Baby's First Christmas Ornament

I'm big on Christmas ornaments.  I TRY to get an ornament every year that represents something we did that year.  Sometimes, it's just a photo ornament or I pick something up while we are on vacation.  

Kids should ALWAYS get an ornament every year.  I did.  Sometimes from my parents and many years, I got a handmade ornament from my grandmother.  Some of those are still my favorites!  

M&M got a silver/pewter cow jumping over the moon with a hanging crystal with the 'baby's 1st Christmas' and the year, back in 2011.  So I had to get little dude something, too.  

At the Hallmark store I found this: 

oh, how perfect, I thought.  It's like the "I Love you to the Moon and Back" book.  Then I realized it said "Grandbaby's 1st Christmas".  sigh.  That won't work.

Then I found this one:

I even bought it.  And talking it out of the box to show my husband, I realized it's a little brown baby. Kudos (i guess) to me for not noticing the color of the baby's skin, but once I did notice, I just felt stupid.  So back to the store I went.

May I remind you that this is about a week before Christmas and the Hallmark store is located INSIDE the mall?!

This was kinda the only option I had:  

and I wasn't thrilled about it.  

Then I saw this one:

That will work (said out loud to myself, at least only my 6 month old was paying attention to me talking to myself).  Are grandparents the only ones who buy ornaments anymore?  What's up, Hallmark?!

I knew I could take the green scarf off and put a new one on that was a little more appropriate for Little dude's first Christmas.  

Here it is!

I used regular acrylic felt (soft) for the scarf...I know it doesn't hold up as well as wool and wool blend, but I did have/couldn't find any red or green in my wool stash, so acrylic it was!  I pinned the original green scarf down and just cut around it.  I tried a paint pen first, but it wasn't working with the fuzzies of the felt.

I hand embroidered "1st Christmas" on one part of the scarf, and "2014" on the other part.  Then tacked the two halves of the scarf together so they would be firm enough to stay sticking out.

Much better.  I would have preferred to have just bought a ready-made ornament, but this will do.  A little bit of both worlds, maybe someday (when he's an adult and has his own children) he may appreciate my handy work!

Happy Crafting!