The ONLY Embroidery DIY You Will Ever Need

Hello Loves,

It has been a fat minute since I have last posted on my blog and an even fatter second since I last shared a DIY.  Summer is the perfect time to experiment with a hobby or interest.  CLICK HERE for a full list of all of my DIYs (they are really easy #nopinterestfails).

Today I am teaching you a sewing basic — how to embroider letters.  Even if you have never held a needle before, I can promise you this is ridiculously easy and “foolproof.”  Sewing is great because if you mess up, you can literally just cut the threads and restart.

Embroidery has been a huge trend this summer.  I’ve seen it on jeans, tennis shoes, hats, shirts, bags,  etc.  Target has a few crafty embroidery kits in the stationary section.  However, most embroidered clothing items are extremely expensive in comparison to those without it.  The markup on them is insane when just about anyone can do it for around $6.

Let’s begin our sewing journey!

You Will Need:

1. A sewing needle. Get one with a larger hole or “eye” because we will be using embroidery floss which has a lot of fibers.
2. Embroidery floss of any color you dream of.
3. Something to sew on — I picked a pair of jean shorts, but t-shirts and canvas tennis shoes all work.

Instructions:

1. Open up a Word document and type the words you want in the font that you like. You will have to increase/decrease the font size depending on how big you want your design. This step is for those who don’t love their own handwriting. Otherwise, grab a pencil and get writing!
2. Transfer your design to your material if needed or have a family member write “I love you” or a favorite saying. This makes your item even more personal.
3. Pull a good amount of embroidery floss and tie a knot on one end of it. I like to triple tie my knots so the thread doesn’t accidentally come up through my material.
4. Time to make your first incision! Start from the bottom of your letter and take your needle underneath the fabric. You don’t want to be able to see the knot at the end of your thread.
5. Once you pull the needle through the top, start creating your first stitch by following the line of your pattern.
6. Once your needle is through the backside of the material, you are going to leave a gap from your first stitch and pull your needle through.
7. Upon coming to the topside of your fabric, you are going to work backwards and take your needle partway through your first stitch. This is called a backstitch.
8. You will repeat steps 6 & 7 until you finish your design.
9. Once finished, tie off your masterpiece on the backside and cut off any extra thread.

If you are a visual learner, CLICK HERE to watch a video that explains how to backstitch letters by hand!

When stitching letters on the pocket of any garment you will end up sewing the pocket closed.  I added the “Old Fashioned” patch on the pocket (Bryce’s family gave me the patch). My local letterman jacket store sews them on for $4 with clear thread.  If you are a KC local, I can’t recommend Miser’s Sports enough.

I hope you are jamming in the car, heading to an exciting destination.  Grab a needle and embroidery thread and get busy personalizing your shorts, jeans, or jacket with lyrics to your favorite song.  Maybe you will stitch a saying that warms your heart or make a little eye candy to hang on your wall.  Share your masterpiece with me!  Love you guys!  As always, I hope this post adds some value to your life!