Hand-stitched Valentine card
Spread a little love with these pretty cards that require only basic sewing skills.
You will need:
- Blank card
- Template (see below)
- Tapestry needle
- Embroidery floss — Anchor stranded cotton in shade 46
- Masking tape
To make the template
Download and print the heart 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
(The pictures below show a different template but the method is exactly the same.)
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.
Remove the masking tape and the template. Depending on the thickness of your card you might want to use the needle to make a hole at each of the marks before starting to sew. 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 using running stitch. 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 knot:
Side without knot:
