Things You'll Need:
- Pencil
- Paper
- Handkerchief
- Tailor's chalk
- Sewing needle
- Embroidery hoop
- Embroidery floss
- Nail polish
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Step 1
Decide on the size of the letters and the monogram style. These styles include using the first letter of the person's name; the letters of the first and last name; or the letters of the first, last and middle name. Tradition in the three-letter monogram is that the last name's initial is placed in between the first and middle initial, and is larger than the other two.
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Step 2
Sketch the monogram you want to create. Draw the letters freehand, or trace them from a font that you like. Turn over your final sketch. Rub tailor's chalk all over the back so that it completely covers the underside of the three letters. Do not leave any bits of the paper exposed.
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Step 3
Make sure that the piece of cloth you want to monogram is completely clean and free of lint. Iron it to eliminate any wrinkles. Lay it flat with the right side facing you. Place your monogram sketch where you want the final monogram to be embroidered. Using a blunt pencil, draw over the outlines of your sketched letters and then fill them in, pressing firmly but not so hard that you rip through the paper.
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Step 4
Lift the sketch away to reveal the forms of your letters transferred to the cloth. Place the fabric, face up, over the interior part of your embroidery hoop. Place the outer part of the embroidery hoop around the cloth hanging over the interior hoop. Tighten gradually, pulling the fabric taught, until you can't tighten the exterior hoop anymore.
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Step 5
Unwind about 2 feet of embroidery floss. Gently separate the strands at the top. Use one to two strands for very thin, delicate letters. Use three to four for thick letters. Thread the needle. Tie a knot at one end. Begin at the very bottom of your middle letter and satin stitch across the width of your letter, making your stitches cover the legs and curves of the letter at a 45-degree angle. End each letter with a knot on the back, and tie a new knot for the next letter. Once all three letters are completed, clip your ends as close to the knot as possible. Seal the knots with nail polish and allow to dry.
