Quick & Simple Rose Line Art Embroidery

Follow this tutorial to create a beautiful floral embroidery piece with no experience or fancy materials required! This quick project makes a perfect gift or decoration for Valentine's Day.

Materials you will be using:

1. Hoop (This faux-wood one is from Walmart, but you can use one of any shape, size, and color.)
2. White fabric scrap (This one is cut from an old t-shirt scrap! Needs to be bigger than your hoop by a couple inches on all sides.)
3. Red and green thread
4. One medium-sized needle
5. Scissors
6. Pencil or pen

Note: This project can be made with any size hoop, any kind of base fabric, and any colors you'd like. Use what's most convenient for you!

Photo 1: First, take your hoop and separate the inner piece from the outer piece. Set them next to each other.

Photo 2: Place your piece of fabric atop the inner hoop, placing it as close to center as you can. Don’t worry about any wrinkles.

Photo 3: Put the outer hoop on top and sit it securely back onto the inner hoop. In the process, smooth out the fabric and pull it taught. Then cut the fabric down so only a half-inch remains around the edges (if you’d like).

Sketch your desired design onto the hoop with pencil or pen. Don’t worry if your lines are messy; the thread will cover them.

I found this image on Pinterest. Feel free to use Google and social media sites for inspiration!

Photo 1: Thread the needle with two individual strands of green thread.

Photo 2: Pull the needle towards the center of your strand of thread and then pick up the two ends. You will be able to see four separate strands in your fingers.

Photo 3: Tie these two ends in a knot that cannot easily come undone or slip out. Trim off any access thread at the end of the strand after the knot, leaving only ¼-inch.

Poke your threaded needle through the back of the canvas at the very bottom of your sketch. Pull the needle through until the entire length of the thread has been pulled onto the front of the canvas, stopping itself once the knot hits the back.

Poke your needle back through the front of the canvas, following your sketched line, about ¼-inch to ½-inch away from the spot where your needle just emerged. Once again, pull the needle through until the thread strand is pulled taut.

TIP: Do not apply excessive pressure when pulling the thread through the fabric. This can cause your stitches to bunch up and look lumpy.

Just like in step 4, poke your needle through the back of the canvas. This time, do it another ¼-inch or ½-inch beyond where your last entry point was. Pull until the thread is taught. Then, poke your needle BACK into that previous entry point. This stitch will connect with your previous stitch, creating the visual of a straight line. Pull the needle through the back of the canvas until the thread is taut.

Your next entry point will be the same one you made in step 5: it will be the very top of your line so far. Poke your needle through the back of the canvas and pull forward until the thread is taught. Then, repeating the previous steps, poke your needle through the front of the canvas about ¼-inch to ½-inch above your last stitch.

Repeat this sequence for the stem. Follow the simple shape of the line.

Once you have finished the stem (or run out of green thread), you can tie it off by flipping your canvas over to look at the back of your fabric. Find a stitch or two and loop your needle and thread around it/them repeatedly, securing them in a knot. Be careful not to poke your needle all the way through the canvas and onto the front of the fabric. Then cut the thread, severing the needle from your canvas.

For the rose bulb, you will repeat step 3 to thread your needle with two red strands. Once your needle is threaded and ready, repeat steps 4-8 to embroider this part of the line.

Once you have finished the red portion of the design, flip the canvas over and stick your needle through a previous stitch multiple times, creating a knot. Cut the thread, severing the needle from your canvas.

Flip your project back over and admire your work! This line art rose is simple to make but looks quite elegant and impressive hanging up. Try this easy embroidery method on different types of line art, in different sizes, or using different colors!