How to Embroider Rocks
Embroidering is the art of creating designs on fabric using needlework patterns. You can embroider a wide range of objects, including pillows, blankets, shirts and any other cloth object. Embroidering a rock is more difficult because the needle can't pierce the surface. But you can get around this technicality by embroidering on fabric and then attaching the fabric to the rock with Mod Podge or other decoupage medium.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- A rock
- Scissors
- Chalk
- Embroidery pattern
- Embroidering floss
- Embroidery needle
- Sand paper
- Mod Podge or other brand of decoupage medium
- Paint brush
Instructions
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1
Wrap your fabric around your rock to see how big it has to be to cover it. Cut it and check to make sure it covers the entire surface of the rock tightly.
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2
Draw the designs you want to embroider on your fabric using a piece of chalk. Include as many designs as you want and space them out to make sure they don't bunch up too close to each other. You can also use a pattern, if you like.
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3
Thread your needle with two or three strands of embroidery floss and pick a starting spot on the fabric. Insert your needle into the fabric and push it down. Push your needle back up through the fabric at least 1/8 inch from where you inserted it to do a basic stitch.
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4
Create the basic shape of your design. For example, if you are creating the letter of your first name, sew along the outside of the letter lines to create the basic shape.
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5
Cut off your thread when you are finished creating the design outline, leaving about an inch of thread left. Pull it underneath the stitch just before you finished and tie it to close your stitch.
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6
Fill in your basic embroidered shape by creating new stitches inside of the shape. Use different colored floss to make colorful designs. Create all of your embroidered designs using this method.
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7
Rub the surface of your rock with sandpaper. Wipe off the sanded-off rock shavings.
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8
Squeeze the decoupage medium onto your paint brush and brush it onto the surface of your rock and on the nonembroidered side of the fabric.
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9
Wrap the fabric tightly around the rock with the decoupage side facing downwards. Let the decoupage dry for an hour.
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10
Display your embroidered rock after the decoupage has finished drying. Create multiple embroidered rocks using the same method.
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