We wanted to create something for Valentine’s Day that you make yourself. Use our Sweetheart Embroidery Kit and tutorial to embroider your own wall hanging for your valentine. Our friend Leah Brandt, of Hero Images, demonstrates just how easy it is.

Step 1: What You'll Need:

Fairgoods Sweetheart Embroidery Kit

or

5-inch embroidery hoop
Piece of 100% cotton or Aida cloth
Inkjet printer
Butcher or freezer paper
Fabric scissors
Embroidery floss (we used red and pink)
String or ribbon (optional)

Step 2: Step One

Unscrew the embroidery hoop and place the inside hoop behind the fabric and the larger hoop in front.

Step 3:

Center the hoop around the faint circle printed on the template. Tighten the screw while pulling the fabric around the edges. The tighter the fabric is, the better.

Step 4: Step Two

Cut a piece of your embroidery floss to begin stitching. About 20 inches is a good length to work with at a time. We combined the red and pink floss together by splitting the thread. Each piece of thread is made up of six thin strands, so you can easily take one from each color. Once you’ve combined your thread, thread your needle and fold in half, tying the ends in a knot.

Step 5: Step Three

Begin stitching around the dotted grey line.

Step 6:

Continue around the pattern, keeping equal spacing between the stitches. If you run out of thread, simply tie a knot at the back and repeat steps one and two.

Step 7: Step Four

Once you’re finished, use your scissors to trim the excess fabric around the hoop.

Step 8:

To finish, we tied a piece of ribbon through the hole in the top of the frame. If you’re not hanging it on the wall, this part is optional.

Step 9:

Our Sweetheart Embroidery Kit comes with a choice of one of three templates we’ve created using type by We’ve created three templates, using type by Ale Paul, Mark Simonson, and Neil Summerour. (The templates are also available separately.)

Step 10: Making From Scratch

If you already have the materials above, you’ll need to prepare the fabric to print on your inkjet printer. Cut your fabric to a size of 8.5" x 11" and iron it onto butcher or freezer paper. The shiny side of the paper turns into an adhesive when heated, so make sure you place the fabric on this side and iron the dull side. We recommend ironing on another piece of fabric or ironing board. Iron for approximately two minutes without steam and the paper will stick nicely to the fabric. Cut off the excess butcher paper and it’s ready to be fed through your printer. Make your own design or all of the above designs are available for download here.