Turn Your Kids Art into an Embroidery [DIY]

I'm so excited to share with you today one of my recent projects. The idea came to me out of the blue and although the craftsmanship needs a little work (I'm still learning) I am so pleased with how it turned out.  Better yet? Since the project was based on a drawing my son made, he was able to present this gift as his own but with materials that will likely last much longer than a piece of paper. #winwin

[Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to products you can use to make this project. Purchasing through these links earns me a small comission at no extra charge to you, which allows me to bring you more new content! Thank you for supporting my blog.]


I have been bitten by the embroidery bug... HARD. I was so excited to begin that I had all these great ideas for projects in my head without really slowing down to learn what to do first (oops). So please don't judge my stitches as they are not perfect and probably not done the "right" way.  They are however full of so much love and it turned out wonderful in the end.



Want to know how to turn your child's work of art into a long-lasting embroidery design?  It's super easy.  Here's how:



FIRST: Have your child draw a design.  I asked my son (4) to draw a photo for his mamaw (my mom). He opted to draw a photo of her with her name at the bottom. [and some other letters and his name because he got excited.]

NEXT: Gather the rest of your supplies.  You'll need a fabric to embroider on.  Muslin or Osnaburg are common ones but really anything with a fairly tight weave that you can still push a needle through works great. Do a litle research to see what's best for your project.

You'll also need DMC floss (embroidery thread), a needle, scissors, an embroidery hoop and a pencil.

TO TRACE the artwork, tape the paper up to a window with lots of sunshine (or anything else that light shines through).  Then tape your fabric on top.  Using your pencil, simply trace your design.

[What I learned: If possible, have your child draw in a dark color. The light blue/green was hard to see through the fabric.  Also- the more they scribble, the harder it's going to be to trace.  Just do the best you can and create an outline, leaving "holes" where there is empty space in the photo]

and once traced...

I moved down the "W" from his original drawing because he kept writing an "M" and then writing another and another until he got it the right way. (because Mamaw ends with a W) but I wanted to use his actual handwriting.  I also left out the extra letters and his name to keep the design crisp and focused on his original drawing.



NOW START EMBROIDERING! Start with an outline and fill in after that. I wasn't really sure how to space my stitches in something like this (since his original lines may have spanned her head to her feet!) but I think it turned out fairly well.

I kept the original drawing next to me so that when I came upon a "hole" I could figure out how the original lines went to keep it closest to the drawing.  It's a little bit off, but again- I'm pretty proud with how it turned out. I feel like the essense of the drawing is still definetly there.

My son gave it to my mom on Christmas and she loved it.  He is proud that his drawing is now framed and can last for years to come in a fun new way.  I'm excited to have actually finished a project and be on my way to learning something new. I couldn't have picked a better project to begin my journey with (this one and another for my cousin were my first, both done this Christmas).

I'd love to see a photo of the drawing you'd love to embroider.  I have a few more of my "favorites" that I'd like to maybe put on a tote bag or something for myself! This would make a GREAT gift for Valentine's/Galentine's Day or for upcoming Mother's Day! Feel free to share your dream project or your completed one on our facebook group or tag Cut, Craft, Create on Instagram in your DIY post!