Give Thanks Yarn Embroidery

Learn how to embroider with this super simple beginner tutorial and whip up a give thanks piece in no time!

The whole premise behind my blog is finding beauty in the everyday.

Of course, sometimes that means creating beauty.

Especially around the holidays.

Another very important message that I try to convey, while feathering and fluffing my nest, is that anyone can be crafty if they want to.

I'm part cheerleader, part teacher and part enabler, since crafting can become a bit of an addiction.

With that in mind, everything I do here is super easy, very inexpensive and none of it requires anything more than a few basic supplies.

Today's give thanks embroidery is no exception.

I have never done this before. I didn't watch a video or read a post on how to do it. I just picked up a needed and started sewing.

Is my technique correct?

Are my stitches perfect?

Did I have the right supplies?

Certainly not, but I had a ton of fun making it, it didn't cost me a dime and now it makes me smile.

Good enough for me, and I hope, encouragement enough for you, so that if you'd like, you give it a try.

😊

So...in my recent post about giving thanks all year long, I shared a photo of my latest crafty DIY, a framed give thanks yarn embroidery. I promised that I would share the tutorial and today's the day.

I have always been drawn to hand-stitched crafts, but was intimidated by the process. It looked complicated and intricate. It was certainly not a beginner’s kind of craft.

Or was it?

I scrutinized a few pieces I had on hand, a few old hankies and aprons that my grandmother had made, and realized it was just basic stitching…definitely worth a try. Of course, not knowing if it would be a success, I didn’t want to spend money on embroidery supplies. So I used what I had in my craft closet and got to work.

I was able to rustle up, a piece of felt, yarn, a large needle, scissors, paper, pencil, a ruler and a picture frame.

I figured it would be the kindergarten version of embroidery.

That’s ok, everybody has to start somewhere.

I mapped out a 5x7 rectangle on my felt, to fit my dollar store frame. Next, on paper, I sketched out a few designs.


My brainstorming session with my ever present hot water!

When I was done brainstorming and had chosen a simple design I liked, I drew my pattern on the felt and grabbed my yarn to envision my creation in color.

I wanted the letters to have interest, but didn’t love the idea of making them each a different color. I had a variegated skein of green yarn on hand and decided to go with that for the words. The letters would be slightly lighter and darker shades of green.


Perfect.

I chose orange, yellow and more of the same green to create the pumpkin.

The stitching itself was simple, I used a very basic backstitch.

It's hard to explain this without a video, but I'll do my best. I hope it makes sense.

I poked my threaded needle up through the fabric at the top of a letter and then down again, creating a half centimeter long stitch.


Then I moved my needle on the underside of the felt about half a centimeter past the end of the first stitch and popped up. I moved the needle back toward the end of the first stitch on the top of the felt and poked the needle down. Now I had two stitches.

I just continued this process until all the letters were done.

Super easy and the result was lovely ~ if I do say so myself...

My words, Give Thanks, turned out just as I had hoped, the green shades faded into one another and I never had to change out my yarn.


Once the letters were done, I moved on to the pumpkin, using orange yarn for the body, green for the leaf and yellow for the stem. I began the process by outlining the pumpkin, leaf and stem to define their basic shapes and then going back to fill them in, using the same backstitch I described above.

When I had completed the embroidery, I placed it in the frame, but felt like it looked a little unfinished.

I decided to add a thin green line to the bottom of my design to anchor it. This is one of the reasons why I love creating things on my own and from my own designs. I am not locked into anything and can add or subtract elements to suit my decor.


I have to say, it was actually a very enjoyable process and a whole lot easier than I ever imagined. 

Easy, handmade and perfectly imperfect embroidery for all.

Beautiful.

Are you ready to give it a try?

Hey...if you already embroider, do tell...and share your tips and tricks, you know, in case I really do want to graduate from my kindergarten version and jump in and play with the big kids.