How To Embroider On Felt: Foolproof Felt Embroidery Tips For 2023
Wondering how to embroider on felt?
Creating pretty embroidery on felt is so much easier than it sounds! Once you know how to transfer embroidery patterns to felt and the best felt embroidery stitches to use, you’re all set to create any design you like.
Feeling overwhelmed about where to start? Leave it to me! I’m a passionate sewing geek who’s had a needle and thread in hands on and off since my middle school days, and I’d like to share what I’ve learnt about embroidering on felt through the years.
If you just need a few basic pointers, these are my basic go-to steps for embroidering on felt:
- Step 1: Draw the pattern on your fabric using an erasable fabric pen.
- Step 2: Embroider using running stitch for outlines, blanket stitch for edges, and fly stitch for decoration.
- Step 3: Tidy up the project, and you’re done!
But, If you’d like more details, read on to see my beginner-friendly guide on embroidering felt.
How To Embroider On Felt: Foolproof Felt Embroidery Tips
Table of Contents
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How To Hand Embroider On Felt: Step-By-Step Guide
Hand-embroidering felt is a simple way to add details to your felt projects. You just need basic sewing tools and you’re good to go! Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Transfer Your Felt Embroidery Patterns
Draw your pattern onto your fabric using an erasable fabric pen, either freehand or by using stencils as a guide.
Alternatively, you can transfer your pattern using freezer paper or tracing paper. If you want to transfer a complete color-filled image onto your fabric, use iron-on transfer paper.
I’ll go into more detail about each method in the How To Transfer Embroidery Pattern Onto Felt section.
Step 2: Set Up Your Sewing Station
These are the basic sewing tools I use for hand embroidery on felt:
- Small to medium embroidery needle: Embroidery needles have a sharper point compared to standard sewing needles. It makes it easier to pierce through the fabric and gives you cleaner results.
- Embroidery thread: This is the best pick for embroidery projects. It comes in rich colors and has this beautiful shine to it. I love how polished they look on my embroidery projects.
- Optional: embroidery hoop (read below to find out why it’s optional)
Step 3: Stitch Your Embroidery Design
Felt is stiff enough that you don’t actually need to hoop your fabric if you’re planning to embroider by hand (but you can use one if you like).
Once you have your pattern on the fabric, use it as a guide to stitch your embroidery pattern.
You can use a combination of these basic embroidery stitches:
- For outlines: running stitch, back stitch
- For edges and appliqués: blanket stitch
- For filling in areas: satin stitch
- Decorative stitches: French knot, fly stitch
I’ll walk you through all the basic embroidery stitches you can use in the Embroidering On Felt: Best Stitches To Use section.
Check out my full guide on all the other stitches for felt.
Step 4: Tidy Up Your Design
Remove the pen markings, tracing paper, or freezer paper, depending on the transfer method you used.
Cut away excess threads. I like embroidery scissors for this. Embroidery is delicate work and it’s good to use scissors that are small and sharp, so you can get really close to your project and snip threads cleanly off.
Here’s an example of what the hand embroidering process looks like (including some hand embroidery tricks on creating cute animal features on your design):
Machine Embroidery On Felt: Step-By-Step Guide
If you want to know how to embroider faster, using a machine’s the way to go. You can use a dedicated embroidery machine if you have one.
This might not be an option for most of us who are just starting out, but don’t worry – you can actually embroider using just the good ol’ regular sewing machine too! Here’s how:
Step 1: Set Up Your Sewing Machine
These are the general settings I use for machine embroidery:
- Free motion quilting foot: The foot doesn’t rest on the fabric. This gives you the freedom to move the hoop as you sew (just remember to keep your hand steady when stitching the fabric).
- Medium-sized 75/11 embroidery needle: This all-purpose size works great for most felt embroidery projects.
- Embroidery thread: Use contrasting colors to the fabric as you want the embroidery design to stand out.
Here’s a guide on setting up the machine for embroidery projects:
PS. You may have seen advice to drop the feed dogs (the little teeth that evenly feed the fabric to your sewing machine) when doing free motion embroidery, to avoid them pulling the back of the fabric. BUT in my experience, you don’t have to do this.
Dropping the feed dogs can affect the machine’s timing and tension, so I recommend leaving them up for best results.
Step 2: Transfer Your Felt Embroidery Patterns
You can use any of these basic pattern transferring methods for machine embroidery projects:
- Freehand tracing
- Stencil method
- Iron-on transfer
Check out the How To Transfer Embroidery Pattern Onto Felt section for more details.
Step 3: Apply Stabilizer
This is a nice-to-have step but not 100% necessary. Using an embroidery stabilizer when machine embroidering on felt helps keep the fabric smooth and sturdy, meaning it’s easier to embroider more neatly.
When you apply the stabilizer, make sure it covers the entire pattern area.
Step 4: Hoop The Fabric
It’s helpful to hoop your fabric when working with a sewing machine – it keeps your fabric taut, and you get a better finish this way.
Each hoop set comes with an inner hoop and an outer hoop:
- Loosen the screw so that you can remove the outer hoop
- Place the fabric and stabilizer onto the inner hoop
- Smooth out the fabric
- Press the outer hoop onto the fabric – basically sandwiching the fabric between the hoops
- Feel the fabric for bumps, and gently pull the edges to smooth them out
- Tighten the screw to set your fabric in place. You want a taut fabric surface (kinda like the skin on a drum). If the fabric is not tight enough, it’ll pucker when you’re sewing.
Step 5: Stitch Your Embroidery Design
Slowly stitch your pattern. You can outline the pattern first with a basic running stitch and then go over this with more decorative stitches like the satin stitch for filling in areas and blanket stitch for edges.
Step 6: Tidy Up Your Design
Remove the stabilizer. You can either tear it or wash it off, depending on the type you’re using.
Cut away excess threads. I like embroidery scissors for this – they’re small and sharp, and work great at snipping off those tiny threads and giving a neat finish.
And there you have it!
How To Transfer Embroidery Pattern Onto Felt
Freehand Tracing
Using an erasable fabric pen, draw your design onto the fabric. For dark-colored felt, use tailor’s chalk.
You can use regular permanent markers like Sharpies but just make sure that the stitches fully cover the markings. Be extra careful with non-fabric pens though, as they can bleed onto the fabric, creating not-so-pretty stains.
This transfer method is good for drawing patterns with simple outlines.
Stencil Method
For more precise patterns, you can create stencils out of your pattern paper and use them to guide your drawings on the fabric.
Cut the pattern paper according to your design. Pin it to the fabric and trace along the stencil using an erasable fabric pen or tailor’s chalk.
Freezer Paper Method
Freezer paper has a coating on one side that makes it temporarily stick to fabrics when you iron it on.
Using this method, you can draw or print your pattern on freezer paper, iron it onto your fabric, and embroider directly on it. Once you’re done, you can gently peel the freezer paper off the fabric.
Tracing Paper
Tracing paper is an old-school alternative to freezer paper. It works the same way, but you just have to pin it to your fabric instead of ironing it on.
Once you’re done embroidering, carefully tear the paper off.
Iron-On Transfer
If you want to transfer a rich, color-filled image (not just black-and-white outlines) onto your fabric, you’ll need iron-on transfer paper.
To use this method, you’ll need to print a mirror image of your design and iron it onto the right side of the fabric.
Once the design is transferred, you can decorate it with embroidery stitches.
If you need the step-by-step guide for each of these transfer methods, check out my full guide for drawing on felt.
Embroidering On Felt: Best Stitches To Use
Fun fact: There are more than 300 types of stitches you can use to embroider on felt!
You can get most embroidery projects done when you master these 10 common stitches:
- Running stitch (beginner-friendly): Good for making dashed outlines.
- Back stitch (beginner-friendly): A basic stitch that can be used for outlining. It pairs well with decorative stitches to create a fuller look.
- Split stitch (beginner-friendly): Similar to the back stitch but it has a more detailed, braided look that’s great for creating prettier outlines.
- Blanket stitch (beginner-friendly): One of the best embroidery stitches for edges. It can also be used on appliqués.
- Chain stitch (beginner-friendly): This linked stitch is great for creating a bolder outline.
- Fly stitch (beginner-friendly): This decorative stitch has a versatile V shape that can be sewn as a single stitch or in rows to create branches or ferns.
- Feather stitch (beginner-friendly): This linked stitch creates a moving decorative look. It’s great for creating borders or embroidering details like feathers or scales.
- Satin stitch (beginner-friendly): Good for filling in areas.
- French knot (advanced): Good for making a textured fill.
- Bullion knot (advanced): Good for making a textured outline.
Embroidery Felt Designs: How To Add Decorative Details
These are some simple decoration techniques I like to use to add some pretty details to my felt projects:
How To Embroider Felt Appliqué
I love how adding appliqué to embroidery gives it a really cute, handmade look! Use these basic steps to embroider appliqués:
Step 1: Cut out your appliqué pieces.
Step 2: Stitch them onto your project – blanket stitch works great for this!
Here’s a really helpful tutorial on this:
How To Embroider Letters On Felt
Planning to add quotes or personalized names to your design? Here’s a simple way to do that:
Step 1: Trace the lettering pattern onto the fabric.
Step 2: Use a running stitch or back stitch to embroider the outline.
Step 3: Fill in the lettering areas with satin stitch.
You can use this tutorial as a guide:
How To Embroider Eyes On Felt
Making embroidered eyes for your felt plushies? Here’s how to do that:
Step 1: Trace the eye pattern onto the fabric.
Step 2: Use your preferred combination of stitches to create the eye design you want.
You can use the basic back stitch for outlines and satin stitch to fill in areas.
Here’s a tutorial on embroidering eyes:
How To Embroider Leaves
If you’re looking to embroider nature-inspired designs like how to embroider a fern, there are so many ways to do it depending on the style you’re going for.
For a basic leafy design, you can use the standard back stitch and satin stitch combo.
For more unique beginner-friendly ideas, check out this fun tutorial:
How To Add Layers To Embroidery
If you want a fuller-looking finish, you can add extra layers of stitches to your existing design. To do this, plan out where it makes sense to add extra stitching and sew carefully – you don’t want to pull on the embroidered threads.
Here’s a guide on layering embroidery:
How To Add Beads To Embroidery Designs
Adding beads to embroidery is a great way to add some extra shine or a cool 3D effect to your design. Pick the best beads to suit your project, then stitch them on using a running stitch, back stitch, or fly stitch.
Check out this tutorial for the different beading stitches you can use:
Embroidery On Felt: Materials & Tools You’ll Need
Felt Fabric
You can use any of these types of felt fabric for embroidery projects:
- 100% wool felt: It’s the best felt for embroidery if you’re looking for the softest felt fabric that’s also long-lasting.
- Craft felt: Best budget-friendly option.
- Wool blend felt: The in-between pick – it’s cheaper than 100% wool felt and softer than craft felt.
Each type of felt has its pros and cons – decide what you’re looking for so you can pick the best type for your project.
Embroidery Thread
For hand embroidering, I recommend this embroidery thread. It’s durable, comes in pretty colors, and you can pull apart the thread to customize the thickness.
For machine embroidering, I recommend using this machine embroidery thread. It has a nice sheen to it. Plus, it’s versatile – you can use it for overlock, tassels, and other uses.
Learn more in this article about the different threads for working with felt.
Embroidery Needles
When embroidering felt by hand, use small to medium-sized embroidery needles.
For machine embroidery projects, use medium 75/11 embroidery needles.
Embroidery Hoop
Use an embroidery hoop to keep your fabric extra smooth when machine embroidering. Choose a hoop size that’s close to the size of your embroidery pattern.
Stabilizer
A stabilizer goes hand-in-hand with machine embroidering felt. I recommend using this convenient tear-away one that you can tear off once you’re done with embroidering.
Sewing Pins
You’ll need standard sewing pins for pinning patterns onto fabric (the stencil method) and for pinning tracing paper onto fabric (the tracing paper method).
Freezer Paper
If you’re planning to use freezer paper to transfer your pattern, try these printer-friendly ones. You can print the pattern directly onto the paper, and iron it on the fabric.
Tracing Paper
If you’re planning on using tracing paper to transfer your pattern, use thin tracing paper. Once you’ve embroidered on the paper, it makes it easier to tear off the tracing paper from the stitches.
Iron-On Transfer Paper
Iron-on transfer paper is useful for transferring color-rich images onto felt fabric. The one I recommend can be used with a Cricut Maker, making it especially easy to cut out detailed patterns.
How To Embroider Felt: Tips For Beginners
These are my favorite tips for the best success with your felt embroidery projects:
- For the best finish, I recommend using 100% wool felt. Yes, it’s a bit of an investment, but wool felt embroidery is easier for beginners as it’s sturdier than craft felt and holds stitches way better.
- Practice makes perfect! You might not get the stitches right on the first try, so I always suggest practicing on scrap fabric first before working on your actual project.
- Experiment with stitch lengths to find the right look for your projects (again – this is where scrap fabric comes in handy!).
- Start off with straight lines first before moving on to patterns with a lot of curves.
- When you’re machine-sewing felt, go very slowly so you can control the stitches. Your fabric won’t be pressed down by the foot so remember to use a steady hand when stitching.
Felt Embroidery Designs & Patterns To Try
Now that you know the basic steps to embroider felt by hand and with a machine, you can apply this technique to decorate items like kids’ toys, home decor, festive ornaments, and more.
Check out Etsy to get inspiration on cute embroidery patterns you can try!
How To Embroider On Felt FAQ
Can You Embroider On Felt?
Yes, you can embroider on felt. Felt is a sturdy, non-woven texture and gets along well with embroidery. It doesn’t pucker much compared to lighter fabrics. Plus, it’s sturdy enough that you don’t usually need to hoop it if you’re hand-embroidering.
What Are The Best Embroidery Stitches For Felt?
These are the best embroidery stitches for felt:
- Running stitch
- Back stitch
- Split stitch
- Blanket stitch
- Chain stitch
- Fly stitch
- Feather stitch
- Satin stitch
- French knot
- Bullion knot
What Is The Strongest Embroidery Stitch?
The back stitch is the strongest embroidery stitch. It has a strong holding power compared to most hand stitches and is used to imitate machine stitching. It can be used to attach fabric together and for creating outlines.
Do You Need A Hoop To Embroider On Felt?
You don’t really need a hoop to embroider on felt if you’re stitching it by hand. It has a stiff texture that makes it sturdy enough for hand embroidering. If you’re planning to embroider with a machine, then use a hoop so you can get the fabric nice and taut.
What Fabrics Cannot Be Embroidered?
Thin, flimsy fabrics cannot be embroidered. These include silk, rayon, and some extra-fine T-shirts. Embroidering with a needle will leave noticeable holes in the fabric. Any backing you apply will also be visible through these thin fabrics.
Does Felt Need Stabilizer For Embroidery?
You don’t necessarily need a stabilizer for embroidery if you’re stitching by hand. Felt has a stiff texture that’s easy to embroider. If you’re planning to machine-embroider, then it’s helpful to use a stabilizer to keep the fabric steady as you stitch.
What Is The Best Stabilizer For Embroidery On Felt?
The best stabilizer for embroidery on felt is a tear-away stabilizer. Felt is a sturdy fabric that can withstand the tearing motion and won’t stretch out of shape. I find it to be a simpler alternative to a water-soluble stabilizer.
How To Embroider On Felt: Final Thoughts
And that’s all there is to it when learning how to embroider on felt!
You can easily embroider felt by hand – it’s a fun, mindful thing to do, and you can do it with just the most basic sewing tools. If you prefer a faster way to get your embroidery done, you can use a sewing machine too.
I hope this felt embroidery guide has been helpful to you. Now that you know how to embroider on felt, you can use this technique to customize the cutest felt animals!