Buffalo Plaid Christmas Ornaments with a Twist

This cute little buffalo plaid Christmas ornament has a tiny pocket on the front that’s the perfect size for tucking in a mini candy cane, a note to Santa, or a small gift.  Plus it makes an absolutely charming gift card holder.

Every year I can’t wait to make a few handmade Christmas ornaments to add to our tree. This year I’m starting things off with a super cute upcycled ornament with a fun twist – it has a pocket!

black and white buffalo plaid ornament with red letters that say Joy and a little pocket for holding gift card.

I’m thrilled to be participating in the fourth annual Handmade Christmas Ornaments Blog Hop hosted by An Extraordinary Day, The How to Home, and Celebrating Everyday Life.

Every year I am blown away by the adorable, creative ornaments shared and this year is no different. You can see everyone’s fabulous ornament ideas at the bottom of this post.

My own little ornament began when I repurposed part of a buffalo plaid shirt for another DIY ornament. I had plenty of the shirt left over and I knew I could figure out a creative way to use it all.

When I saw the cute little pocket on the front, a lightbulb went off. I knew it would make a fun ornament. 

I mean pretty much everything is better with pockets, why not ornaments too!

This ornament is really simple to make. It only requires a few supplies and takes less than ten minutes. 

And best of all (for me anyway), no sewing!

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Materials for Buffalo Plaid Christmas Ornaments with Pockets

How to make a Plaid Christmas Ornament with Pockets

plaid pocket and wood ornament shape for diy plaid ornament.

This ornament really is incredibly simple to make. 

If you’re having trouble finding a good plaid shirt to use, try hitting up a kids’ consignment store. The ones near me are packed with little plaid shirts this time of year and they are only a few dollars each.

Or you can also make a similar ornament without the pocket using wide buffalo plaid ribbon or a scrap of fabric.

wrapping the pocket around the ornament.

Cut around the pocket and figure out exactly how you want to place it on the ornament.

Trim off the excess fabric, leaving about an inch border around the ornament.

Wrap the fabric around the ornament, attaching it to the back with your hot glue gun.

making a diy buffalo check ornament.

When you get to the top of the ornament, you can cut off the fabric around the ornament ‘hanger.’ 

I used a black Sharpie oil based paint marker to color the top of my ornament but you could also use paint if you prefer.

diy buffalo plaid ornament with black top.

To cover the glued edges on the back, cut a circle of leftover plaid fabric and carefully glue it over all of the messy edges.

To decorate my pocket, I added the word joy. I painted some small wood letters red and then attached them to the front of the pocket.

This would also be a great way to personalize your ornament with your name or the name of whoever you are giving it to.

wood letters for handmade ornament.

Lastly, I replaced the rustic twine that came with my ornament shape with baker’s twine.

upcycled buffalo plaid christmas ornament.

Look how cute it is!

diy black and white buffalo plaid ornament hanging on christmas tree.

And with a note and a few little branches tucked in the pocket it is even more darling! 

I really wanted to stick some mini candy canes in there, but it’s a bit early for them to be in stores. :)

handmade plaid christmas ornament with a note and a few evergreen sprigs tucked in the pocket.

Not only is this a fun ornament, I also think it would make a fantastic gift card holder. 

I’m always looking for creative ways to give gift cards that are a bit more creative and heart-felt than a plain envelope. This sweet ornament would be the perfect thing.

DIY buffalo plaid ornament with letters spelling joy.

Want more ideas? You can see all of my DIY ornaments right here. And if you love buffalo plaid, I have a huge collection of DIY buffalo plaid Christmas projects as well.

I’d love for you to pin this project on Pinterest!

Buffalo Plaid Christmas Ornaments with a Twist

Buffalo Plaid Christmas Ornaments with a Twist

Yield: One Buffalo Plaid Christmas Ornament
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Estimated Cost: $1-$5

This cute little DIY Buffalo Plaid Christmas ornament has a tiny pocket on the front that’s the perfect size for tucking in a mini candy cane, a note to Santa, or a small gift.  

Materials

  • wood ornament shape
  • pocket from a child’s plaid shirt – if you don’t have any, you can find them for a couple of bucks at thrift stores or kids consignment stores
  • small wood or chipboard letters
  • red paint 
  • black paint pen

Tools

  • Scissors
  • Paint Brush

Instructions

    1. Cut around the pocket and figure out exactly how you want to place it on the ornament. 
    2. Trim off the excess fabric, leaving about an inch border around the ornament. Wrap the fabric around the ornament, attaching it to the back with your hot glue gun.
    3. When you get to the top of the ornament, you can cut off the fabric around the ornament ‘hanger.’ I used a black Sharpie oil based paint marker to color the top of my ornament but you could also use paint if you prefer.
    4. Cut a circle of leftover plaid fabric and carefully glue it over all of the messy edges.
    5. To decorate my pocket, I added the word joy. I painted some small wood letters red and then attached them to the front of the pocket.
    6. Replace the rustic twine that comes with the ornament shape with baker’s twine.

Did you make this project?

I'd love for you to leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest!

Ready to see a few more crazy good handmade ornament ideas?  Just click the links below for plenty of inspiration.

Here are all 12 Bloggers in order of their appearance:

Similar Posts

12 Comments

  1. Carrie, I love that you saw that little shirt pocket as a gift card holder on an ornament. That’s genius! You are so creative! So glad you’re hopping with us again this year!! xoxo

  2. Just discovered your webpage. Love your ideas- thanks so much for sharing your talents. I especially fell in love with your buffalo check JOY ornament- it is so cute!!!!! Please let me know if you have other ornament ideas on your page. I haven’t had a chance to explore it all yet, but I will.
    Thanks again!

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