DIY Wedding Programs With Zigzag Stitching

Use vibrant, contrasting thread colors to make your wedding programs pop.

Adding zigzag stitching to your wedding program gives a handmade touch to mass-produced programs. Custom wedding programs with stitching can cost anywhere from a few cents to several dollars extra per program, depending on the amount of stitching and the type of thread used. However, if you have a sewing machine or are handy with a needle, you can sew on the paper yourself, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars. Sewing card stock or construction paper will have cleaner results than regular paper, but if you are sewing two or more sheets of regular paper together, you will achieve satisfactory results.

Things You'll Need

• New sewing needle
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Yarn
• Glue
• Card stock
• Paper

Instructions

Chic and Simple

1. Put a fresh needle into your sewing machine. A dull needle will rip instead of pierce the paper leaving ragged holes.

2. Wind a bobbin with thread that matches the color of your paper.

3. Choose a thread color for the visible stitch. Use metallic thread to add sparkle or one of your wedding colors. For a subtle touch, choose the same color of thread as your bobbin.

4. Choose the zigzag stitch setting on your sewing machine. Even basic sewing machines will have this stitch.

5. Decide if you want to sew each pass from edge to edge or if you want to turn the paper and create a continuous stitch. You can also sew single or multiple rows.

6. Place the paper in the sewing machine and secure it with the foot of the sewing machine.

7. Work at a slow speed and sew the paper according to your design plan.

8. Cut off any excess thread.

Handmade and Funky

1. Thread a new needle with thread, ribbon or yarn. Choose a metallic color or a color that contrasts with the color of the wedding program paper.

2. Decide where you want to sew your program. If you are using ribbon or yarn, sew at least 1/2 inch in from the edge of the paper to avoid tearing.

3. Tie a knot at the end of the thread and press the needle through the paper from the bottom up.

4. Press the needle back through the paper at an angle from the entry hole to create the first leg of your zigzag stitch.

5. Poke the needle upward through the paper at an angle from the second entry hole and thread it back through the second entry hole. You have created the second leg of the zigzag.

6. Thread the needle upward through the third entry hole and down through the paper at an angle to create the third leg of your zigzag.

7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 to create a zigzag pattern across the paper. Do not worry if the stitches are not evenly spaced or angled. This makes each program unique.

8. Thread the needle through the paper and tie a knot underneath the paper to secure the stitching.

9. Glue another piece of card stock or paper to the back of the paper to hide the knots, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice. Not all sewing machines behave the same.

• Bind two or more pages of a wedding program together with a single zigzag stitch down the left side or upper edge.

• Highlight sections of the program by underlining them with a zigzag stitch.

• Hand-sewn designs such as hearts or star burst add whimsy to plain programs.

References

• The Purl Bee: Molly's Sketchbook: Sewn Paper Valentines
• Spotted Canary: You CAN Sew on Paper