Christmas Tree Straight Stitched A7 Card

 

Classic fir tree shape shape is composed of patchwork sections

and trunk of closely-spaced straight stitches. 

Use three holiday colors of perle cotton no. 5 (or 6-ply floss) 

and darning needle to make the stitches, 

then mount on front of card base for 5x7 card. 

(Or be creative and select preferred colors.) 

Also included is an up-arch two-part banner. 

Employ “print & cut” features to create

 the “merry christmas” banner’s front panel. 

(Plain banner shape also included for customizing with 

stamp or hand-penned sentiment.) 

(This tutorial is under construction.

Please return soon to view the complete

stitching and assembly guide.)

ASSEMBLY:  1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A front panel with stitching holes 

(2 to glue in a stack for strength)

B card base, side fold

C star accent

D banner front panel (print & cut "merry christmas" shown)

E banner base with double point ends

Also shown is 3 selected colors of DMC no. 5 perle cotton:

off white, red 666 and green 702

2. Prepare the front panels by poking through ALL holes

using the tapestry needle that will complete the stitching,

or a "tool" formed from an un-bent standard paper clip.

3. Apply glue to the underside of selected front panel,

then position it over top of second front panel,

taking care the align outer cut edges as precisely

as possible, and also . . .

. . . using the paperclip tool to push through

randomly-selected holes in critical places in

the pattern to ensure that the stitching holes align.

Immediately place the glued-up stack under a heavy

flat object such as this thick book volume, with something

heavy on top.

4. Obtain tapestry needle size 24 (or the finest blunt end

needle that can be threaded with the no. 5 perle cotton.

Allow the panels to be pressed for several hours or 

overnight, to help prevent warping or curling of shapes

glued together with liquid adhesive.

Cut a length (36-38 inches) of green perle cotton and

thread needle, leaving a several-inches long tail

at end threaded through eye.

5. For demonstration purposes, this sample project

will begin stitching at lower left hole.

Reverse the panels and attach the long tail to

the backside near to the beginning hole.

(This is the "tying on" process.)

6. Insert the needle from back to front through

first hole . . .

. . . and draw through fully to the front, allowing

the tape anchor to hold tail in place on backside.

6. Move up across the section (refer to the thumbnail

at the beginning of this post to see the direction of 

the straight stitches of this section), then insert needle

into first available hole. Pull needle and yarn fully through

to create the first "long" straight stitch.

7. To reduce backside bulk and economize on thread,

insert needle into the next neighboring hole that

completed previous straight stitch, and pull thread through.

8. Move across section again to insert needle in hole

next to first insertion hole to complete straight stitch #2.

9. Continue in the same manner to create the long

straight stitches on front side of panel, with short

"connector" stitches . . .

. . . on the backside.

10. When the first section is completed, string

the needle and thread across and upward to insert

needle in lower left "first" hole, to begin the next

section which uses the same color.

11. Move downward to insert needle into the lowest

hole in the sequence along the opposite side of

section to create the first long straight stitch

of this section.

12. Continue in the same manner to fill in

straight stitches in the sequence.

13. When the thread in the needle is used up,

at a time when there remains a convenient length

anchor a tail. Remove needle from thread, trim excess

away to leave approx. 1/2" final tail, then anchor

to panel's backside with a small piece of cello tape.

14. Continue to complete sections, moving

to next closest section, until all same-color

sections are complete.  Anchor off as described

in Step 13 when sections are completed.

Here is the panel with

green straight stitches in place.

15. Here is the panel with

green and red straight stitch sections in place.

Refer the image in Step 17 to see 

all straight stitch sections in place.

16. Use print & cut tools and procedures to complete

and cut the banner front shape with "merry christmas"

printed on selected white or offwhite card stock.

Position banner front onto banner base, aligning cut

edges that match up.

17. Position and attach the star accent above the stitches 

"point" of tree. Position and attach banner with 

punch holes aligning with matching holes in panel.

18. Position and attach the card panel onto

front of folded card base.

Here is the completed card.

Santa Gift Card Box

Festive Santa Claus head is layered together 

and attached to the LID front of a low-relief gift card box. 

Make Santa’s features even more dimensional 

by adding a painted .375” diameter wood hole 

“button” plug in the hole cut out on front layers. 

(Optional round shape to substitute and cover 

the holes is also included.) 

Box measures approx. 5.5" tall x 4.25" wide x .875" deep

to hold a standard gift card. 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes

A head base shapes (2-3 for thickness and strength)

B head base front layer (with eye contrast window)

C eye contrast rectangle

D face   E hat   F hat fur strip and tassel ball

G beard   H mustache

I LID top main shape    J LID boxing strips (2)

K LID interior panel

L BASE bottom main shape    

M BASE boxing strips (2)

N BASE interior panel

Also shown near shapes E & D is the painted

wood button "cover" for dimensional nose.

(NOTE that a circle shape is included in the file

to substitute for the wood button.)

2. Layer and glue together the head base shapes,

taking care to align ALL cut edges as precisely as

possible, paying particular attention to the nose

cutout hole (if planning to use the wood button detail).

Immediately . . .

. . . press glued up assembly under a heavy flat object

such as the thick book shown here, with something

else heavy on top. Allow to dry for several hours or

overnight. Pressing layers flat that have been glued up

with liquid adhesive is essential to minimize warping

or curling. (NOTE that Steps 3-4 can also be completed

prior to the pressing step.)

3. Position and attach the head base top panel as

for other head shapes as shown in Step 2, then

position and attach eyes contrast in the eye cutout

window. Press again.

4. Position and attach face shape onto lower portion

of head assembly, enclosing eye contrast panel

between. Align cut edges that match up precisely.

Press under heavy weight.

5. Position and attach fur strip and tassel ball on top

of the hat shape where edges match. Press flat.

6. Position hat assembly onto head base above face,

pushing cut edges at mid line together snugly.

Press flat.

7. Prepare each set of boxing strips by bending

edge tabs and flanges  back and also vertical perforation

lines between side, corner and top/bottom

segments.

8. Become familiar with the ID markings on box panels.

Here, the LID main panel includes 'L' cut near top,

and the BASE main panel includes two "bite" marks

along top panel.

Also NOTE that LID main panel and interior panel

appear to be nearly identical sizes, and can be

distinguished from BASE by nose button holes.

Identify the main shape by the 'L' cut.

In a similar way, the BASE main shape includes

the "bite" marks, so by default, the final panel

is the BASE interior panel.

The base strips also include identifying markings:

BASE strips have "bite" marks on end tabs,

and LID strips are plain.

9. Position, align and glue appropriate boxing strips

together, first end, then . . .

. . . form the assembly into a ring to align and join

the second end.

10. Repeat for second set of boxing strips.

11. For LID, bend top tabs and flanges inward

at perpendicular angle, apply glue, then position

LID main panel over opening, adjust to align each

edge of panel with tab or flange perforation edges

and attach in place.

Invert the assembly then apply pressure (without

un-adjusting alignment) around tabs at panel edges.

12. Apply glue to LID interior panel underside,

then insert into the LID main assembly.

(This will be a snug fit.)

Press all edges with fingertips to ensure alignment.

If possible, use appropriately-sized weights to

press the panel flat until dried.

13. Repeat Step 12 for BASE to complete "tray"

in same manner with main and interior panels.

14. Apply adhesive (preferably quick-grab such as

Fabri-Tac) to main lid panel, then position head

assembly, centered, over lid panel.

Take care to align the nose hole cutouts of

head with lid panel as well as . . .

. . . checking on backside of head panel to align

center bottom of beard to center bottom of tray.

15. When head is securely attached to LID,

apply glue to painted wood button nose, then

insert into the hole and hold until secure.

(Or position and attach alternative nose circle cutout

or cutout stack over hole.)

16. To finish box gift, use a sticky dot or equivalent

to bottom of BASE tray, insert and position and attach

gift card in place.

Fit LID over base with base walls inside LID walls.

NOTE this should be a snug fit so that the two

box parts will not fall apart when closed.

Here is the completed Santa Gift Card Box, with . . .

. . . a side view showing box.