Card Embroidery Craft

Try this creative card embroidery craft, complete with a couple of printable templates to get you started.

If you like embroidery or are interested in this fun fiber craft, you may love this card embroidery idea. You are simply embroidering on paper using a template or graphic, using your choice of stitches and colors.

The basics are here along with a couple of templates, and then you get as creative as you like with your own ideas.

More Paper Crafts: Eco Printing on Paper.....Making Handmade Paper.....Marbling Paper

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Making Embroidered Cards

Step 1. Print out an image you want to create. You can use the ones above by clicking on the image for a printable PDF file.

Step. 2. Cut them down to size of 1/4 page or 4.25 x 5.5 inches. Then cover the back of the template image with a pencil to trace onto cardstock paper of the same size. You can also use carbon paper.

Step 3. Place a piece of cardboard or foam under the traced image and use a blunt embroidery needle or an awl to make holes at various spots on the image.

Note: It is also possible to hand embroider the image without using holes. In that case you may like a sharp embroidery needle.

Step 4. Thread a length of embroidery thread through the back of the card and tape it down with masking tape. You can use all six threads or only a few depending on the look you like. I used all six.

Note: You could make a knot at the end instead of using tape, but the end result may look bumpy.

Needles to Use: Blunt cross-stitch or tapestry needles are good choices that will go through the holes easily. However, if you prefer not to use the holes and eyeball the stitches, a regular embroidery needle with a sharp end would work better.

Step 5. Sew through the holes with basic straight stitches to cover the design. When you run out of thread, tape the end in the back and repeat with a new piece of thread.

Here's what the back looks like when it's finished. As this looks really messy, I decided to tape it to a darker cardstock paper with double-sided tape for the finished card. You could also tape it to another piece of white cardstock. If you use a dark cardstock, you may want to tape some white paper on the inside of the card to write a message.

For fancier stitches, try a combination of basic embroidery as shown above. If you are unfamiliar with these, you can find many easy-to-follow videos on YouTube. Here's a basic video to follow.

These are the finished cards. Use them for any occasion, such as a thank-you card, a birthday card, or for no reason at all.