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Designed and written by Belinda Karls-Nace of Blue Ribbon Designs
Hi friends! It’s Belinda with Blue Ribbon Designs, and I’m back with a fun Christmas in July project for the Therm O Web blog! As part of the Nutcracker Tree Skirt Panel Blog Tour, I’m sharing a creative twist on the beautiful, new fabric panel from the Nutcracker Tradition fabric collection by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story for Riley Blake Designs. If you're ready to sprinkle a little holiday cheer into your summer sewing, this quick and festive project is the perfect way to get a head start on handmade Christmas décor.
Inspired by the charm and whimsy of the classic Nutcracker tale, the Nutcracker Tradition collection is filled with delightful holiday imagery, enchanting characters, and festive details that feel straight out of a treasured Christmas story. The coordinating Tree Skirt Panel features beautifully illustrated motifs that do much of the design work for you, making it easy to create projects that look intricate and impressive. Whether you're decorating your home or stitching gifts for loved ones, this collection captures all the joy and wonder of the holiday season.
One of my favorite things about working with fabric panels is how quickly they come together into polished, professional-looking projects. This tutorial uses just a handful of supplies and is a wonderful introduction to machine appliqué for anyone wanting to give it a try. The decorative artwork in the panel creates stunning results with very little effort, making this an afternoon project that looks like it took days to complete. Since I don't actually have a Christmas tree in my home, I decided to take the panel in a different direction and transform it into a festive table topper and a collection of coordinating ornaments—perfect for bringing a touch of Nutcracker magic to holiday decorating.
Ready to bring a little Nutcracker magic to your holiday décor? Grab your Nutcracker Tree Skirt Panel and a few basic supplies, then join me as I transform this charming panel into a festive table topper and a collection of coordinating ornaments. These quick and creative projects are perfect for showcasing the beautiful artwork in a whole new way, and they're so easy to make that you'll have everything stitched up in an afternoon—just in time to start dreaming of the holiday season!
Begin by laying out the Nutcracker Tree Skirt Panel and giving it a good press to remove any wrinkles. Next, roughly cut around the outer edge of the table topper design, leaving about a ½" margin beyond the red and pink scalloped bow border. As you trim, be mindful of the charming character designs surrounding this border, as these will be used later to create coordinating ornaments.
Cut a piece of HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to fit the back of the table topper by placing the trimmed table topper design on top of the fleece and using it as a cutting guide. Once cut, fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the table topper following the instructions listed below. When pressing around the curved edges, use a Pressing Paper Fabric and Craft Sheet or a Non-Stick Pressing Cloth to protect your iron from any exposed adhesive. Take care to thoroughly fuse the entire panel, paying special attention to the outer edges.
Using sharp scissors, carefully trim around the outer edge of the table topper. Follow the red and pink scalloped bow border as your guide, leaving approximately ¼"–⅜" of the white background fabric visible beyond the printed design.
Use SpraynBond Basting Adhesive Spray to apply the table topper to the wool blend felt backing. Carefully center the table topper, fusible fleece side down, onto the wool blend felt, smoothing from the center outward to eliminate any wrinkles or bubbles. The temporary adhesive will hold the layers securely in place, making it easy to stitch around the edges and complete the appliqué without shifting.
Take the table topper unit to your sewing machine and stitch around the entire fabric panel edge to secure it to the wool blend felt backing. Use your favorite appliqué stitch—I chose a blanket stitch for this project because it adds a beautiful hand-crafted finish while neatly securing the edges.Thread the needle with white thread to blend with the fabric panel and wind the bobbin with dark green thread to match the wool felt backing. Sew slowly and steadily, taking your time around the curves and scallops to achieve smooth, even stitching all the way around the perimeter.
Using 7mm Scallop Pinking Shears, carefully trim the wool blend felt backing, following the appliqué stitching as your guide. Leave approximately ¼"–⅜" of the dark green felt extending beyond the stitching line. The decorative scalloped edge beautifully complements the scalloped bow border featured in the panel while creating a polished, professional-looking finish. Best of all, the scalloped cut is very forgiving, so don't worry about making every cut perfectly uniform—the finished edge will look wonderful and add to the charm of the project!
Now it's time to make the ornaments! The process is very similar to creating the table topper, with just a few small adjustments. The adorable character motifs surrounding the panel are perfectly sized for ornaments and come together quickly using the same appliqué techniques. Once you've made the table topper, you'll already be familiar with the steps, making these festive embellishments a fun and easy way to use the remaining panel designs and add even more Nutcracker charm to your holiday décor.
Loosely cut around the outer edge of each ornament design, leaving a generous ½" border beyond the printed character motifs. There's no need to cut precisely at this stage—just separate the motifs from the surrounding fabric while leaving enough excess fabric around each one to make the next steps easy to manage. Keeping this extra margin will also ensure that none of the decorative details are accidentally trimmed away as you prepare the ornaments for appliqué.
Cut a piece of HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to fit the back of each ornament by placing the loosely cut ornament design on top of the fleece and using it as a cutting guide. Once cut, fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the ornament following the instructions listed below. When pressing around the cut edges, use a Pressing Paper Fabric and Craft Sheet or a Non-Stick Pressing Cloth to protect your iron from any exposed adhesive. Take care to thoroughly bond the entire ornament, paying special attention to the outer edges. To save time and reduce waste, you can also fuse multiple ornament designs to a single larger piece of fusible fleece before trimming them apart.
Using sharp scissors, carefully trim around the outer edge of each ornament. Follow the character motifs as your guide, leaving approximately ¼"–⅜" of the white background fabric visible beyond the printed design.
Use SpraynBond Basting Adhesive Spray to adhere each ornament to a coordinating wool blend felt backing. Lightly spray the felt, then carefully center the ornament, fusible fleece side down, onto the felt, making sure there is at least a ½" border of felt extending beyond all sides of the design. Smooth from the center outward to remove any wrinkles or air bubbles. The temporary adhesive will keep the layers securely in place, making it easy to stitch around the ornament and complete the appliqué without any shifting during sewing.
Cut an 8" piece of baker's twine and fold it in half to create a hanging loop. Tie the loose ends together with a knot, then position the knot at the top of the ornament, placing it between the printed fabric layer and the wool felt backing. Make sure the loop extends beyond the top edge of the ornament. The knot and twine ends will be securely captured and hidden between the layers when you stitch around the ornament's perimeter, creating a sturdy hanger for displaying your finished ornament.
Take the ornament unit to your sewing machine and stitch around the entire printed fabric edge to secure it to the wool blend felt backing. Use your favorite appliqué stitch—I chose a blanket stitch for this project because it adds a beautiful hand-crafted finish while neatly securing the edges. Thread the needle with white thread to blend with the fabric panel and wind the bobbin with coordinating thread to match the wool felt backing. Sew slowly and steadily, taking your time around the curves and details to achieve smooth, even stitching around the entire perimeter. When you reach the hanger, use extra care to ensure the baker's twine remains positioned between the fabric and felt layers so it is securely stitched in place. Backstitch over this area if desired for added durability, as this loop will support the finished ornament when displayed.
Using 3mm Scallop Pinking Shears, carefully trim the wool blend felt backing, following the appliqué stitching as your guide. Leave approximately ¼"–⅜" of the wool felt extending beyond the stitching line. The decorative scalloped edge beautifully complements the scalloped bow border featured in the panel while creating a polished, professional-looking finish. Best of all, the scalloped cut is very forgiving, so don't worry about making every cut perfectly uniform—the finished edge will look wonderful and add to the charm of the project!
I hope this Nutcracker Tradition Table Topper and Ornament tutorial has inspired you to look at fabric panels in a whole new way. While the panel was originally designed as a tree skirt, it was so much fun reimagining those beautiful storybook illustrations as a festive table topper and a collection of coordinating ornaments. With just a few simple supplies, some machine appliqué, and the help of Therm O Web's wonderful products, you can create holiday décor that looks intricate and heirloom-worthy without spending days at your sewing machine.
This project is also a wonderful reminder of how versatile fabric panels can be. The printed artwork does much of the design work for you, making it easy to achieve polished results with minimal cutting and sewing. Whether you're new to machine appliqué or a seasoned stitcher looking for a quick and satisfying project, these Nutcracker-inspired pieces come together surprisingly fast while delivering plenty of holiday charm.
From brave Nutcracker soldiers and graceful ballerinas to whimsical holiday accents, each ornament captures a little piece of the magic found throughout this enchanting collection. Display them on a tree, tuck them into garlands, tie them onto gifts, or scatter them throughout your holiday decorating for an extra touch of Christmas cheer. And the coordinating table topper creates the perfect backdrop for holiday gatherings, treats, and treasured seasonal displays.
Thank you so much for joining me today on the Therm O Web blog for this Christmas in July project! I hope you've enjoyed this creative spin on the Nutcracker Tree Skirt Panel by Jennifer Long of Sew a Story for Riley Blake Designs as much as I enjoyed creating it. For more sewing inspiration and project ideas, be sure to visit my website or follow along on Instagram. If you make your own table topper and ornaments, I'd love to see them—be sure to tag me and Therm O Web so we can celebrate your creations together. Until next time, happy sewing and merry making!
by Belinda Karls-Nace
