How to Stitch Flowers Onto Plastic Canvas

Use a needle with a large eye to stitch on plastic canvas.

Plastic canvas is a strong medium to work with, especially if you are teaching younger children how to stitch and embroider. You can cut the canvas itself into shapes to create three dimensional objects or you can use your stitches to create a design, such as a flower, on the canvas. Use 7-count plastic canvas, which has larger holes, to get started and work your way down to a smaller counter as your skills improve.

Things You'll Need

• 1 sheet 7-count plastic canvas
• Marker
• Pearl cotton, in your choice of colors
• Sewing needle with a large eye and blunt tip
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Draw a flower on the plastic canvas. A daisy may be the easiest flower to draw at first. Count the squares on the canvas as you draw the flower and make each petal the same number squares tall and wide. Use two differently colored markers, one to draw the center of the flower and one to draw the petals. Color in the flower so that you have a clear idea of where you will be stitching. If you're uncomfortable with your drawing ability, you may be able to find a flower pattern and trace that onto the canvas

2. Thread the sewing needle with an 18-inch length of pearl cotton. Push the needle through the hole on the upper left side of the top flower petal. Bring the needle down through the hole diagonal to the first hole, leaving an inch of thread hanging in the back of the project. Bring the needle up through the hole directly to the right of the first hole, then down through the hole diagonal to that hole and directly below the first hole. This is your first complete cross-stitch.

3. Move the needle over to the right and up through the top left hole to the right of the first stitch. As you move the needle over, catch the inch of thread you left hanging in the back between the thread and the canvas to secure it in place. Bring the needle down into the hole diagonal to the hole you just came out of, then up through the hole above it. Bring the needle down through the hole diagonal to that to finish your second stitch.

4. Continue to stitch your flower until you run out of thread. When you do run out, wrap the thread around a few stitches in the back to secure it, then re-thread the needle with another 18-inch length of thread and continue to stitch.

5. Fill in the entire area of the flower with stitches, changing thread colors as you need to. When finished, you can trim the plastic canvas around the flower or fill in the background of the canvas with more stitches.

References

• Craftstylish; How to Make a Needlepoint Giftbox; Diane Gilleland; 2008
• Free Patterns: Cross Stitch
• DLTK: Flower Themed Cross Stitch Pattern