How to Do Star Stitch (Step-by-Step)

Finished star stitch embroidery showing small stitched stars on fabric.
Finished star stitch, worked as tiny stitched starbursts on fabric.

Star stitch is a fun decorative embroidery stitch that creates tiny starbursts on your fabric. It is a simple one for beginners to learn and a lovely way to add sparkle and texture to florals, borders or scattered details on clothes and hoops.

Star stitch step-by-step embroidery diagram showing how to make a small stitched star using overlapping straight stitches.
Star stitch step-by-step illustration.

How to do star stitch (step-by-step)

  1. Begin by bringing your needle up at the centre point where you would like your star to sit. This is the starting point of your first spoke.
  2. Make a straight stitch across to the opposite side of the star shape to form the first spoke.
  3. Repeat this for each spoke, bringing your needle up and down in a regular pattern around the centre until your stitched star is complete.
  4. Try to keep all the stitches the same length and evenly spaced so your star stitch looks neat and balanced.

More about star stitch

Star stitch is a decorative embroidery stitch made by overlapping straight stitches in a set pattern to create a little radiating star or asterisk shape. Each star is built from a series of evenly spaced stitches that all share the same centre point.

You can use star stitch on its own as scattered stars, cluster them together for tiny florals, or mix them with other stitches to add highlights to borders and motifs. It works especially well for Christmas and winter designs, adding a bit of stitched sparkle without being difficult to sew. If you would like a project to try it on, many of my Christmas embroidery patterns include simple stars and twinkles that are perfect for practising this stitch.

Ready to practise star stitch?

If you would like some projects to try star stitch on, I have a range of beginner friendly embroidery kits and patterns that use this stitch and other simple favourites.

Shop embroidery kits Browse patterns Get the free sampler

Tips for star stitch

  • Lightly mark the centre point and spoke lines with a pencil or erasable pen for a balanced star.
  • Keep your thread tension even so the fabric does not pucker around the centre.
  • Use shorter stitches for tiny stars and slightly longer ones for bold accents.
  • Try metallic or variegated thread for extra shine in festive or night-sky designs.
  • Scatter a few star stitches together with French knots for a lovely textured effect.

More embroidery stitches to learn

Once you are comfortable with star stitch, you might like to try these stitches next:

Next steps in your embroidery journey

If you would like a relaxed project to put your new stitches into practice, you can explore my range of modern embroidery kits and patterns below.