How to Embroider Letters on Luggage

Embroidering luggage with names or initials will make it one-of-a-kind.

People have used stitch work to adorn fabrics for thousands of years. Today, people still use embroidery to personalize items such as shirts, towels, cloth napkins, tablecloths and luggage. Embellishing luggage with stitch work only requires knowledge of how to work a needle and some thread. With a little practice, embroidering letters onto luggage can give the baggage a touch of personal panache.

Things You'll Need

• Cloth
• Embroidery hoop
• Embroidery needle
• Iron
• Iron-on letter transfers
• Luggage piece(s)
• Scissors
• Thread

Instructions

1. 

   Moisten the cloths with warm water to clean the luggage.

   Wipe the area on the luggage where you plan to embroider the letters, using a moist cloth to rid the area of dust or debris.

2. 

   Choose letter transfers that are easy to read and reflect personal style.

   Place the iron-on letter transfers where the name or initials will go. Check that the transfers are even and spaced well.

3. 

   Set the iron's temperature setting to work with the kind of fabric on the luggage.

   Iron over the transfers until they have completely transferred to the luggage fabric. Turn off the iron. Carefully remove the protective sheet that separated the iron from the letters. Allow the transfers to cool.

4. 

   Use a thread color that complements the luggage color.

   Position the embroidery hoop around the iron-on letter transfers to keep the fabric taut. Begin stitching an outline stitch around the first letter transfer. Do this for all the letters. Fill in the letter outlines using a filler stitch. The transfers should be completely hidden when finished.

5. 

   Do not cut the embroidery or luggage fabric when trimming stray threads.

   Remove the embroidery hoop, then trim any stray pieces of thread from the letters using the scissors.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a thimble to protect fingers from getting accidentally poked with a needle.

• Consult old magazines, websites or newspapers for more letter design ideas.

• Use caution when operating the hot iron.

References

• Martha Stewart: Embroidery