Today I am sharing my favorite project I have completed this holiday season. This precious child’s handwriting embroidered ornament DIY is the sweetest way to capture your little ones this holiday season. Simple and beginner friendly, this is the perfect Christmas embroidery project!
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I love personalized gifts, especially if it has to do with my boys!
I have seen similar renditions of these child’s handwriting embroidered ornaments on Pinterest and embroidery groups I am a part of, and knew it was a project I wanted to attempt this season.
These ornaments would be a perfect gift for:
- Teachers
- Kindergarten Mamas
- Grandparents
- Yourself!
Capture a Precious Milestone
As a homeschool mama, I get to witness my boys’ early education up close and personal. Things like writing their name for the first time are a huge milestone, and make my heart swell with pride!
Writing opens up a world of possibilities in your kids’ education, and these ornaments are the perfect way to celebrate that!
And if not for yourself, what a perfect teacher gift this holiday season!
Intentional Gifting
If you have been around Home Sweet Harps for long, you have heard me talk about intentional gifting. I believe a thoughtful gift is a great way to show your love to someone.
I seem to always be drawn toward gifts that include a loved one’s handwriting. There is something so unique and intentional when you bring someone’s penmanship to life.
One of my favorite gifts I have ever received is a bracelet with my husband’s handwriting. He gave it to me right before he left for bootcamp, and I have always cherished it!
It’s no surprise I have fallen in love with these embroidered ornaments!
Other Handwriting Projects to Try:
Although today’s post focuses on a child’s handwriting, this project can be expanded to so much more:
- a message from an old birthday card
- an “I love you” from your spouse
- a quote written in a loved one’s handwriting
- a note and signature from a deceased family member
The possibilities are truly endless. I am already dreaming of all the projects I want to do similar to these adorable ornaments!
As long as you have the right materials, you can turn anyone’s handwriting into an embroidered work of art.
Let’s start with materials you need to make this child’s handwriting embroidered ornament!
Materials:
- Fabric/Material – I used this fabric!
- Needles
- Embroidery Hoops – I like to use 6″ hoops as I’m sewing, but I use 4″ hoops for the final product.
- Floss – I chose plain black for these ornaments.
- Embroidery Pens to draw or trace your design
- Scissors – I started with just a small pair of scissors we already had at home, but you can buy some basic embroidery scissors.
- Your child’s handwriting*
- Pencil
- Fine tipped Sharpie
- Ribbon or bow
So grab your sewing needles and let’s get to the how-to!
Child’s Handwriting Embroidered Ornament DIY
1.First you need your child’s name written in their handwriting. I give detailed notes on how I accomplished this in the “notes” section!
2. Once you have their name written, trace over their handwriting with a black fine-tip sharpie, or a dark pen.
My 3-year-old did not feel like participating the day we did this. (Shocking, I know!) So for his hoop, I used a coloring page where he had previously written his name.
3. Trace your child’s handwriting onto your fabric of choice. Make sure your child’s handwriting is situated where you want on your fabric.
4. Sew! I used the stem stitch with black embroidery floss throughout this entire project.
5. Back your project in your preferred method. I personally back my projects with felt.
6. Add a ribbon, bow, or string!
I found these adorable, red velvet bows at Aldi, that already had a string option to hang as ornaments.* I simply hot glued them to each hoop!
7. Hang on your tree and admire them all season long!
One of the best things about a simple project like this, is that it can be accomplished quickly. I finished both boys ornaments during one nap time!
Notes and Tips:
How do you capture your child’s handwritten name for these handwriting embroidered ornaments?
There are a few ways to gather your child’s handwriting for this project. For my oldest son (5yo) who has had more practice, I traced a 4″ circle with an embroidery hoop, and had him write his name inside.
For my younger son (3 yo), who just wrote his name for the first time, I used a paper that he already wrote on clearly enough for me to trace. I also moved the letters closer together when I traced them onto the fabric as the original was too big to fit on a 4″ hoop.
As long as you have handwriting, you can make these ornaments happen!
How do you trace a hand-drawn embroidery pattern onto fabric?
Whenever I trace embroidery patterns to fabric, I use this simple trick: Tape the pattern to the back of the embroidery hoop, then place it against the window. The light from outside projects the image onto your fabric, allowing you to trace!
A tip for you!
Another tip: if you buy a 2-pack of bows like I did, or something similar, go ahead and grab 2 or 3 packs, especially if you have (or plan to have) more than two kids!
I bought just one pack because I only have two kids writing, but I want to make an ornament for my third son when he is old enough and writing. Hopefully I can find another pack at Aldi next week so all their ornaments will match!
So there you have it! A step-by-step guide to turning your child’s handwriting into an embroidered ornament!
Child's Handwriting Embroidered Ornament DIY
This precious child's handwriting embroidered ornament DIY is the sweetest way to capture your little ones this holiday season. Simple and beginner friendly, this is the perfect Christmas embroidery project!
Materials
- Fabric/Material – I used this fabric!
- Needles
- Embroidery Hoops – I like to use 6″ hoops as I’m sewing, but I use 4″ hoops for the final product.
- Floss
- Embroidery Pens to draw or trace your design
- Scissors
- Your child's handwriting
- Pencil
- Fine tipped Sharpie
- Ribbon or bow
Instructions
1. First you need your child's name written in their handwriting. I give detailed notes on how I accomplished this in the "notes" section!
2. Once you have their name written, trace over their handwriting with a black fine-tip sharpie, or a dark pen.
3. Trace your child's handwriting onto your fabric of choice. Make sure your child's handwriting is situated where you want on your fabric.
4. Sew! I used the stem stitch with black embroidery floss throughout this entire project.
5. Back your project in your preferred method. I personally back my projects with felt.
6. Add a ribbon, bow, or string!
7. Hang on your tree and admire them all season long!
Notes
How do you capture your child's handwritten name for these handwriting embroidered ornaments?
There are a few ways to gather your child's handwriting for this project. For my oldest son (5yo) who has been writing his name for longer, I traced a 4" circle with an embroidery hoop, and had him write his name inside.
For my younger son (3 yo), who just wrote his name for the first time, I used a paper that he already wrote on clearly enough for me to trace.
How do you trace a hand-drawn embroidery pattern onto fabric?
I do this by taping the paper to the back of the embroidery hoop, then placing it against the window. The light from outside projects the image onto your fabric, allowing you to trace!
If you made this adorable child’s handwriting embroidered ornament DIY project, I would love to see it over on Instagram! @homesweetharps
Love to embroider? Here are some posts for you!
- Simple Hand Embroidered Christmas Gifts
- Hand Embroidered Christmas Tree Napkins DIY
- Embroidered Paper Christmas Tags with Printable
- Embroidery on Paper Bookmarks
- Hand Embroidered Christmas Ribbon
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