How to Tat a Flower for Beginners

Learning this process for the first time may take an hour to an hour and a half. With some practice, later flowers will probably take only half an hour or forty-five minutes to tat.

Terms (each time one of these terms appears in the document, it is italicized):

• Stitch. The basic stitch is comprised of two loops that form a V-shape.
• Picot. A small (often decorative) loop formed by a gap between two stitches.
• Chain. A row of stitches that have been tied off. Also called an arc.
• Ring. A chain that has been joined to make a circle.
• Petal. Two rings connected by an arc/chain. This pattern has 5 petals.
• Turn your work. Laying down what you’ve completed so far on a flat surface, then flipping it over so that the threads coming out of it cross.
• Weave in. A way to hide the loose ends of thread when the piece is completed.

Supplies:

• Scissors
• 1 Spool of size 10 thread
• Size 4 needle (somewhat thick) that doesn’t get too thick at the end (same thickness all the way down). The eye needs to be the same width as the needle, so you don’t have problems with pulling the stitches off later. Some quilting needles will work.

Thread the needle, leaving a 1.5-foot tail. Continue working with the string attached (not cut) to the spool.

Pick up the needle in your dominant hand.

Between the needle and the spool, grab the thread with your non-dominant hand with your pinky, ring, and middle finger.

Make sure the thread crosses above your palm.

Hook and pull the needle through the loop of thread from below on the side nearest your body. Pull it tight against the needle. This is the first half of a stitch (terms in italics are defined in the “Terms” section at the top of the document).

PRO TIP: Keep the stitch on your needle, near the back (do not pull it all the way through). Do not pull your stitches too tightly or too loosely.

Wrap the thread around the back of your thumb (counterclockwise, in the opposite direction of Step 3).

Hook and pull the needle through the loop of thread from below on the side away from your body. You have now completed a stitch.

Repeat Steps 3 through 5 until you have 6 stitches. Don’t pull them too tightly or too loosely; they should be snug against the needle.

WARNING: If you do two of the same stitch in a row, pull the second stitch off and continue.

Stitches that are too tight may be difficult to pull off the back side of the needle when you finish a ring or arc.

After leaving a gap of ¾ of an inch of thread between the 6th and 7th stitch, create a 7th stitch.

Slide the 7th stitch down to meet the 6th stitch, creating a small loop called a picot.

PRO TIP: When making a picot, use your index finger to stop the stitch and leave thread in between the stitches.

Repeat Steps 3 through 5 to make 5 more stitches. Including the stitch that closed the picot, you will have 6 stitches on this side of the picot.

PRO TIP: When making a picot, use your index finger to stop the stitch and leave thread in between the stitches.

Pull the tail through the eye of your needle so that you have a large loop about the size of a golf ball between the eye of your needle and your first stitch, leaving a shorter tail.

Pull the needle through the stitches, pulling the stitches onto the tail.

WARNING: If you pulled your stitches too tightly, you may need to pull them off one at a time.

Pull on the needle as you hold the most recent stitch you made.

Pull the tail through and keep pulling until you have a small loop of thread at the bottom. The tail should be pulled all the way through.

PRO TIP: If you keep your fingers in the loop, it won’t disappear before you need it.

Put your needle through the small loop of thread at the bottom (not the picot) and pull the ring closed.

Turn your work: lay down what you have completed so far on a flat surface. Flip over your work so that the threads coming out cross.

Loop your needle under the bottom thread and over the top thread.

Put your needle on top of the ring you just made—the picture may look like the needle goes through the ring, but it only rests on top of it.

Make another stitch by repeating steps 3 through 5 and pull it right up against the ring.

Make 9 more stitches by repeating steps 3 through 5.

Make a shorter picot by leaving a length of thread about the width of 4 stitches between the last stitch and the next stitch.

Make 9 more stitches (repeating steps 3 through 5) on the other side of the picot.

Pull the tail partway through the needle until there is a large loop and a short tail.

Pull the needle all the way through all the stitches.

WARNING: Make sure the tail is pulled through completely or you will form an unnecessary loop.

Tie it off by repeating steps 15 through 17.

Make 6 stitches (by repeating steps 3 through 5) right up against the chain or arc you just made.

Put the needle through the large picot on the very first ring you made (the same ring each time you later repeat this step), hooking the thread attached to the ball of thread to create a loop.

Make 6 more stitches by repeating steps 3 through 5.

Pull the thread through until there’s just a small loop of thread left.

Straighten out the loop and pull your needle through it, tightening the stitches into a ring. You have now made a petal.

Repeat steps 15 through 17 to tie it off.

Make 3 more petals (3 more chains and 3 more rings) by following steps 18 through 36 above.

When you’ve finished your fourth petal, make one final chain following steps 18 through 27.

When you have 5 chains and 5 rings, pull the needle through one of the stitches near where the ring and chain of the first petal meet and pull it tight.

Cut the thread from the spool, leaving about three inches from your flower.

You will have two threads that need to be woven in. Start with the thread with the needle on it.

Find where the thread is coming out of the flower. Pull the needle through the closest stitch. Pull the thread all the way through.

Pull the needle through the next stitch as well and pull the thread all the way through.

Pull the needle off the thread and put it on the other thread. Repeat step 41 with the second thread.

Snip each thread as close as you can to where you’ve woven it in.

You can make earrings, Christmas ornaments, or other decorations with your flower, or continue tatting to make larger work like doilies.

PRO TIP: For a cleaner look, you can starch your flower.