Paper Bird Ornament Tutorial - Sewn Version

I was in the mood to do a little crafting today, and decided to make some paper bird ornaments. Care to join me?

If you don't like sewing, there is a no-sewing, taped version here.

You will need the following supplies:

1. Colourful cardstock, double-sided
2. Tape
3. Thin ribbon for hanging
4. Needle
5. Embroidery Floss
6. Stuffing (polyfil or yarn or paper bits)
7. Ink pen for drawing eyes

First, draw out the shape of your bird on the double-sided cardstock.
Cut out two bird shapes per bird.

Hint: It will be best if you just fold the paper in half so that you cut out two shapes at once.
Cut out two triangles for the beak. Make sure that the shape is longer than the beak length that you want.
Tape the beak shapes into place on the WRONG side (inside). You want the taped parts on the inside of the bird where it can't be seen.
This is how it will look from the outside when you're done. See? No tape showing.
Tape a loop of ribbon into place on the inside of the bird. This will be used to hang your ornament later.
Thread your needle with your embroidery floss (I used 2 strands) and tie a knot at the end. Place the other side of the bird in place and begin to sew the bird sides together (hiding the taped parts inside). You can use a bit of tape to hold the sides in place while you sew.

Hint: Avoid denting the paper when you push the needle through by putting the bird on top of styrofoam or something similar when you poke the needle into the paper.
Use a running stitch evenly spread out so that it looks good on both sides. When you get close to the end, add the stuffing. Don't add too much or the bird won't look good (and you can't sew it together). Continue to sew the bird sides shut until you reach the end.
Use an ink pen to add some eyes to both sides and, ta da! All done. Look how cute it looks!

Don't forget to post photos of your finished work on the Flickr page here.

Happy crafting!