Easy Christmas collage Tutorial - Appliqué Houses on Snowy Landscape

This tutorial explains how to create a lovely snowy winter landscape with appliqué houses and other decorative elements, using our Easy patchwork appliqué kit.

This pretty DIY Christmas decoration measures approximately 42x30 cm when finished.

See the appliqué houses kit

This project can be done in several ways, depending on your taste and skills:

1. Christmas decoration with fabric collage without sewing: this fun creative project consists of applying (cutting and gluing) all the decorative elements—houses, trees, sleigh and Santa Claus, animals, etc.—onto the printed fabric background "snowy landscape." Children will enjoy creating an image to their liking. Simply iron and then place your collage in a nice frame.
2. Christmas mini-quilt patchwork with appliqué houses: after completing the raw-edge appliqué from the previous step, quilters will enjoy creating a mini quilt, letting their imagination run free.
3. Embroidered Christmas decoration: once the collage is done in step 1, embroiderers can embellish their creation by adding embroidered elements as they wish.

Video tutorial

You will find on the FibraCreativa Youtube channel the step-by-step tutorial for the Christmas tree appliqué kit, which is constructed in a similar way. The Houses collage is simpler and quicker to make because there is no surface to cover with small pieces as in the case of the tree.

Watch the tutorial on Youtube

Easy fabric collage without sewing: houses and snowy landscape

Level: beginner

This easy and fun fabric collage can be done by almost anyone. No sewing skills are needed; you just need to know how to use sharp scissors and an iron.

It is suitable for children with good fine motor skills (generally from 8-10 years old), with adult help and supervision (sharp scissors and hot iron).

Time required

About 1-2 hours.

Supplies and materials needed

The complete appliqué houses kit sold in the FibraCreativa shop contains all the fabric and fusible web needed to make the collage.

You will need the following materials:

• A pair of small sharp scissors, or several if you are doing a collaborative project (ideal for a rainy Saturday before the holidays).
• An iron and an ironing board or pressing mat.
• A 40x30 cm frame if you want to frame your collage (optional).

How to make your Christmas decoration with landscapes and houses

1. Cut the fabric panel in two to separate the base (printed background that will serve as the collage support) from the elements to cut and glue.
2. Iron the 2 fabric pieces to remove wrinkles (cotton temperature) and set aside the base.
3. Apply the fusible web sheets to the back of the printed fabric containing the houses and other elements so as to cover the entire surface. The Youtube tutorial shows exactly how to apply the fusible web.
4. Cut out the houses, trees, and other decorative elements. Since they are placed on a white or blue background similar to the base, there is no need to cut exactly on the edges; a 1mm margin is enough.

Choose the elements you like and place them on the printed landscape fabric background, taking into account the scale of each to achieve a perspective effect. Some tips:

• Start by placing the houses, aligned just in front of the leafless trees, which serve as a reference, with a slight perspective (further to the right).
• Place the large fir trees near the houses.
• Place the other decorative elements as you like, the largest in the foreground, the smaller ones (like small fir trees) on the hills in the distance.

Tip: the kit contains more elements than necessary to create a pretty winter landscape, so you can choose. It is not mandatory to apply everything; on the contrary, that would create an image that is a bit too dense. The leftover pieces can be used for another project.

When your composition takes shape, remove the paper backing from the pieces to be applied and finalize the placement of each. The pieces are temporarily held in place without ironing and can be moved and repositioned. This allows you to play and create the composition you like. Do not iron as you go, as this would prevent moving the pieces.

Once your composition is finalized, simply press with a hot iron (without sliding the iron, but lifting it to move) to firmly fix all the pieces onto the background.

And there you go, your fabric Christmas decoration is finished; all that remains is to hang it up and admire it!

You can simply frame it as shown above (40x30 cm wooden frame), or if you like threads and needles, make a quilted or embroidered finish. Here are some ideas.

Christmas mini-quilt decoration with appliqué houses

For the initiated, the fabric collage made in the previous step is a raw-edge appliqué. From this base, quilters will enjoy creating a real quilted patchwork!

Some ideas for using the finished panel:

• Christmas mini-quilt decoration: just add batting, a backing fabric, quilt as you like, and add binding.
• Christmas patchwork cushion: by adding matching fabric, the collage panel (42x30 cm) can be turned into a square cushion (45x45 cm) or rectangular (60x40 cm).
• Christmas patchwork throw: by adding blocks of matching fabric, the appliqué panel becomes the center of a quilt.

Important: although the fusible web is sufficient to hold the pieces in place for a framed decoration, if the panel is integrated into a "utility" object like a cushion or patchwork throw, it is essential to quilt or embroider it to securely hold the appliquéd pieces in place with threads so they do not lift with use.

Embroidered Christmas decoration with houses

Embroiderers will certainly want to embellish the appliqué panel with embroidery, following their inspiration.

Again, if the piece is intended to be hung, no problem, the fusible web holds the fabric pieces in place. In the case where the panel is included in a cushion or other object that will be subject to friction (and occasional washing), it is important to secure all fabric layers with threads to ensure the durability of the appliqué.

There you have it, we hope this creative, fun, and easy project will please and inspire you. Feel free to show us yours; we love seeing and sharing your creations!