Make a Santa cover

1. Download and print the templates from www.sewmag.co.uk. From red fleece, cut out a 44cm x 58cm back piece. For the front of the Santa, snip a 24cm x 58cm piece of red fabric and a 22cm x 58cm skin-toned piece. With right sides together, stitch these front pieces together along a 58cm edge on each, open out and lay flat. Press iron-on adhesive to the reverse of the black felt and some of the red fabric.

2. Use the eye, nose, mouth and cheek templates on the reverse of these fabrics and cut out. If using the eye shape with eyelashes, mark one out then flip the template over to make a mirror image eye shape. Remove the backing paper and press the eyes, nose and cheeks centrally to the skin-toned section. Use a pressing cloth or a scrap of cotton fabric over the face details when pressing to prevent scorching.

3. Lay the front piece directly on top of the back piece, right sides facing, and pin together. Stitch all around the left, top and right sides leaving the bottom edges open. Turn through to the right side, push out the corners. Taking notice of the fold line on the template, mark and cut out a beard piece in white fabric before turning the template over and cutting out another mirror image beard.

4. Lay together with right sides facing and stitch all round, leaving a 10cm gap along a straight edge for turning through. Trim all around and make small snips in the seam allowance in the inverted corners, taking care not to snip the stitching. Turn through to the right side, push out all the scalloped edges and close the gap with ladder stitch. Press the mouth shape to the front of the beard.

5. Position and attach the beard to the front piece, making running stitches through the back of the beard and the front piece. Take care not to stitch through to the back piece. Lay two large pieces of red fabric together, right sides facing. Mark the hat template on the reverse of one piece and cut out together. Sew all round leaving the bottom straight edges open. Turn through to the right side and turn the open edge upwards, stitch all round to hold the turn up in place.

6. Use the pom-pom circle template on a piece of white fabric and cut out. Using a long length of thread and needle, make small stitches all around the perimeter of the circle and pull to gather the fabric into a sphere shape. Fill with stuffing before pulling the thread tightly and securing. Stitch to the tip of the hat. Put the hat on top of Santa’s head and using the same technique as when attaching the beard, make some stitches all round to secure. Pull the tip of the hat forwards and secure with a few stitches.

Make an elf cover

1. Download and print the templates from www.sewmag.co.uk. Using green fabric and the frill template, cut out two pieces. With right sides together, stitch all round, leaving the 58cm long straight edges open. Turn through to the right side and fill with a small amount of stuffing, just enough to pad out the frill. Cut a 4cm x 58cm strip from the red fabric. Lay it along the open edge of the frill, right sides together, and stitch together along the length.

2. From red fabric, cut out a 44cm x 58cm back piece and a skin-toned piece measuring the same. Apply iron-on adhesive to the reverse of the black felt and red fabric and use the face detail templates on the reverse. Peel away the backing paper and position the details centrally on the cut-out skin-toned piece of fabric, then press in place using a pressing cloth. Pick up the frill and lay the red strip along the bottom of the front piece, with the seam from the frill and red strip meeting up with the bottom edge of the front piece. Pin in place and zig zag stitch the top of the red strip to the front piece.

3. Lay two pieces of the skintoned fabric together, right sides facing, then pin together and mark an ear template on the top piece. Stitch directly over the marked lines, leaving the straight edge open.

Trim round and turn through to the right side. Flip the template over and repeat this process to make a mirror image second ear. Lay the front face piece flat. Position the ears on either side of the face, with the straight edges of the ears meeting up with the raw, straight edge of the front piece and the tips of the ears laid pointing inwards. Tack in place.

4. Cut out some hair pieces from the template and brown felt. Arrange along the top edge of the face piece and tack in place. Lay the red back piece on top of the face, with right sides facing. Stitch all around the left, top and right sides leaving the bottom edges open. Turn through to the right side. Remove the tacking from the ears. Snip out two hat pieces.

5. Zig zag stitch a 4cm x 58cm strip along the bottom edge of one hat piece, then lay both pieces together, right sides facing. Stitch all around leaving the long straight edges open. Turn through to the right side and sit on top of the elf’s head. Make some stitches through the reverse of the hat fabric and the top of the elf’s head to hold the hat in place.