Rustic Embroidered Burlap Ornaments for a Scandinavian Christmas Tree

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Turn leftover burlap into charming embroidered burlap Christmas ornaments. A quick Christmas craft project in Scandinavian style, perfect for cozy, handmade holiday decor.

Last winter, I was knee-deep in a furniture makeover project—reupholstering an old chair with a Dutch postal bag. It was one of those projects that seemed like I had bitten off more than I could chew, but I didn’t give up – even in the ugly stages – and it turned out to be one of my all-time favorite makeover projects.

When I finally finished the chair, I had a small piece of upholstery-grade burlap left over. Most people would have tossed it. But if you’re anything like me, you know that no good piece of fabric ever really leaves the craft room.

That little square of burlap traveled with me for over a year. It sat on a shelf, got moved from one box to another, and silently waited for its moment. Then, one afternoon while organizing my craft room after a Holiday decorating and crafting spree, I spotted it again—and suddenly I knew. I had one more Christmas craft project in me. Because this forgotten bit of burlap was destined for something festive. Something handmade. It was destined to become Holiday decor.

So I grabbed my scissors and some white embroidery thread and got to work on my new embroidered burlap Christmas ornaments with a Nordic twist.

How to Make Embroidered Ornaments from Leftover Burlap

These ornaments are wonderfully simple to make. No fancy supplies, no long afternoons—just a few minutes of creative joy. I started by cutting the burlap into heart and star shapes. The stiff texture of my upholstery-grade burlap holds its shape beautifully, making it perfect for ornaments.

If you are using less stiff burlap, then lining it with some fabric scraps on the back is a good option. The easiest way to do that is to use adhesive interlining fabric and iron it to the burlap before cutting.

Next, I used white thread to stitch simple embroidery patterns—little snowflakes, cross-stitches, and borders inspired by Scandinavian folk designs. If you don’t have an embroidery pattern on hand, don’t worry. Just freehand a few simple lines or tiny motifs. The beauty of this project is in the imperfections—it’s handmade, after all.

A few buttons and bits of lace from my scrap bin added texture and charm. You could also use ribbon, twine, or even tiny beads if that’s more your style. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s personality.

More burlap craft projects you will like:

The Easiest Handmade Ornaments from Fabric Scraps

There’s something so satisfying about creating Christmas decor from what you already have. I love upcycling Christmas cards into ornaments, turning old doilies and table runners into crochet ornaments, using sandwich bags to create a little nativity scene, or using yard clippings to create Christmas floral arrangements.

And if you want to see lots more homemade Christmas ornament ideas, I have got those for you too.

I love my little embroidered burlap Christmas ornaments. I can see many uses for them.

Of course, I can hang these burlap ornaments on my tree, but I could also tuck them into wreaths or tie them to wrapped gifts for a handmade touch. They pair beautifully with natural textures, which is my go-to Christmas decorating style.

This project reminds me, once more, that sometimes the best ideas come from scraps and leftovers. That small piece of forgotten burlap became something lovely—proof that even the most ordinary materials can shine when you give them a little attention.

So if you’ve got leftover fabric from your last upcycle project, pull it out, pour a cup of something warm, and make a few of these simple embroidered ornaments. They’ll bring a cozy, handmade touch to your holiday décor—and maybe even start a new tradition of your own.

 I hope you liked my little burlap ornaments.

If you do, then don’t forget to save them to your Christmas board on Pinterest!

Thank you for sharing my content!