Double-Sided Christmas Ornament (In-the-Hoop)

These double-sided, in-the-hoop ornaments are light and airy and perfect for hanging from tree branches or decorating a window.

And, best of all -- this project is another great way to use the In-the-Hoop magnet designs.

Just "mirror" the design with your embroidery software or embroidery machine. You'll get front and back versions that allow you to create double-sided ornaments!

Fill your tree with embroidered ornaments, give them away as stocking stuffers, or enclose them in holiday cards. They make perfect little gifts!

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies needed:

Fabric
Tear-away stabilizer
Medium weight, cut-away stabilizer
Temporary spray adhesive
1/4 inch wide ribbon

The designs used in this tutorial include:

Reindeer In-the-Hoop Magnet

Click here to see all refrigerator magnet designs.

Gather Materials:

Create the backside of the ornament by using the mirror function in your embroidery software or on your machine.

We are using Embird software to create the mirrored file. First, open the file with Embird. Click on Editor, then click on Edit. Click Mirror and then choose Horizontal Axis.

To save, click File, and then Save As. Choose your format, save the file with your other embroidery files. Make sure that you give it a new name to differentiate from the original file. Move both files to your embroidery machine.

If you do not have embroidery software, most embroidery machines have a mirroring function. If are not sure how to use the mirroring function, consult your machine's manual for the instructions.

Screenshot of embroidery software showing a brown and yellow outline of a leaping dog with a collar on a grid background. The software interface includes toolbars and editing options.

Start Embroidering:

Cut a piece of fabric a bit larger than your hoop. You can use any kind of fabric to make an ornament. (We used chenille to give our reindeer a "fur" texture.)

Spray a piece of cut-away stabilizer with adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together.

Embroidery hoop with tan fabric tightly secured inside, placed on a wooden surface, with metal adjustment mechanism visible on hoop handle.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the mirrored design. Begin embroidering the design. Embroider only the first step, which is the die line. When you reach the second step, the "front piece tack down," stop the machine and skip past this step. (If you are not sure how to do this, consult your machine's manual for the instructions.) Continue sewing.

Watch for a note on the Color Change Sheet that says "back piece tack down." Just before you reach this step, stop the machine and remove the hoop from the machine.

Embroidery machine stitching gold and brown thread on brown fabric within a gray hoop, forming a curved shape with partial leaf and petal outlines.

Unhoop the fabric and cut out the shape by following the outer die line shape.

Our fabric is somewhat plush, so we are cutting along the die line on the back of the embroidery where it is easily visible.

Close-up of hands cutting white fabric with embroidered outline of a reindeer using orange-handled scissors on a wooden surface.

For the front fabric, create a paper template by printing the "_DLFront" at full-size using your embroidery software.

Spray a piece of cut-away stabilizer with adhesive and smooth a piece of fabric on top.

Hand holding a small piece of tan textured fabric with white paper edges on a wooden surface, showing the fabric's rectangular shape.

Spray the back of the paper template with a bit of adhesive and smooth it on top of the fabric. Cut out the shape.

Hand holding orange scissors cutting white paper shaped like an angel with gold glitter strip on bottom, on a dark wood surface.

Now that both of the fabric pieces are cut, we are ready to embroider the ornament.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer and attach the hoop to the machine. Load the design (that's the file that starts with "X" followed by 4 numbers) and begin sewing the first step, which is the die line.

Close-up of white fabric in embroidery hoop with black outline stitching of a bird shape being sewn by an embroidery machine needle.

Spray the backside of the front fabric piece with adhesive.

Hand spraying adhesive on a white fabric cutout shaped like a reindeer, placed on a wood grain surface.

Place the fabric piece right inside of the die line shape.

Embroidery machine stitching a brown felt reindeer shape on white fabric hooped in an embroidery frame, with a hand guiding the fabric.

Continue to embroider the design. A zigzag tack down stitch will sew next. This binds the fabric to the stabilizer for the remainder of the embroidery

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a brown reindeer shape on white fabric inside an embroidery hoop, with machine parts visible.

Other elements of the design will sew. Watch for a note on the color change sheet that says "back piece tack down." Stop the machine right before you reach that step.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a brown reindeer with gold antlers on white fabric, positioned under the machine's needle and presser foot.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Cut a 6-inch length of ribbon, make a loop, and tape the loop to the back side of the back fabric piece on the top edge.

White reindeer Christmas ornament with gold embroidered antlers, brown eyes, and brown nose, attached to a white ribbon loop on a wooden surface.

Spray the backside of the fabric with adhesive.

Hand holding white spray paint can applying spray over a white angel-shaped cutout with gold glitter details and a white hanging ribbon on a wooden surface.

Place the fabric on the backside of the embroidery, aligning it right inside the shape from the die line.

Hand holding a brown embroidered reindeer with gold antlers and white ribbon loop, secured in embroidery hoop on white fabric against wood table.

Tape the loop to the side of the hoop to prevent it from getting sewn over.

Close-up of hands attaching white satin ribbon to a white fabric piece held in an embroidery hoop on a wooden surface, with a brown embroidered dog design partially visible.

Since the thread on both sides of the ornament will be seen at this point, wind a bobbin with the same thread as the top.

Close-up of a hand holding a metal bobbin with thread near the needle and presser foot of a white sewing machine.

Attach the hoop back into the machine and continue to embroider the design. Another tack down stitch will sew next.

Brown reindeer embroidery with pink face and golden antlers in a white hoop under a sewing machine needle on white fabric.

And, the finally a satin stitch border will sew.

Embroidery machine stitching a brown reindeer with gold antlers on white fabric, close-up of needle and hoop in progress.

After the design has finished, unhoop the stabilizer and gently and gently tear it away from the design.

Hand-embroidered double-sided reindeer ornament with gold antlers, brown body, and dark green outline held next to white fabric on a wooden surface.

Get Inspired:

You'll a do a double-take when you see how great these double-sided ornaments look on your tree!