Are you sick of stitch band ideas? I’ve got at least two more on my list, but I’ll switch to something else for today. We can come back to the stitch bands. Maybe. We’ll see.

This is one of my personal favorites. I introduced the idea last year in The Needlework Nutshell (subscription box in the sidebar), and it’s great for our holiday gift purposes, too. How would you like to make (or receive, for you non-stitchers) an embroidered photo ornament for your tree?

The outer frame can be any kind of embroidery, any stitches, any colors. The corner bands are the key to the project, holding the picture and allowing it to be changed. There’s a tutorial on the Funk & Weber site to get you started. Someday I’ll write instructions for a whole project using this idea, but that day isn’t today.

I can see making one of these every year to celebrate Baby’s first holiday, Baby’s second holiday, etc. Stitch names and dates on the frames, take a picture of that day/event, and put it in the frame to keep forever and ever.

Or you and your family could print or cut out images of gifts you’d like to receive and hang them on the tree as hints to Santa! Call them Wish Ornaments.

Or you artists out there could paint tiny pictures to go in the embroidered frames.

Oh, the possibilities!

How might you use this idea?