Christmas Ornament Inspired by Snoopy the Cat

Today's post on creating felt Christmas Ornaments includes tips and insights. As you readers know, craft designer has been doing a series of felt Christmas Ornaments inspired by dogs. However, today post features an ornament inspired by Snoopy the Cat. This cat is so cute that it almost doesn't look real. This cat ornament will be used to illustrate the design information provided below.

Tip 1: choose quality felt like that from National Nonwovens. They produce a quality felt line and it comes in a beautiful array of colors. What I like about felt is that it doesn't fray and this quality is particularly helpful when cutting small pieces like eyes. 

Snoopy the Cat--Source: Cutestpaw

Tip 2: don't get discouraged if you have tried to make felt dog or animal ornaments yourself and haven't been happy with the results. 

Insight: capturing the likeness of a dog breed or any animal with felt is deceptively simple. This is due to the nature of fabric. Working with fabric is not like making a fine detailed drawing or painting. 

Tip/insight: when working with fabric try to think in terms of a cartoon/illustration. When designing your own dog or animal ornament ask yourself these questions. Is there a feature you can exaggerate? What is the essence of the animal? Or, what feature stands out in your mind when you think about it.

Now, I will share with you how the information above was applied to create the Snoopy the Cat Christmas Ornament. First, I had to find inspiration. So, I did an Internet search for cute cats. Second, I had to find one that would lend itself well to working with felt.Snoopy the cat is an ideal subject for a felt ornament. He has a flat face and short hair. Third, how could I simplify his features? Or, what comes into my head when I think of him? The two adjectives that come to mind are flat and round. For your reference, I included the image that inspired this ornament that was found on cutestpaw. You can access the source website by clicking on its name under the photo.