DIY Monogram Embroidery Hoop | Free Pattern!
Around the 1st of the year, I picked up embroidery as a new hobby. Having grown up with a SUPER crafty grandmother & great-grandmother, I had done a little embroidery before but it was the work of Sarah K Benning that really got me into the idea of "contemporary" embroidery. Since then, I've started following a ton of embroidery artists on Instagram (Muted Rose Mercantile & Emillie Ferris are two favorites!) and have gotten inspired to create my own patterns, just for fun!
I recently made these cute monogram embroidery hoops to give to my friends as a "Galentine's Day" gift. They were so simple and easy to make! You only need two types of stitches to make these, so even if you're new to embroidery they are totally doable! For anyone wanting to give this DIY a try, I'm offering a free PDF pattern download at the end of this post.
What You'll Need
4 inch embroidery hoop
White cotton fabric
Black embroidery floss
Embroidery needle
Scissors
Optional: I wanted to make my hoops a little fancier, so I spray painted just the outer hoops metallic gold. You could choose any color you like or leave the wood bare. If you do paint, make sure you give the hoop plenty of time to dry before you stretch your fabric. Since you'll be handling it a lot, I recommend letting it dry overnight!
Ok, here we go!
Start of by cutting a square of fabric about 6"x 6" and stretch it tightly onto your hoop. Cut out your pattern and trim to fit inside the back of the hoop. To trace your pattern onto the fabric, I've found holding it up to a window or light make it much easier to see through the fabric. Trace the pattern lightly with a pencil or fine-tip pen. Your stitches will completely cover your pencil/pen marks, but try to keep them neat and straight to make your stitching work easier.
Next, thread your needle using 2 strands of embroidery floss. For embroidery newbies: floss is made up of 6 individual strands. Floss is very thick, so you usually don't use all 6 threads at the same time. The way I do it is the first cut a length of thread about 30"-36" in length. Separate out your two threads by pulling gently, and set aside the remaining 4 threads to use later. Thread the two strands through the eye of your needle, and then fold your thread in half making a small knot at the end. Since you've double it over, you'll end up stitching with 4 strands which is exactly what you'll need for both stitches in this pattern.
Next, stitch the outline of your letter using a split stitch (click here for a great video tutorial). A split stitch will help the lines look straighter. Don't worry too much if you're lines aren't perfect, it just adds to the handmade charm!
Once you have your outlines stitches, you can fill in the rest of the letter using a simple satin stitch (click here for the video tutorial).
To finish your hoop & prepare it for hanging, first make sure the fabric is stretched tightly and the top pin is secure. Then trim the excess fabric away from your hoop, leaving about 1/4- 1/2" around the diameter of the hoop. Run a small bead of craft glue on the back of the inside hoop, fold over your fabric and press into the glue. This video tutorial uses hot glue, but shows the same method.
As I mentioned earlier, I made these hoops as gifts for my friends so I figured I'd show you how I wrapped them up to take them to our Galentine's Day dinner out! I tied little sprigs of greenery up with white twine and made personalized embossed name tags with my new favorite tool, this $8 label maker! (affiliate link). I've had mine for about a month now and I'm slowly labeling anything and everything in our house. I love the vintage look the embossing gives, much more charming than a plain printed label!
How to Download Your Free PDF
I've created a 13 page PDF with patterns for every letter from A-Z, so you can print just the page or pages you need. To access your FREE DOWNLOAD of my Monogram Embroidery Pattern PDF file, just sign up for email updates from me using the form below. A message with the link to your free printable will automatically appear below after you hit submit.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Click the buttons below to download your copy of my monogram embroidery patterns. I’m providing these printable patterns completely free, no email sign up required.
But if you like what we’ve created here and want to see more, I encourage you to check out my new workbook, “My Secret to Inspired Productivity”, available as a free download exclusively for SSDC email list subscribers. Click here to learn more.