A red Santa hat, a little green scarf, and a striped candy cane make this felt Christmas mouse ready for the tree. Pink ears and a curled tail add soft color, while the cream belly keeps the small details easy to see.
This hand-sewn ornament comes together in small sections. Start with the embroidered face and flat decorations, then join the head and body before adding the festive finishing touches.
Download the free cutting pattern and illustrated sewing guide below. The complete flat layout is 150 mm tall, excluding the hanging loop. Light stuffing and stitching can draw the edges inward a little, so use the printed layout to check the pieces before sewing.
Before You Start
Use thin, firm felt, around 1 mm thick, so the layered areas stay easy to sew. Join paired pieces wrong sides together, with the cut edges showing. Nothing needs to be turned inside out. Cut on the printed outlines without adding a seam allowance.
Read the full guide once before cutting. The hat, ears, scarf, and candy cane need their own placement checks, and the neck join must be reinforced before the head is closed. Keep the plain backs separate from the decorated fronts as you work.
This mouse is a hanging decoration, not a toy. It contains small parts, filling, and a hanging cord. Keep the finished ornament, needles, pins, loose thread, and felt scraps away from young children and pets. Do not hang it on a cot, play gym, or pet collar.
Materials You Will Need
- Tan felt: one A4 sheet, 210 × 297 mm
- Pink felt: 100 × 150 mm
- Cream felt: 150 × 150 mm
- Red felt: 120 × 70 mm
- Green felt: 200 × 50 mm
- White felt: 60 × 70 mm
- A small amount of polyester filling
- Matching sewing thread and black, pink, and red embroidery floss; optional white floss for eye highlights
- Narrow hanging cord, cut to 220 mm
- A hand-sewing needle, small sharp scissors, paper scissors, pins or clips, a removable fabric marker, and a ruler
- A4 paper for printing the pattern and sewing guide
Lay every paper template on the felt before cutting, including repeated and mirrored pieces. This is a useful way to check your supplies and choose colors from your scrap box. A short length of thread is easier to control around the small curves than a long strand that keeps catching.
Download the Christmas Mouse Pattern and Sewing Guide
The four-page A4 cutting pattern has color templates on pages 1–2 and identical plain-outline templates on pages 3–4. Print one complete version only; do not double the cutting quantities. Keep the separate six-page illustrated guide beside you for the sewing order and full-size arrangement.
Download the free felt Christmas mouse ornament pattern PDF
Download the illustrated Christmas mouse sewing guide PDF
Print and Check the Pattern
Print the PDF on A4 paper, 210 × 297 mm, at 100% or Actual Size. Turn off Fit to Page, Shrink, and borderless enlargement. Measure the printed calibration square in both directions. Each side must measure 50 mm before you cut any felt.
If the square is too small or too large, correct the print settings and print again. Keep all pattern pages at the same scale. The project pictures help you see the colors and finished arrangement, but they are not full-size templates.
The cutting list gives the outer cut measurements as width × height. The edge-stitch allowance is already included. Use the actual printed outlines for curves and shaped edges, and follow placement and embroidery marks without cutting through them.
Felt Cutting List
| Piece | Felt color | Outer cut size | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head, without ears | Tan | 64 × 54 mm | 2 |
| Body | Tan | 60 × 65 mm | 2 |
| Outer ears | Tan | 30 mm diameter | 4 |
| Inner ears | Pink | 21 mm diameter | 2 |
| Belly | Cream | 42 × 52 mm | 1 |
| Arms | Tan | 19 × 32 mm | 4, two mirrored pairs |
| Feet | Tan | 24 × 22 mm | 4, two mirrored pairs |
| Curled tail | Pink | 29 × 55 mm | 2 |
| Santa hat | Red | 54 × 42 mm | 2 |
| Scalloped hat trim | Cream | 56 × 15 mm | 2 |
| Hat pom-pom | Cream | 20 mm diameter | 2 |
| Scarf | Green | 180 × 12 mm | 1 |
| Candy cane | White | 24 × 54 mm | 2 |
Cut 30 felt pieces altogether. The face details and red candy-cane stripes are embroidery, so there are no extra face pieces or red felt bands to cut. The scarf is a single layer. The hat trim and pom-pom each have two layers.
The candy-cane stem is at least 8 mm wide. Keep that narrow section at its full printed width when cutting. Make 5 mm-deep fringe cuts at each short end of the scarf; leave the long middle section uncut.
1. Cut and Sort the Felt Pieces
Cut out the paper templates and trace the quantities in the list. For the arms and feet, trace two pieces with the template face up and two face down. For the tail, hat, trim, and candy cane, cut one piece face up and one face down. If your felt has a different-looking front, trace on its reverse. Pair matching fronts and backs before putting the paper templates away.
Take small cuts around the tail curl, hat tip, and scalloped trim. Transfer the face marks and placement guides with a light touch. Test your removable marker on a scrap first. Set aside the plain head and body backs so you do not accidentally embroider them.
2. Sew the Face, Belly, and Inner Ears
Embroider the face on one tan head piece, following the printed guide. The eye centers are 24 mm apart and 32 mm below the head top. Fill the eyes with black satin stitch. Add the pink nose and cheeks, then backstitch the mouth and three whiskers on each side. You can add a tiny white stitch to each eye for a highlight. Keep the thread knots on the back of the felt.
Center the cream belly on the body front with its top 10 mm below the body top. Sew around it about 1.5 mm inside the cream edge. Center a pink inner-ear circle on each of two tan ear fronts and sew it down the same way. Leave the other two tan ear circles plain for the backs.
3. Prepare the Small Sections and Candy Cane
Pair each decorated ear with a plain tan circle. Sew around the edges with small blanket stitches about 2 mm in. Join the two tail pieces in the same way. Keep the ears and tail flat, with no filling inside.
Join each arm and foot pair, leaving a 10 mm opening on an edge that will face the body. Add just a little filling, then close the opening. The paws should bend easily against the candy cane. Embroider three toe lines on each foot front, following the guide.
Work the red diagonal bands on one white candy-cane piece before adding its back. Use short satin stitches to make diagonal bands about 5 mm wide, with similar white gaps between them. Carry and secure the thread on the hidden back of the front piece, keeping the tension loose enough for the felt to stay flat.
Place the second white cane piece behind the decorated front and sew the outline about 2 mm inside the edge. Use small stitches around the hook. Do not add filling. The two white layers support the narrow stem without making it bulky.
4. Reinforce the Head-to-Body Join
Make the neck join while the head back and body front are still flat. Lay the decorated body front face up. Put the head back over its upper edge, with the inside of the head back facing you. Use the full-size layout to make a 10 mm overlap.
Sew two horizontal rows of backstitch through the head back and body front only. Each row is 16 mm long and centered across the body. Place the rows 3 mm and 7 mm below the body top, as marked in the guide. Secure both ends of each row. The head front will cover these stitches later.
Check the join before moving on. The head back should sit straight above the body, with no twisting. These two rows support the body when the mouse hangs, so do not replace them with glue or rely on a few loose tacking stitches.
5. Close the Body and Catch the Tail
Put the plain body back behind the decorated front. Set the tail on the right-hand side as you look at the mouse, following the assembly drawing. Tuck 8 mm of its base inside the lower-right body seam and secure the hidden base with several firm stitches.
Sew around the body about 2 mm inside the edge, catching the tail base again as you pass it. Keep the curled part outside the seam. Along the hidden upper edge, sew through the body front, body back, and overlapping head back. Keep the separate head front out of the work for now.
Leave a 15 mm opening on the lower left, add a thin layer of filling, and close the gap. Spread the filling in small tufts. Keep the neck area fairly flat so the head and scarf can sit neatly over it.
6. Anchor the Loop and Finish the Head
Fold the 220 mm hanging cord in half. Place both cut ends 15 mm down inside the top center of the head back. Sew 8–10 firm stitches over and around each end with strong thread. The loop exits the head at the top and will pass behind the Santa hat. Give the anchors a gentle pull before covering them.
Place the ears behind the head front, following the full-size drawing. Their tops sit 6 mm above the head top, and their centers are 62 mm apart. Each ear extends beyond the side of the head, with its inner lower area overlapping the head back. Secure both overlapping areas to the head back with small backstitches.
Add the embroidered head front and align its edges with the back. Sew about 2 mm inside the outline, catching the ear roots securely. Keep the hanging loop free. Leave a 15 mm opening on one lower side, add light filling, and close it. Avoid a thick lump of filling where the head meets the body.
7. Add the Santa Hat and Green Scarf
Sew the two red hat pieces together around the edge, keeping the hat flat. Join the two cream trim pieces separately, also without filling. Take shorter stitches around the scallops so the trim keeps its soft outline.
Use the full-size layout to position the hat on the upper head. Set the hat top 34 mm above the head top; its curved lower edge overlaps the head by up to 8 mm. Sew the overlap securely to the head, placing small stitches where the cream trim will cover them. Keep the hanging loop behind the hat and out of these stitches.
Place the trim across the lower hat edge. Its top aligns with the head top, and it extends 15 mm down the head. Secure it along the overlapping hat and head, including both ends. Check that it covers the attachment stitches without hiding the eyes.
Join the two pom-pom circles, add a very small amount of filling, and close the seam. Sew the finished pom-pom securely at the hat’s curled tip, using several stitches through the overlapping felt. The hat and trim stay flat; only the pom-pom receives this light padding.
Cut the scarf from one piece of thin green felt, 180 × 12 mm. If you have not already added the fringe, make three short cuts 5 mm in from each end. Keep the narrow fringe strips attached to the scarf.
Wrap the scarf loosely around the neck and tie one gentle overhand knot on the left as you look at the mouse. Arrange the short tails so they hang clear of the face and candy cane. Do not pull the knot tight or squeeze the padded neck.
Tack the knot and the scarf’s back to the ornament with matching thread. These stitches keep the scarf in place and stop the knot from tightening. Use the full-size guide for the final arrangement of the tails.
8. Attach the Feet, Candy Cane, and Arms
Position the feet at the lower body, with the toe stitches facing forward. Each foot overlaps the body by 15 mm, and its top sits 50 mm below the body top. Sew the upper area of each foot firmly to the body. Check the full-size layout so both feet sit at the planned height.
Place the candy cane in front of the belly as shown in the guide, with its top 9 mm below the body top and the red bands facing out. Secure its back to the body at two separated points using small hidden stitches. Keep the hook visible above the paws.
Add the arms over the sides of the cane, with their tops 20 mm below the body top. Sew each shoulder end firmly to the body, then tack each paw to the candy cane. The shoulder stitches carry the arms, and the paw stitches keep the cane from swinging away. Check that the belly and striped stem remain visible.
Small Tips for a Neat Finish
Use one or two strands of embroidery floss for small details and try the stitches on a scrap first. A shorter thread length helps prevent knots. For the face, make the stitches small enough to keep the eyes, cheeks, and whiskers separate.
Relax the thread as you sew around curves. If an edge begins to curl, loosen the last few stitches rather than pulling the next ones harder. Very small tufts of filling are easier to spread than a single firm ball. Leave the tail, ears, candy cane, hat, and trim unstuffed.
Keep checking the paper layout as you add each section. A small change at the neck or feet can change the overall height. If you want a different color scheme, keep the same shapes, quantities, and overlaps so the construction stays the same.
Finishing Checks Before Hanging
- Check the hanging-loop anchors and reinforced neck join with a gentle pull.
- Check both ears, arms, feet, the tail, hat, trim, pom-pom, candy cane, and scarf for loose attachments.
- Look for open seams, visible stuffing, loose thread ends, or forgotten pins.
- Make sure the scarf knot is loose and securely tacked.
- Compare the arrangement with the 150 mm flat layout, measuring from the hat top to the lowest foot and excluding the cord.
- Hang the finished mouse where young children and pets cannot reach it.
Store the ornament flat in a dry box between Christmas seasons. Keep the tail curl and hat tip from being crushed under heavier decorations. Lift surface dust gently with a soft, dry brush.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the head pattern include the ears?
No. Cut two earless head pieces and four separate outer-ear circles. Two of those circles receive the pink inner ears. Each finished ear has a tan front and back with one pink decoration on the front.
Do I cut red felt stripes for the candy cane?
No. Cut two white candy-cane shapes. Embroider the red diagonal bands onto the front before sewing the two white layers together. The face details are embroidered too. There are 30 felt pieces in the complete cutting list.
Is the scarf one layer or two?
The scarf is one green felt strip measuring 180 × 12 mm. Add 5 mm fringe cuts at both ends, tie a loose single knot, and tack it in place. A second layer would make this small scarf harder to tie.
Can I sew this ornament without a sewing machine?
Yes. The project uses hand stitches for the edges, decorations, and attachments. Backstitch the reinforced neck join and secure the hanging cord firmly. Take your time around the small curves and keep the illustrated guide beside you.
Why is my finished mouse a little shorter than 150 mm?
The 150 mm measurement describes the flat assembly before padding and edge stitching. Light filling can draw the edges inward slightly. First check that the printed square measures 50 mm on both sides, then check the overlaps in the guide. Do not stretch the felt to force a finished measurement.
Can I use gray felt for the mouse?
Yes. Gray or cream can replace the tan felt. Choose inner-ear and belly colors that show clearly against the body, and keep the same cutting quantities. A red hat and green scarf will still give the mouse its Christmas look.
More Little Felt Projects to Sew
For another small animal decoration, try the felt mouse ornament with cheese. Hang a layered felt Christmas tree beside this festive mouse, or explore these 20 easy felt Christmas ornaments to sew for more projects to make from your felt scraps.
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