String Art Embroidery on Paper

String Art Embroidery on Paper

Hand Embroidery is possible on anything that you can get your needle to go through. One good medium is paper. Here is a quick tutorial on how to stitch over the paper using hand embroidery stitches and a combination of String Art Embroidery. This project will take about just an hour to make with minimum tools and resources!

This project is perfect for the Valentine season. It is simple and quick to make inspiring you to make other seasonal patterns. I will be using the Chain Stitch for the outline to make the base strong. Also, the Chain Stitch leaves a trail of Back Stitches behind the paper, keeping it neat for a postcard. You can try this on any normal card too. I hope you enjoy doing this! Let us know how you found this project!

Fig 1: Get the stencil or pattern of a heart that fits your postcard. I made a stencil (right) and a pattern with the stitch points marked (left). Marking the stitch points makes it easier to stitch on the paper later.	Fig 2: Trace the heart onto your postcard or card paper. If you are transferring the pattern, you just need to transfer the stitch points. Else, just draw the heart using the stencil and mark the points directly over the postcard.
Fig 3: Now, use a sharp needle to pierce through the stitch points. This will make stitching easier as we will be using the ‘stab’ method and need to locate the points exactly.	Fig 4: Get your threads ready. I have used a hot pink thread for the outline of the heart and a variegated pink thread to fill it in with.
Fig 5: Let’s first do the outline using the Chain Stitch. Start from the bottom tip, which is marked as point ‘A’. When you use the ‘stab’ method, you will be going in or coming out through a stitch point one at a time. Come out through point ‘A’ completely.	Fig 6: Then, go in through the same point ‘A’ but, before pulling it down completely, come out through ‘B’ and loop the thread around the needle as shown.
Fig 7: Now, pull out the needle completely to form the first chain. Since the stitch points are already marked, you cannot try to poke into the other parts of the paper. If you do so, you will run the risk of getting the paper torn and damaging the postcard.	Fig 8: Again, go in through ‘B’ and come out through ‘C’ and loop the thread around the needle as shown. Make sure you pull out the thread gently to avoid any accidental knots that could form in the thread while stitching.
Fig 9: We have stitched two chains! This is how you would make all the other subsequent chains.	Fig 10: When you have stitched all around the outline and are left with the last chain to complete, instead of doing the regular Chain Stitch, use the Reverse Chain Stitch method. Pass the needle under the very first chain that you had made, as shown.
Fig 11: Then, take the needle in through the last stitch point as shown. This makes the Chain Stitch outline seamless!	Fig 12: The outline is done! Now, we can get out thread ready for the string weaving.
Fig 13: Bring out the needle from one of the stitch points. It will be best to do it through the bottom tip of the heart. Make sure the needle is inside the heart. If not, pass it under the closest stitch to get it inside.	Fig 14: Take the string to any point across the heart and pass the needle under the chain stitch. Then turn it around and pass it under the very next chain stitch, as shown.
Fig 15: Again, pass it under a chain stitch which lies across and turn around, as shown. Keep up with this process. Try to cover as much ground as possible.	Fig 16: Using a Tapestry Needle will help in the string weaving. Try to pass under each chain stitch at least once. I have used all the 6 strands of the floss here, but the thickness is your choice.
Fig 17: You can, of course, decide to stop the weaving whenever you feel satisfied with the coverage. When you want to end the weaving, just take the needle through the nearest stitch point and finish it off with a knot on the other side of the postcard.	Fig 18: The finished heart looks like this. I did not pass under every single chain stitch. Six strands of thread filled the heart for me satisfactorily by this stage.

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