Learn how to embroider card

Learning how to embroider cards is really fun and easy. This project will take you through the process step-by-step and show you how to create this beautiful hand stitched house plant card.

Hand embroidered plant lady card

Difficulty Level: Easy

Project Length: Quick

To stitch this hand-embroidered birthday card you will need:

  • 'House Pants' embroidery transfer patterns
  • A blank Kraft card measuring 6" by 6"
  • Thread in the following colours; red DMC666 / Madeira 210, light green DMC907 / Madeira 1410, dark green DMC 986 / Madeira 1312
  • Glass headed pin
  • White acrylic pen (optional)
  • Needle, Scissors

Preparation


Did you know you can iron your transfers directly onto the card? This makes learning how to embroider on card even easier.

Simply cut out the transfer shown and follow the pack instructions to iron it directly onto the front of your card. 

Make sure the transfer is straight and central before pressing with a hot iron. 


TOP TIP: The heat from the iron may cause some cards to bend, if this happens place the card underneath a heavy book while it cools down.


Once transferred your card will look like this.

embroidery transfer ironed on to card

Now take your pin and work your way around the black lines making a hole roughly every 4mm. You could place an old magazine or newspaper under the card to protect any surfaces and your fingers. 

embroidery transfer ironed on to card

When you have finished your card will look like the image below, you can see the holes are punched all the way around and the spacing between the holes is even.

card ready for hand embroidery with holes punched along the pattern lines

Stitching Notes

STEP 1

Every element of this design is stitched using 2 strands of thread and a simple back stitch. To begin cut an arm's length of light green thread and separate 2 of the six strands by untwisting the thread (if you are new to embroidery and have not done this before you will find more instructions in our beginner's embroidery guide).

Thread your needle with the 2 strands and tie a knot in the other end.

Now begin to stitch the leaf at the top of the pattern line push your needle through one of the pre-made holes and continue to stitch through the holes using a simple back stitch (click here for a guide to back stitch). Keep the stitches small and tight.

Making house plant embroidery card

STEP TWO 

Now thread your needle with 2 strands of dark green thread and continue to cover the outlines of the final 2 leaves use a simple back stitch (click here for a guide to back stitch)


STEP THREE 

Finally thread your needle with 2 strands of red thread and cover the outline of the plant pot using a simple back stitch (click here for a guide to back stitch).


STEP FOUR

Now all the stitching is complete you can use a white acrylic pen to add the message of your choice to the front of your card.

And that's it, all done, you have made a beautiful handmade card for someone special. We hope you have enjoyed learning how to embroider card, now you have mastered the skill you can all kinds of cards using different embroidery designs.


This hand embroidered card project is made using "House Plants' Iron-on embroidery transfer patterns, click the link below to view and purchase the pattern.

Lisa Neal