How to Embroider a Star

This is one way to embroider a star.

There are many types of embroidery, some more time consuming than others and it all depends on the type of stitching used to create the embroidered piece. In some cases people choose to embroider just the outline of an object, in other cases the entire drawing is filled with stitching giving the piece more texture.

Things You'll Need

• Piece of fabric
• Star stencil
• Pencil
• Needle
• 1 skein of embroidery floss
• Scissors
• Wooden embroidery hoop or ring

Instructions

1. Use pencil to lightly and carefully trace the star stencil onto the piece of fabric. Place fabric in the embroidery hoop.

2. Thread a needle with a 3-foot long piece of the embroidery floss. Make a knot at one end.

3. Insert the needle from under the fabric so the knot is hidden in the back side of the fabric.

4. Start stitching by inserting the needle about 1/8 of an inch over the traced line and immediately bringing it out about a 1/10 of an inch back up on the same traced line. This stitching will overlap all along the traced star creating a solid line. If you check the back of your stitching, it should look like a very small dotted line tracing the star.

5. Finish the outline by inserting the needle from the top of the fabric to the back part as close as the starting point as possible and make another knot.

Tips & Warnings

• Fill in the star by repeating the stitching along the inside of the embroidered outline.

• Change to different hues of the color you started with to create a three dimensional look.

• Choose from one- to six-ply thread to create a finer to thicker stitch.

• Avoid running out of thread by checking it often to ensure that you have enough left for a knot.

• Keep the fabric from gathering by not pulling on your thread too hard.

References

• History of Embroidery
• History of Needlework