I love Thanksgiving and everything about fall. The colors, the smells in the kitchen, and especially the decor. This post shares how to embroider Thanksgiving napkins for your table setting, or as a gift this holiday season. With simple stitches, and easy designs, you can easily make these at home today!

I love the colors, smells, and festivities that come along with fall, especially Thanksgiving time. I have fond memories of this holiday through the years. Growing up, we typically spent this holiday at my grandparents house and my Grandma made the best spread of Thanksgiving food. Her home is always warm and inviting: partly because of the food, but also because of her incredible sense of style and decor. Something like a simple embroidered Thanksgiving napkin, like I am sharing today, would be just one small thing she may have at her table.

This year for Thanksgiving, my entire extended family will return to my grandparents’ home for a day together! I am so looking forward to my Grandma’s delicious food, and sharing my childhood traditions with my husband and boys.

If we were staying home, or hosting like I have in years past, these napkins would be present on our table this year. I am sharing several fall ideas in an upcoming post, but for today, I am focusing on these beautiful napkins!

Embroidered Thanksgiving Napkins

Here’s what I like about these napkins: you can make them today. Although I love to embroider, I am not an expert, and tend to keep my stitching simple. And as a busy mom of three boys, I like crafts that I can pick up and do in my small moments of free time. I am more likely to finish these simple crafts instead of a long-term project.

You can use these designs on a cloth napkin or a tea towel!

You do need a few materials for this project, so you may have to start tomorrow, but they’re all simple and easy to find at your local craft store or online.

Materials You Need:

Embroidered Thanksgiving Napkins Materials

Cream or white cloth napkins
Embroidery floss (fall colors)
Sewing needles
Embroidery hoop
Embroidery pen
Design (optional, but I have a FREE one for you!)

Let’s get started!

How to Make Embroidered Thanksgiving Napkins

First, you will want to draw or trace your design. I simply sketch out my design directly onto the material, but you can print something or use my FREE templates!

Here’s a tip: when sketching your design, it’s okay if you mess up. You can wash the design out with a little soap and water!

If you are new to embroidery, transferring a design to your material is simple. See notes below for details.

2. Once you are satisfied with the look of your design, secure material inside of embroidery hoop. In this photo, you see how I secured my thread without making a knot. I discuss this in the FAQ section below.

3. Use 2 strands of your color choice, then thread the needle.

4. Fill in your design with thread color of your choice! I use a satin stich to fill all of these designs.

5. Finish project with final knot.

6. Soak fabric in water and light soap (I use Dawn dish soap) to remove the markings. Once the fabric dries, it is ready to use!

FAQ:

How do I trace my embroidery design onto the fabric?

Print the design you want, at the size you want. Next, with your fabric secure in embroidery hoop, place the design behind your fabric, and use the light from a window to trace.

How do I start my embroidery design without using a knot?

When embroidering a project without backing, I try to use little or no knots. For this project, I began with one normal stitch length, but did not pull the stitch all the way through, keeping the loop in the back. Pull the needle through this hoop to secure thread.

What kind of fabric should I use to embroider?

You can use a variety of fabric to embroider, however, for this project, I would stick with a simple cotton material. I used a 100% polyester material that made stitching difficult on this project. I like the way they turned out, but I would use something different in the future. The nice thing about embroidery, is that it’s flexible. The eclectic style allows for imperfections!

Yield: 1 Napkin/Tea Towel