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Mary Corbet

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I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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Embroidered Greeting Cards: Free Patterns

 

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If you like embroidery and like making your own greeting cards, or even if you have never combined embroidery and paper crafts, you can get some really good ideas for designs – and plenty of free designs – at Stitching Cards.

Embroidery on paper is slightly different than embroidery on fabric, but it employs the same concepts. Using embroidery, you can stitch up your own personalized cards, bookmarks, gift tags, or even just little decorative accents. The noteable difference between hand embroidery on paper and hand embroidery on fabric is that, when working on paper, you have to punch the holes first before stitching.

Nordic Needle can supply you with all the tools you’ll need to punch paper for embroidery. With a little ingenuity, though, you can skip the fancy tools (though they do make it a bit easier) and use just a cork, a needle, and a piece of felt. Stick the eye of the needle into the cork for an easier-to-hold punch tool, and lay your paper on top of the felt, so that there’s a “cushion” beyond the paper.

You’ll need a pattern – you can make up your own, but remember, you’re just punching at the points where your stitch will pass through to the other side of the paper (unless you just want to stitch on a grid, with cross stitch – then you need a whole grid of holes in your paper). Taking advantage of free online patterns is perhaps an easier alternative.

The free pattern page at Stitching Cards is a great place to find patterns. I love their holly wreath pattern for embroidered Christmas cards, and I think their different bead patterns for greeting cards are very pretty for any occasion.

If you are thinking about sending hand-made greeting cards for Christmas, 2008, now’s the time to start planning. Or if a loved one has a birthday coming up, you might consider this a great way to personalize a card. Really, it’s a card and gift in one!

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(10) Comments

  1. This could be a good take along project also. I really liked this idea of making greeting cards. Thank you so much.

    1
  2. You can use pre-made blank cards bought from the scrapbooking / stamping sections of craft stores, or you can fold your own cards out of card stock. I like to use the textured card stock sold with scrapbooking supplies.

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  3. Yes, of course they can be used on fabric – the difference would be that you would probably want to draw lines, rather than dots, depending on the type of design you’re using!

    MC

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  4. I am interested in Silk work embroidery. What kind of ribbon I can use and where I can find in houston to purchase. I am looking for new patterns

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