I am teaming up this week with three other Chicken Scratch authors for a fun event we are calling “AUTHORS & ORNAMENTS.”
Make a Llama Ornament: A Connection Activity for the book SOLEDAD AND THE CURSE OF THE PHOENIX by Mindy Baker
One of my characters in the novel SOLEDAD AND THE CURSE OF THE PHOENIX is a llama named Suri. Why not make this cute little llama ornament with your middle grade child?
You will need:
- Felt of two different colors (one for the body and one for the saddle)
- Llama pattern to trace (I used this one). I found it online by a creator named Tutitati Tati.
- Small amount of batting to stuff the ornament.
- Embroidery thread and needle.
- Hot glue gun.
- Beads and small pom poms for the embellishments.
- Sharpie
DIRECTIONS:
- Trace and cut two llama bodies and one saddle.
- With the embroidery thread and needle, use a whip stitch to sew the two pieces of felt together. Here is a video to demonstrate.
- Make sure to leave a small opening for the batting. Stuff the llama with the batting and stitch it the rest of the way.
- Create a hanging loop with the embroidery thread by pulling your needle through the top of the ornament and tying the ends in a knot.
- Draw the face with a sharpie marker. (Option: cut out a face from the pattern, color it, and glue onto the felt. Googly eyes are also an option if you want the ornament to have a more playful look.
- Use the glue gun to attach the saddle.
- Use the glue gun to add the embellishments and tail.
- Hang on the tree!
Simpler version: Trace one llama shape and one saddle shape. Skip the sewing and stuffing. Glue on the saddle, embellishments and tail. Consider attaching the felt shape to a cardboard shape to make a more sturdy ornament. Add a hanger.
Interested in making more ornaments?
Here are the websites for the other authors where you can find out how to make their ornaments!
SUSAN REIMER: She’s making a horse ornament to accompany her book THE SPACE BETWEEN.
ROBIN KOLB: She’s making gingerbread horse cookie ornaments to accompany her book GALLOPING AWAY.
ABBI LEE: She is making a “hidden box” ornament to accompany her book entitled GHOST TOWN TREASURE HUNG about geocaching.
All of our books can be found on the Chicken Scratch Books website! In addition, our books are available wherever books are sold!
Which ornament would you like to try? If you make an ornament, I’d love to see a photo of your finished product!
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