Plastic Canvas Rainbow and Frame Yarn Ornaments

Use yarn to create two fun and retro plastic canvas ornaments for Christmas including a playful rainbow ornament and a keepsake frame ornament!

Hello Crafty Friends! Today is day 10 of “12 Days of Holiday Crafts” and I’m sharing a tutorial for making two different plastic canvas yarn ornaments – a rainbow and a frame. Perfect for displaying on your holiday tree this year or for gifting to someone special.

Plastic canvas is one of my favorite things to craft with! It reminds me of the plastic canvas tissue box covers my Grandma had in her bathroom when I was growing up. It has such a wonderfully retro vibe to it which I think fits in perfectly at Christmas time! 

One of the other reasons I love plastic canvas is how easy it is to stitch with. I used plastic canvas and yarn to teach my children how to stitch. Using yarn and a large dull needle, it is the perfect craft for beginner sewers and experienced stitchers who are looking for an easy and relaxing project. 

Below are tutorials for making two plastic canvas ornaments! Choose any color of yarn you want matching your holiday decor or using yarn you have on hand. While I chose a subdued Christmas palette, you could choose bright colors or classic Christmas colors – anything goes! 

If you love stitching with plastic canvas, be sure to check out my other plastic canvas projects! 

Plastic Canvas Yarn Ornaments

Supplies Needed

• Plastic canvas
  • 3″ Canvas circles for the Rainbow Ornaments
  • Sheet of Plastic Canvas for the frames – size 7 MESH clear – you can purchase it by the sheet at your local craft store like Joann Fabrics. One sheet will make multiple frame ornaments. 
• Yarn – I used the following colors from my stash to make these ornaments.
  • Bright Red – Caron Simply Soft Harvest Red
  • Burgundy – Big Twist Wine
  • Bright Green – Big Twist Varsity Green
  • Muted Green – Red Heart Tea Leaf
  • Tan – Big Twist Camel
  • Pink – I’m not exactly sure the brand/color, but it’s very similar to Big Twist Dark Coral or Big Twist Watermelon.
• Plastic canvas needles – size #16
• Scissors and Fabric Scissors
• Ruler

Preparing the Canvas

Cut the plastic canvas to the correct shape and size for each ornament. The canvas can easily be cut by a sharp scissors. 

• Rainbow Ornament: Cut a plastic canvas circle in half. Choose the half with the solid plastic along the bottom and cut out the center circle so there are six holes going around the rainbow.
• Frame Ornament: Cut the plastic canvas into two squares that measure 20 holes by 20 holes. Cut out a center square (14 holes by 14 holes) of one square so there are three left on each side of the frame opening.

Stitching the Yarn Frame Ornaments

Step One: Stitch the pieces of the frame ornament using a slanted stitch.

The slanted stitch is used to cover both the front and back of the frame. For the back of the frame, use a large slanted stitch that covers 2 threads of canvas (goes over three holes). For the front of the frame, use a slanted stitch that covers 1 thread of canvas (goes over two holes).

Back Piece: Start by by brining your yarn up through the corner of the canvas, leaving a tail of yarn about 1-2” on the backside. Hold the tail along the back of the canvas. Create a slanted stitch going over 2 threads of canvas. With each stitch, catch the tail on the back side. It will eventually be completely covered with your slanted stitches. 

Continue taking slanted stitches around the canvas. There will be a smalls stitch at the beginning and end of the row as you turn the corner. Just keep your stitches going in the same direction. 

When your yarn is down to 3-4” left on the needle, pass the needle under about 5-6 stitches on the back side of the canvas. Then clip the remaining yarn close to the work.

Front Piece: Start by by bringing your yarn up through the corner of the canvas, leaving a tail of yarn about 1-2” on the backside. Hold the tail along the back of the canvas. Create a slanted stitch going over 1 thread of canvas. With each stitch, catch the tail on the back side. It will eventually be completely covered with your slanted stitches. 

Step Two: Use a whip stitch around frame opening. 

Start by passing your needle under 5-6 slanted stitches nearby to secure the end of the yarn. Then bring the needle up through the first canvas hole and wrap the yarn around the edge of the plastic canvas, bringing it up through the next adjacent hole. Repeat until all four inside edges are covered. Secure it at the end, by passing it under slanted stitches.

Step Three: Connect the frame pieces using the overcast stitch.

Layer the front of the frame on top of the frame back, right sides facing out. Connect the frame on three sides using the overcast stitch. Bring the yarn up through the corner of the top piece, leaving a tail of about 1-2”. Lay the tail along the seam you’ll be stitching. This will get covered as you stitch. Bring your needle up through the first hole of both pieces, wrap the yarn around and come up through the next hole, working your way across the edge working right to left. Take an extra horizontal stitch at the beginning and end of each side to cover the corner. 

Step Four: Insert a picture and close up the frame.

Insert a picture then finish stitching around the fourth and last side of the ornament frame.

Step Four: Add a bow and hanging loop to finish the ornament.

Slip a length of yarn through the front of the ornament and tie it into a bow. Add a hanging loop on the back of the ornament by threading a length of yarn through a few slanted stitched and tying the loop into a knot.

Stitching the Rainbow Yarn Ornament

Step One: Stitch the rainbow ornament using rows of small slanted stitches.

Leave a tail of yarn at the beginning and end of your stitching. These will be trimmed at the end to create tassels at the ends of the rainbow. Use a small slanted stitch that goes over 1 thread of canvas.

Repeat, switching colors for each row. The ornament will fit seven rows of slanted stitching.

Use a small whip stitch for the rows of stitching along the inside and outside of the rainbow to cover the edges of the canvas.

Step Two: Add more yarn to complete the tassels on the each end of the rainbow.

The tails of yarn that were created when you stitched the rainbow may be on the front of back of the ornament. To fill these tassels in, add a short strand of yarn through the bottom of hole of Canvas. 

Repeat, filling in until the tassel strands look full and are coming out of the bottom row of holes on both the front and back. 

Step Three: Trim the tassels using a ruler and fabric scissors.

Step Four: Add a hanging loop through the top.

The rainbow yarn ornament is complete and so fun! 

These ornaments really are so fun to make! This is a great hand sewing project for tweens and beginner sewers, as well as experienced sewers looking for a fun project! 

Check out my other Christmas ornament crafts and visit my Christmas Crafts Page! I’ll be back tomorrow with day #11 of “12 Days of Holiday Crafts!”