I know you've probably seen these plastered all over the web - embroidery hoops that have been embellished with various products and sayings being sold for the masses so that they can decorate your walls. If you haven't seen them, take a moment and head over to Etsy.com. Type in 'embroidery hoop art' into the search and you'll be bombarded by hundreds of amazing examples. Some are sweet and simple with a pretty patterned fabric stretched out between the hoops while others are so thick with embroidery floss you can hardly see the fabric underneath.
With so many examples out there, how could I not be tempted to create one of my own? And with the holiday season fast approaching, I decided to try my hand at this popular form of art to create Christmas gifts for my family and friends. Surprisingly, my first attempt turned out great and it only took me one long nap time and a little after from start to finish. Hopefully my tutorial will inspire you and show you how easy it is to make a handmade gift in one afternoon!
You'll Need:
- 8" Wooden Embroidery Hoop
- Fabric
- Felt
- Buttons
- Paint
- Craft Glue
- Embroidery Floss
- Scissors
- Needle
How To:
I decided to use burlap that I had found in the scrap fabric section of the clearance at my local Hobby Lobby. I cut the burlap out to be bigger than the hoop then stretched it out between the hoop to get a feel for the fabric. Then I took the red buttons I had bought for the project and began figuring out the layout and shape of the Christmas tree. Here's a reference picture I took for when I would sew them down later:
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As you can see, the burlap is loosely woven which worried me until I decided to use some off white felt as backing. That way I could anchor my stitches and not have to jeopardize my design. I cut the felt bigger than the hoop and used the left over felt to make the snow at the bottom of the tree. I secured the top of the snow to the burlap with a blanket stitch in embroidery floss that was similar in color to the felt. I didn't bother stitching the bottom or sides of the snow down because I thought I could just wedge them between the two embroidery hoops when I was finished. More on that later.
Moving on to the trunk of the Christmas tree. These buttons are tiny so I decided to use three of them across and three up to make the trunk. You can probably use two buttons by two buttons if you wanted to save time. I did my best to sort of center them in the snow but they still appear a little off kilter in the end. I secured them with matching brown floss so the trunk wouldn't stand out.
Afterwards I started laying out the buttons like I had done earlier, starting with the bottom row since the trunk and the snow were already done. Then came the first dilemma of many with this project. How did I keep that row of buttons in place while I tried to move the rest of the buttons? Then came the brilliant idea of gluing them down - that way I could keep all the buttons in place while I worked and it would be easier for sewing later on. I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue and, starting with the bottom row, worked my way up to the top. Here's a picture of all the buttons glued down:
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After the glue dried, I began sewing the buttons down. I used a golden yellow floss because it matched the color of the paint I was going to use on the embroidery ring later. Even though I had used glue to secure them, I decided to run my needle through each button twice just to make sure that the buttons would stay for years to come. Here's an in progress shot:
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When that was finished, I took one of the star buttons I had bought just for this project and projects like it and secured it to the burlap/felt. It took more than a few stitches to get the star situated just right because I didn't want it sliding everywhere after it was done. I wanted the point of the star pointing securely up. This concludes the sewing portion of the project!
The embroidery hoop got one quick coat of paint along the outer ring to give it a more finished look. One day later and the single coat still looks good so unless your hoop just really needs more than one, one should be all you need. While that dried, I cut out another piece of fabric - a Christmas themed fabric - that I would use as the backing. That way the stitches on the felt weren't left exposed and it gives the whole project a more finished look. Just make sure the wrong side of your backing fabric is to the wrong side of your project before you move on.
Here's where I ran into my next set of dilemmas. When I tried to fit the hoop (without the pin in it) around all of my fabric - which, just to recap, was the felt snow, the burlap fabric, the felt backing, and the fabric backing - it wouldn't fit. Surprise surprise. I started by first trimming the snow so that it would follow the curve of the hoop. That helped some but not much. The felt in general was just too bulky with all of the other fabrics to be held between the rings. So I carefully took scissors and cut the backside felt so that it, too, would fit inside the ring. I didn't want the fabric I was using as backing peeking through the burlap.
Thankfully, this was enough. I'm not sure what else I could have done without having to give up one aspect or another and I'm glad I didn't have to make that decision in the end. I wedged the burlap and backing fabric between the hoops and tightened. When I had gotten it almost as tight as I could, I pulled both fabrics carefully to tighten them. Don't worry if your fabric pops out of the rings the first few times you try and do this - it takes patience, cursing, and a lot of retries before you'll get it the way you like it. Then tighten down the ring as hard as you can and then some.
Now comes the messy part. Yes, I'm sure securing the buttons with glue first was no picnic but this part is all about making it look finished. Flip it over so you're looking at the backside of your project. You'll have your backing fabric and your project fabric sticking out through the hoop. Take a pair of scissors and trim your backing fabric as close to the rim of the embroidery hoop as possible. Then take your craft glue and run it along both the top of the inside hoop and the inside of the inside hoop.
I worked in small sections to make sure that the fabric was staying secure. I call this the messy part because with the burlap, the glue kept oozing through the holes in the thatches and made it nearly impossible. I found that if I just added more glue I could generally tamp down the burlap well enough to stay put. It took more than a little doing, almost as long as it took me to sew on the buttons, but I'd say the end result looks pretty darn good.
Here's a view of the front:
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Here's a view of the back:
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Just stick a bow on it and call it done. I hope this helps someone out there. Let me know what you think of this tutorial in the comments and I'd love to see what you create this holiday season!
