Embroider a flower: Practise 4 easy embroidery stitches

How to Embroider a Flower: Easy Beginner Flower Hoop

This simple flower embroidery project is a lovely way to practise four common embroidery stitches: stem stitch, lazy daisy stitch, split stitch and satin stitch.

In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to embroider a flower using a small iron-on embroidery transfer and a few beginner-friendly stitches. It’s a quick project and a nice way to build confidence if you are still fairly new to hand embroidery.

Love stitching flowers? Browse my floral embroidery kits and patterns, including complete kits, iron-on embroidery patterns and stick and stitch designs for beginner-friendly projects.

finished blue flower embroidery hoop on blue fabric, showing a simple beginner flower embroidery project

Project details

Difficulty level: easy
Project length: quick
Stitches used: stem stitch, lazy daisy stitch, split stitch and satin stitch

You will need

The flower test transfer from your iron-on embroidery pattern pack
A 3" embroidery hoop
Embroidery thread in blue, such as DMC 798 or Madeira 911
Embroidery thread in cream or white, such as DMC 195 or Madeira 901
15cm square of light blue fabric
15cm square of cream or white fabric for backing
An iron
An embroidery needle
Small sharp scissors

materials needed to embroider a mini flower hoop, including fabric, embroidery thread, hoop, scissors and an iron-on flower transfer

Prepare your fabric and transfer

Cut out the flower design from your sheet of test transfers. Iron your blue fabric first so it is warm, then place the transfer in the centre of the fabric.

Make sure the flower transfer is straight and central before pressing it with a hot iron, following the instructions included with your pack.

Tip: place a piece of scrap fabric underneath your embroidery fabric before ironing on the transfer. This helps protect your ironing board or heatproof surface, as transfer ink can sometimes go through lighter fabric.

cutting out a flower iron-on embroidery transfer before applying it to fabric

Once the design has transferred, carefully peel the paper away. Take care, as the transfer and fabric may still be hot.

peeling away an iron-on embroidery transfer to reveal a flower design on blue fabric

Set up your embroidery hoop

Layer your cream backing fabric underneath the blue fabric, then place both layers into your embroidery hoop. Pull the fabric tight and make sure the flower design sits neatly in the middle.

If you are not sure how to do this, you can follow my full guide on how to set up your embroidery hoop.

flower embroidery transfer set up in a hoop on blue fabric, ready to stitch

How to embroider a flower step-by-step

Step 1: stitch the stem

Cut an arm’s length of blue embroidery thread and separate three strands from the six. Thread your needle with the three strands and tie a small knot at the end.

Start at the base of the flower stem and use stem stitch to cover the line. Keep your stitches fairly even and work slowly around any curves.

embroidering the stem of a flower using stem stitch and blue embroidery thread

Step 2: stitch the leaves

Next, use lazy daisy stitch for the leaves along the stem. Still using three strands of blue thread, place one lazy daisy stitch over each leaf shape.

Lazy daisy stitch is perfect for small leaves and petals because it creates a neat looped shape.

stitching a small leaf with lazy daisy stitch on a blue flower embroidery design

Step 3: outline the flower centre

Now stitch around the small heart shape below the petals. Use three strands of blue thread and work around the outline with split stitch.

Continue stitching until the whole outline is covered. Split stitch gives a slightly textured line, which works well for small curved shapes.

close up of a flower embroidery outline being stitched with split stitch

Step 4: fill the petals with satin stitch

Fill each petal with satin stitch. Start each stitch at the edge of the petal and work towards the centre, keeping the stitches close together so the fabric underneath is covered.

Satin stitch can take a little practice, so don’t worry if your first petal is not perfect. Small flower shapes are a good way to get used to the stitch.

blue flower petals being filled with satin stitch embroidery

Step 5: add the white details

Thread your needle with three strands of cream or white thread. Add three simple straight stitches to each petal, as shown in the photo.

Then fill the inside of the heart shape with satin stitch. Finally, add two small straight stitches inside each petal for extra detail.

finished blue flower embroidery with white stitched details in a small embroidery hoop

Finish your embroidery hoop

Once you have finished stitching, turn your hoop over and carefully trim away the cream backing fabric only.

Next, trim the blue fabric into a circle roughly 2cm bigger than your hoop. Sew a line of running stitch around the edge of the fabric circle, leaving both ends of the thread loose.

Pull the thread ends gently so the fabric gathers behind the hoop, then tie the ends together. You can also add a ribbon if you would like to hang your finished flower hoop on the wall.

For more help with this part, you can follow my full photo guide on how to back an embroidery hoop.

More floral embroidery projects to try

I hope you enjoyed learning how to embroider a flower. Once you have practised these simple stitches, you can use the same method for lots of other floral embroidery patterns, from tiny leaves and petals to bigger botanical designs.