Paper embroidery - the perfect gateway for beginners

18 hours ago
4 min read

Because paper embroidery requires you to punch holes into paper before making any stitches, this activity allows embroiderers with little to no experience to create precise and symmetrical stitchings.

While you have to concentrate when punching the holes into the paper, you can let your mind wander when you stitch because there are no complicated stitches to construct - only straight lines of thread.

Paper embroidery is the perfect starting point for beginner embroiderers

I would argue that paper embroidery is the perfect gateway into fabric embroidery, so if you are a novice and would like to take up embroidery, start with paper! It helps you to understand the flow and movement of stitching without having to think about the minefield of fabric choices, stitch length and tension.

You also most likely already have everything you need at home, so there should be hardly any barrier in your way to give this a go today:

Tools and materials you need for paper embroidery

Paper

The ideal paper weight for paper embroidery is 200 gsm as lighter paper tends to tear and become warped easily. You can use plain white cardstock, but brightly coloured card can also make a big impact with contrasting colour thread. Old postcards are a good starting point if you want to embroider over an image.

Piercing tool

You can use a paper piercer or awl, but if you haven’t got one of those, a pinboard pin, seam ripper or compass will do the job. Sewing or embroidery needles don't provide enough grip and will hurt your fingers as you try to punch holes. Sewing pins are too thin and bendy and difficult to work with - they also don’t make a large enough hole in the paper so you will end up having to force your embroidery needle into the holes, which can compromise the design or make tears in the paper.

Piercing base

Use a soft base for perforating your paper - something like a thick piece of felt or fabric (even a tea towel). Corrugated packing cardboard works well and so does styrofoam, if you don’t mind the squeaking sound it makes as you pierce.

Bear in mind that if you choose lighter weight paper, it may warp if the base is very soft, so when working with thinner paper (which is altogether more tricky to work with in paper embroidery as mentioned above) you may be better off using a cutting mat or an old magazine as a base for punching the holes.

Stitching needle

A tapestry needle is ideal as the eye is large enough for heavier types of thread and it has a blunt edge, so the thread won’t snag. Check out the needle guide in my sewing kit checklist if you don't know what a tapestry needle is.

Thread

Perle yarn or embroidery floss work well. If using embroidery floss/stranded cotton, I like to use two of the six strands. If you only have sewing thread to hand, that will also work, but thicker is better.

Masking tape/ Washi tape

Tape is used to secure the template to your paper when punching the holes, and to attach any loose threads to the back of your work rather than making knots. If the back of the work will be visible, you can also glue an attractive piece of paper onto the back to cover the ‘ugly side’.

Tips for paper embroidery success

Don’t pierce the holes too close to each other because this can cause the paper to tear - opt for a distance of 2-3mm between each hole.

If possible, make the stitches on the back of your work as short as possible - this will save you time and embroidery thread. This example demonstrates the idea:

Designs that work well in paper embroidery

Because the thread from one hole to the next will always form a straight line, paper embroidery lends itself to geometric designs.

Although you are making straight lines with the thread, you can still create circular or curved shapes by using the buttonhole/blanket stitch, or by creating parabolic designs, where a series of tangents or crossed lines eventually create a curve.

Popular embroidery stitches such as French knots and lazy daisies also work well in creating floral designs on paper.

Geometric Islamic patterns are beautiful but can be confusing to get right. I tried it with this star design, and had to undo several stitches because there are so many intersections (holes in the paper) that it’s difficult to see where the thread ought to go next.

Let’s spark your creativity with some ideas for paper embroidery

As mentioned above, you can embroider over old postcards or photographs. A word of warning: If you choose an old photograph that is very special to you, think about testing your idea on a photocopy of it - once the paper is pierced, there is no going back.

Vintage book pages, music notes and old maps can be beautiful bases for embroidery. These are usually printed on lighter weight paper, so I would recommend attaching them to a piece of backing card (maybe in a contrasting colour as I have done in the example to the left).

Embroider onto the lid of an old cardboard box to give it a new purpose.

You can also use embroidery to attach objects to the paper, such as sea shells, driftwood, old keys, cutlery, dried leaves or pressed flowers - anything that lies fairly flat on the paper.