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How To Make Embroidered Paper Cards

How To Make Embroidered Paper Cards

If you loved the paper embroidered cards made during Kirstie’s Handmade Britain, why not have a go at making them yourself? Here’s how.

By Kirstie Allsopp

Scissors

Offcuts of floral wallpapers

Offcuts of floral fabrics

Plain papers in different colours and finishes

Coloured card, cut and folded to make the card itself

Pencil

Glue stick

Sewing machine with darning foot

Contrasting coloured thread

Print friendly version

Skill

If you can handle a sewing machine, you will have no trouble doing this.

Budget

You can get wallpaper offcuts cheaply or for free from DIY stores; the card itself can be bought for just a few pence from craft shops or stationers.

Time

Your first card will take you an hour or so, but as you practise, you will get much quicker!

Step One: Cut Out The Flowers

Choose and cut out the paper and fabric flowers you want on your card. They needn’t be entirely neat.

Step Two: Make The Bird

You can draw these freehand on plain paper then cut them out. Use contrasting papers to cut out an eye and wing.

Step Three: Draw In A Tree

Taking your card's surface, sketch in a branch where the bird can sit and begin to plan the card's layout.

Step Four: Assemble And Stick

Start to assemble your design and stick pieces of it together and on to the card's surface. Use fabric and paper to create every part of the card, from the branches to the birds, flowers and leaves.

Step Five: Sew Down The Paper And Fabric

Sew down the paper and fabric pieces you've stuck on to the card, working around the edges of each one and with the designs of the fabrics. Try to make one continuous stitch. You need a darning foot and a thread in a contrasting colour. Don’t worry about making the stitching too neat, but don't concentrate too long on one area or the card beneath the fabric will fail. You can also embellish the design by adding sewn detail straight on to the card either side of the fabric or paper pieces.

With thanks to Clare Coles