How to Embroider a Rose (Easy Woven Wheel Stitch)

1. 1

   Step 1: Mark a Circle with Five Spokes

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   Start by drawing a small circle on your fabric with a fabric marker, then divide it into five even wedges, like slices of a pie. Those five lines are the skeleton your rose weaves around, so keep them roughly equal.

   Pop the fabric into your hoop and pull it tight as a drum. Taut fabric keeps every stitch even and stops the rose from bunching. A drawn guide also keeps the finished flower round instead of lopsided.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Use a water-soluble marker so any guide lines that peek out at the end rinse away with a dab of water.

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   Used in this stepembroidery hoopcotton embroidery fabricwater-soluble fabric marker

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2. 2

   Step 2: Lay the Five Anchor Spokes

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   Thread your needle and bring it up at the outer edge of one guideline. Lay a straight stitch from the rim in toward the center, then work around the circle until all five spokes meet in the middle. You end up with a five-armed star.

   Keep the floss taut as you go so each spoke sits crisp and flat against the fabric. These spokes carry the whole rose, so a little care here pays off later.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Two or three strands of floss give a fuller rose. Six strands can get bulky and hide the woven texture.

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   Used in this stepembroidery floss (rose or pink)embroidery needles

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3. 3

   Step 3: Check Your Star of Spokes

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   Before you weave, take a look at your star. You want five spokes anchored firmly and radiating out evenly from the center point. That odd number is not random - five spokes are what let the weave spiral without doubling back on itself.

   Bring your needle up right beside the center, ready to start weaving. At this stage the whole thing looks like a small pink asterisk sitting inside your drawn circle.

   Tip:

   Watch this step If a spoke looks loose, tug it gently from the back. A saggy spoke makes a messy petal once you weave over it.

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4. 4

   Step 4: Start Weaving Over and Under

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   Now the fun part. Working from the center out, slide your needle over one spoke, then under the next, and keep circling in the same direction. This is where the flat star turns into a flower.

   Do not pierce the fabric while you weave - your floss only rides over and under the spokes, never through the cloth. That over-under rhythm is exactly what builds the layered, petal-like look of a rose.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Lead with the eye of the needle, not the point. The blunt end glides over the spokes without snagging or splitting your floss.

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   Used in this steptapestry needle (blunt tip)embroidery floss (rose or pink)

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5. 5

   Step 5: Build Up the Petals

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   Keep circling, letting the floss ride a little loosely so the petals stay soft and slightly raised instead of pulled flat. Each full pass covers a bit more of the spokes and the center starts to look like curled rose petals.

   Watch the rows spiral outward. Every so often, nudge the floss inward with your needle so the rings sit snug against each other and there are no gaps showing through.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Looser weaving reads as an open, blousy rose. Tighter weaving gives a neat rosebud. Pick the look you want and stay consistent.

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6. 6

   Step 6: Fill the Rose and Hide the Spokes

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   Keep weaving until the floss fills the whole circle and the spokes disappear under the layers of petals. The last few rounds should hug the outer rim of your drawn guide.

   When the guideline is fully covered and the rose looks plump and round, you are done weaving. Take your needle back to one of the outer petals, ready to secure the tail.

   Tip:

   Watch this step If a bit of the drawn circle still peeks out, add one more round or nudge the outer petals over it before you finish off.

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7. 7

   Step 7: Finish Off and Add Leaves

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   Press and fluff the finished rose gently with your fingertip so it sits full and round. Then take the needle down through the fabric at the outer edge, flip the hoop over, and weave the tail under a few stitches on the back to lock it in. Trim the excess floss close.

   To round out the flower, add a leaf or two beside it in green floss. A lazy daisy stitch makes a quick leaf, or fill a leaf shape in with a satin stitch for something more solid.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Cluster three roses in different sizes with a few leaves for a bouquet. Vary the floss color for a mix of blooms.

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   Used in this stepgreen embroidery flosssmall embroidery scissors

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Keep going

How to Make a Stained Glass Suncatcher

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Tools we recommend

• Similane

  Bamboo Embroidery Hoops + Needles Set

  Five hoop sizes plus a pack of needles, so you can mount any project and start stitching. Smooth bamboo that grips the fabric without marking it.

• DMC

  DMC Embroidery Floss, 36 Popular Colors

  The industry-standard 6-strand cotton floss in a ready color range, with needles included. Colorfast and smooth, so it will not fray as you stitch.

• Similane

  Similane 215-Piece Embroidery Starter Kit

  Hoops, 100 thread colors, aida cloth, needles, and tools in one box, so a total beginner can start today without a dozen separate orders.

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