Hand-stitched Christmas cards
These pretty cards can be made quickly and inexpensively and require only basic sewing skills.
You will need:
- Blank card
- Template (see below)
- Tapestry needle
- Embroidery floss — Anchor stranded cotton in shade 302
- Masking tape
To make the template
Download and print the star template shown in the photographs or draw your own shape. For the neatest results, draw or print onto a plain sheet of paper rather than directly onto the cards.
To make the card
With the card open, use the masking tape to attach the template to the front cover of the card. In the photo, both the card and the template have been taped to a cutting mat to keep them steady and make sure the table surface does not get marked or damaged.
Use the needle to make a series of evenly-spaced prick marks along each side of the template. For the card shown, a mark was made at each point and corner and then five marks were made on each side between these (see the picture below).
Remove the masking tape and the template and use the needle to make a hole at each of the marks. Be careful not to bend the card while pushing the needle through.
Decide whether you want your knot to be on the inside or the outside of the card. If you want the knot to be on the outside, start stitching with your needle from the front cover to the inside. If you want the knot to be on the inside, start stitching with your needle from the inside of the card to the front cover. Leave a tail that is at least a couple of inches long; it can be trimmed later, if needed.
Stitch all the way around the shape. Finish the last stitch by passing the needle and thread back through the hole that you started from. (You might need to hold the starting tail on the other side to avoid pulling it through.)
To secure the thread, knot as follows:
- On the opposite side of the card from your starting tail, pass the needle under the first stitch that was made.
- Pass the needle back through the loop that this forms.
- Pull to tighten.
Pass the needle through the other side and cut the thread, leaving a tail. Tie a knot in the two tails and trim to desired length. Add any lettering that you want and your card is ready to write and send.
Finished card
Side with decorative knot:
Side without decorative knot:
