the other, trim it now.
You should end up with two matching white candy canes ready to become the front and back of the ornament.
🧵 Add the Hanging Loop Before Closing the Ornament
It is easiest to position the hanging loop before the ornament has been completely sewn shut.
Cut a short length of white cord, embroidery floss, baker’s twine, or another thin hanging material and fold it in half to create a loop.
Place the two loose ends between the felt layers near the top of the candy cane’s curved section. Allow the loop itself to extend above the ornament.
Secure the ends with a few small stitches so the hanger cannot pull free later.
The image uses a light-colored loop, which keeps attention on the red-and-white candy cane itself. Red cord would work equally well if you prefer stronger contrast.
❤️ Use Red Blanket Stitch Around the Edge
The red stitching is one of the prettiest features of this ornament, so rather than hiding the seam, make it part of the decoration.
Thread your needle with red embroidery floss and begin joining the two layers with blanket stitch.
Blanket stitch creates a row of vertical stitches connected by thread running neatly along the edge of the felt. Traditionally it has both functional and decorative uses, which makes it ideal for felt ornaments. DMC’s embroidery guidance notes that blanket stitch can be spaced evenly along an edge, exactly the effect we want here.
Try to keep the stitches relatively consistent, but do not become overly concerned about perfection. Slight variations reinforce the handmade look.
Work slowly around the straight section and especially around the curve. The hook will require the stitches to sit slightly closer together so they follow the shape naturally.
Leave a small section open near the lower portion of the ornament for stuffing.
☁️ Add Just Enough Stuffing
Pull off small pieces of polyester fiberfill and push them gently into the candy cane.
Small amounts work better than one large clump because they can be distributed more evenly, particularly around the curved top.
Use the blunt end of a pencil, knitting needle, chopstick, or similar tool to guide stuffing into the hook if necessary. Be gentle so you do not stretch the felt or push through your stitching.
The goal is a soft, lightly padded ornament rather than a tightly packed plush toy.
Overstuffing can distort the candy cane shape and make the seams bulge. Stop when the ornament has a little dimension but still lies comfortably in your hand.
Then continue the red blanket stitch across the remaining opening and secure the thread.
🎀 Create the Red Candy Cane Stripes
The inspiration ornament uses narrow red ribbon rather than additional felt for its stripes. That detail gives the finished candy cane a cleaner, slightly more polished look while still feeling handmade.
Cut several short pieces of narrow red satin ribbon.
Place each strip diagonally across the white candy cane, leaving visible white felt between the red bands. Trim the ribbon so its ends finish neatly near the stitched edges.
You can secure each end with a tiny hand stitch using matching red thread. A very small amount of fabric glue can also work, but stitching provides a more durable finish and avoids stiff patches of dried adhesive.
Continue placing the ribbon at roughly the same diagonal angle as you move from the bottom of the candy cane toward the curved top.
The stripes do not need to be perfectly parallel. Once again, a little handmade variation adds charm.
🎁 Add the Ribbon Detail Near the Top
The photograph also shows additional red ribbon around the upper portion of the candy cane, giving the design a sweet finishing touch.
You can recreate this by folding a short piece of narrow ribbon into a small bow or simple crossed ribbon detail and attaching it near the inside of the hook.
Keep the embellishment fairly small.
The red edging and candy-cane stripes already provide plenty of decoration, so the little ribbon accent should complement the ornament rather than overwhelm it.
Secure the ribbon firmly with several stitches through the felt.
If you are making several ornaments, this is also an easy detail to vary. Some can have bows, while others can remain simple.
🪡 How to Make Blanket Stitch Easier
Blanket stitch can look intimidating when you first see the finished edge, but the technique is repetitive once you establish the rhythm.
Bring the needle through the felt near the edge, leave a loop of thread, and pass the needle through that loop as you form the next stitch. Continue along the edge while trying to maintain similar spacing and depth.
Around the outside curve of the candy cane, slightly wider spacing may work well. Around the tight inside curve, bring the stitches closer together so they follow the turn smoothly.
If your first few stitches look uneven, keep going.
By the time you have traveled around the entire ornament, your stitching will probably have improved considerably—and the slightly less perfect beginning will hardly be noticeable.
✨ Keep the Handmade Stitching Visible
It can be tempting to choose white thread so uneven stitches disappear into the felt.
For this project, resist that temptation.
The red stitching is part of the design.
Visible seams give felt ornaments their warmth and character. Instead of trying to make the ornament look as though it came from a factory, allow the construction to become decoration.
That is one reason blanket stitch works so beautifully for Christmas crafts. The seam is both practical and ornamental.
Even children or beginner sewists can create something attractive because the stitches do not have to disappear.
🎄 Make a Whole Set for the Christmas Tree
One felt candy cane is sweet.
A dozen can become a decorating theme.
Make ornaments in several sizes while keeping the same white felt, red stitching, and satin ribbon. The repetition will create a cohesive look on the tree even though every ornament is slightly different.
They pair especially well with traditional red-and-white Christmas decorations, wooden ornaments, felt stars, gingerbread shapes, popcorn garlands, red berries, and warm white lights.
For a Scandinavian-inspired Christmas tree, keep the surrounding decorations simple and incorporate natural wood, paper stars, straw ornaments, or neutral textiles.
The softness of felt also makes these particularly useful on lower branches where fragile glass ornaments might be less practical.
🎁 Use Felt Candy Canes as Gift Toppers
These ornaments make lovely reusable gift decorations.
Wrap a package in kraft paper, white paper, or simple red wrapping paper and tie it with natural twine or ribbon. Instead of adding a disposable bow, attach one of the felt candy canes.
The recipient gets both the present and a handmade ornament to keep.
You can also stitch a tiny initial onto the back of the candy cane or add a small fabric tag with the recipient’s name.
For family gifts, consider making everyone a candy cane in the same style and adding the year on the back. Over time, the ornaments can become a small collection documenting Christmases together.
🧵 Turn Several Into a Candy Cane Garland
If you enjoy making the first ornament, keep going and turn the project into a garland.
Make several small candy canes and attach them at regular intervals along red ribbon, baker’s twine, or jute.
Because felt is lightweight, the garland can hang across a mantel, shelf, doorway, window, headboard, or children’s room without requiring heavy hardware.
Alternating candy canes with felt stars or small pom-poms can add variety while preserving the red-and-white color palette.
For an especially nostalgic look, combine the garland with dried oranges, wooden beads, evergreen branches, or small brass bells.
👧 Can Kids Make Felt Candy Cane Ornaments?
Older children who are comfortable using a needle can make this ornament with adult supervision, and the project is a nice introduction to basic hand sewing.
Younger children can participate too, even if an adult handles the stitching. They can trace the template, choose ribbon placement, help with stuffing, or decide where the bow should go.
A blunt-tip embroidery or tapestry needle may be easier for beginners to manage than a very fine sewing needle, provided it passes through the felt comfortably.
The project is also forgiving enough that a child’s uneven stitching can become part of the ornament’s personality.
Years later, those imperfect stitches may be exactly what makes the decoration special.
🧸 Try a No-Stuffing Version
If you want an even simpler project, leave out the fiberfill.
Place the two felt pieces together and stitch around the entire edge without stuffing them.
The finished ornament will lie flat, almost like a soft fabric cutout.
Flat candy canes work particularly well as gift tags, garland pieces, wreath decorations, or embellishments for handmade Christmas cards.
They also require less felt and thread and are faster to sew if you are making a large batch.
For the soft dimensional appearance shown in the inspiration image, however, a small amount of stuffing gives the ornament a lovely finish.
❤️ Personalize the Back
The front of the ornament is already quite decorative, so the back provides a perfect place for a little personalization.
Embroider a child’s initial before sewing the layers together, write the year discreetly with a fabric-safe marker, or stitch a short name using simple backstitch.
For a baby’s first Christmas, anniversary, new home, or family milestone, adding the date can turn an inexpensive felt craft into a genuine keepsake.
If you are gifting several ornaments, the back can also contain a tiny embroidered heart, star, or snowflake that identifies them as part of the same handmade set.
🌟 Other Color Combinations to Try
Red and white is the natural choice for a candy cane, and it matches the inspiration image beautifully, but the same basic pattern can be adapted to almost any Christmas color palette.
Cream felt with burgundy ribbon creates a softer vintage look. White felt with green stripes feels playful and slightly unexpected. Pale pink and white can work for pastel Christmas décor, while deep green felt with gold stitching creates an ornament that is less literal but wonderfully festive.
You could also reverse the original design by using red felt with white ribbon and white blanket stitching.
Once you have created the basic template, the materials can change without altering the construction method.
📦 Store Felt Ornaments Carefully
Felt ornaments are much less fragile than glass decorations, but they still benefit from thoughtful storage.
Make sure they are completely dry if any glue was used before placing them in the ornament box. Lay them flat or loosely wrap them in tissue paper so the candy cane hooks do not become bent beneath heavier decorations.
Avoid storing them anywhere damp. Felt and fiberfill can absorb moisture, while ribbon can crease or discolor in poor storage conditions.
If the ornament becomes slightly flattened over the year, gently reshape it with your fingers before hanging it again.
One of the advantages of felt is that these little candy canes are remarkably resilient.
🎄 A Simple Ornament Worth Making Every Christmas
The appeal of this project comes from how little it needs.
There are no complicated patterns, expensive materials, sewing machines, or advanced embroidery techniques. Two pieces of white felt become a candy cane. Red thread finishes the edge. Ribbon provides the stripes. A little stuffing gives it shape.
The result feels unmistakably handmade.
That is something worth preserving in a season when so many decorations arrive perfectly finished in boxes.
Make one while watching a Christmas movie. Make a set with the kids. Give them to friends. Tie them onto gifts. Add new ones to the tree each December.
Eventually, the little felt candy canes may carry memories that have nothing to do with felt or ribbon.
That is when a Christmas craft becomes a Christmas tradition.
🔗 Related Articles
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Festive DIY: How to Make a Charming Dried Orange Garland
Christmas Craft Ornaments: Painted Ornaments
📚 Sources & Further Reading
DMC — Step-by-Step Embroidery Stitch Guide
Pop & Thistle — Original Felt Candy Cane Ornament Tutorial
