Christmas Treat Cones (In-the-Hoop)

Follow a Victorian tradition and make little treat cone ornaments to fill with candies or trinkets for friends, family, and guests.

Let these classic designs give your tree a one-of-a-kind look for the holiday season!

Read below for these free project instructions.

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies Needed:

-Small pieces of fabric (we are using lightweight canvas)

-Cutaway stabilizer

-Tear-away stabilizer

-1/4 inch wide ribbon

-Temporary spray adhesive

-Masking tape

Designs used:
A In-the-Hoop Christmas Treat Cones Design Pack

Gather Materials:

When you download an in-the-hoop treat cone design, you will see three files. One is named with only an "X" followed by 4 numbers - this is the embroidery file. The other file names include "_DL" which stands for dielines. The front piece is labeled "_DLFront" and the back piece as "_DLBack."

Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines.

We also recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)

Two white paper sheets on a wooden surface with triangular cone template outlines. A hand with a silver ring touches the right sheet.

To prepare the front fabric piece, spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Spray the back of the "_DLFront" template with a very small amount of adhesive, smooth it on top of the fabric, and cut out the shape.

Hand cutting green fabric around a white paper template on a wooden surface. Orange handled scissors are visible in the top right corner.

To prepare the back fabric piece, spray a piece of fabric with adhesive and fold it in half.

Hand holding up a folded square of light green fabric on a wooden surface, showing two fabric layers with a raw edge.

Trim off the top edge of the "_DLBack" dieline.

Hand holding orange scissors cutting along a triangular outline drawn on white paper resting on a wooden table.

Spray the backside of the template with a small amount of adhesive and align the top edge of the template with the folded edge of the fabric and cut out the shape.

Green fabric strip is cut and placed on a white triangular paper pattern on a dark wood surface; orange-handled scissors are nearby.

Start Embroidering:

If you do not have embroidery software, you can create templates by sewing the dielines directly onto paper. Hoop a piece of paper, embroider the dieline directly onto the paper, and cut out the shapes as described earlier.

Embroidery machine in progress stitching a red outline of a diagonal cone shape on white fabric secured in a hoop under the needle.

Now that the pieces are cut and ready it is time to embroider the treat cone! Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer.

Rectangular embroidery hoop with stabilizer fabric secured in place, resting on a wood grain surface, held by a hand with a silver ring.

Since both sides of the top edge of the embroidery will be seen, we are winding a bobbin in the same color as the top thread.

Close-up of a hand holding a clear plastic bobbin next to the needle and presser foot area of a white sewing machine on a white surface.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the embroidery file (the file that is named with an "X" followed by 4 numbers). Embroider the design - the first thing that sews is another dieline. After the dieline has sewn, stop the machine.

Close-up of a white fabric hoop in an embroidery machine with red thread stitching an outline of a cone shape on the fabric under the needle.

Spray the backside of the front fabric piece with adhesive.

Hand holding a white spray adhesive can, applying adhesive to a flat white paper cutout shaped like a cone with a scalloped edge, on a wooden surface.

Lay the fabric right inside the shape and continue with the design. A tack down stitch will sew across the top edge and along the sides. Also, a satin stitch will sew across the top edge. This binds the fabric piece to the stabilizer for the remainder of the design.

Green triangular fabric piece with red outline stitching secured in an embroidery hoop, attached to an embroidery machine needle area on white background.

After the tack down stitches are finished, change the bobbin to regular bobbin thread. Then, continue with the design - other elements of the design will sew. Watch for a note on the color change sheet that says "finishing seam". When you reach this step stop the machine. Remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Cut two 10 inch strips of ribbon, spray the ends with adhesive and attach them to the top corners of the front fabric piece with the ribbon angling up as shown. Be sure to extend the ribbon out past the outer edges of the fabric about 1/4 inch. Tape the ribbon in place above the top edge of the fabric.

Close-up of an embroidery hoop with green fabric inside, featuring stitched red ribbon and green holly leaves with red berries. A hand with a ring is nearby.

Spray the corners of the back fabric piece with adhesive and align it on top of the embroidered front piece.

Close-up of a hand placing a green triangular fabric piece inside a square embroidery hoop on a wooden surface with white stabilizer underneath.

Attach the hoop back on the machine and continue with the design. A finishing seam will sew next - this binds the back piece to the front piece and attaches the ribbon.