Stitched Christmas Cards – String Art
Craft scaled-down string art stitched Christmas cards using this super simple technique and graphic! This post contains affiliate links.
Paper embroidery is such a fun craft. You’re taking one of the most basic craft supplies: paper, and adding unique texture to it using another common craft room staple: string. The combination is striking, full of personality, yet so so simple! It truly makes an impression.
These particular stitched Christmas cards take it a step further by using such a simple graphic, with convincing results.
You don’t even need a template to help you put this together. A ruler is totally enough.
This tutorial shows you how to make the basic stitched card. The back is not quite a smooth card to write on. To use these you can:
- Keep it as a one sided card, writing above and below it.
- Glue it onto a card that’s slightly larger in size, so that the front forms a border.
- Or, simply back your card with white cardstock or paper.
However you finish your stitched Christmas cards off, they’ll make an impression and add a personal touch to your holiday greetings!
What you’ll need
- Cardstock paper
- Ruler
- Pencil – to sketch your design
- Embroidery Needle
- Scissors
- Embroidery thread
- Optional: paper piercing tool and self-healing mat
How to make stitched Christmas cards
1. Cut a piece of cardstock to size to use as a base. Use a ruler and pencil to trace the outline for the star and the tree tree triangle. Mark the stitching points every 6-8mm along the 2 sides of the tree, as well as on the points of the star. Make sure you have an equal number on each side of the tree. You can make your work easier by piercing these with a paper piercing tool on a self-healing mat.
2. Let’s start with the tree. Prepare a needle with green thread. Tie a knot at the end of the thread, and insert it through the back towards the front, pulling until your knot. Start with a bottom hole on either side.
3. Thread front-to-back through any point on the opposite side of your tree. Bring your stitching back through any point along the same side to bring it to the front.
4. Continue to stitch through the marked points or pre-punched holes randomly.
5. You can criss-cross or make it more random.
6. To add more depth, we used two colors of thread on the tree. Simply skip some points and finish your first by knotting it on the back and trimming. Then start stitching your second color just like you did the first.
7. Continue to stitch until all holes or hole markers are used.
8. It’s time to stitch your star! Prepare your yellow thread, knot, and pull from back to front on one point of your star.
9. Stitch each point to the opposite point to create an “asterisk” style star.
You’ve successfully crafted some stitched Christmas cards! Will you be trying to freestyle any other patterns? Comment below!
String Art Stitched Christmas Cards
Instructions
1. Prepare a piece of cardstock paper for the string art. Use a ruler and pencil to trace the outline for the star and the tree pattern on the prepared paper. Mark the stitching points along the 2 sides of the tree and mark the outer points of the star pattern.
2. Let’s start with the tree pattern. Prepare a needle with green thread. Tie a knot at the open end of the thread and pull the needle through any one point from the backside of the paper.
3. Pull the thread all the way, until it stops at the knot. Select any point along the opposite diagonal side of the tree pattern. Stitch through that point and bring back the needle through a point along the same side to bring it to the front.
4. Continue to stitch through the marked points randomly.
5. You can follow a geometric or regular pattern if you want.
6. You can add a different colored embroidery thread to give the tree a vibrant pattern.
7. Continue to stitch until all points are covered.
8. Prepare a yellow thread for the star pattern.
9. Stitch 8 bars criss-cross wise to create an 8 point star pattern.
10. Pull the needle to the reverse side of the paper when you’re done stitching the tree and the star patterns. Tie 2 tight knots around any adjacent stitch on the reverse side and cut off extra thread.
