I originally thought I wanted a square or circle. But after playing with several templates, I saw that an oval shape worked best. (When my daughter saw her completed ornament, she said, "Oh! You put my rooster in an egg!"

I used some Fiskars templates that I own. But you can just as easily use a compass, a plate, an embroidery hoop or a can for a circle. You can use a box or Altoid tin or Q-Snap for a square or rectangle. Use your imagination to come up with a pleasing shape for your template.