How to Embroider a Sunflower (Hand Embroidery, Step by Step)

1. 1

   Step 1: Transfer the Sunflower Pattern

   Watch this step · 0:26

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   Start by getting your sunflower onto the fabric and the fabric drum-tight in the hoop. You need a round flower head, the little petal marks around its edge, a stem, and two leaves with a center vein drawn in.

   Trace the design with a water-soluble pen, or iron on a transfer if you have one. Clear lines take the guesswork out of every stitch that follows, so take a minute to get them crisp before you thread a needle.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Pull the fabric tight as a drum in the hoop before you draw. A saggy surface distorts the shape and makes even stitches wander.

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   Used in this stepembroidery hoopcotton or linen fabricwater-soluble transfer pen

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2. 2

   Step 2: Outline the Stems and Leaf Veins

   Watch this step · 0:36

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   Thread a light green and outline-stitch the stem and the center vein of each leaf. Outline stitch is a row of overlapping slanted stitches that reads like a smooth cord, so it gives the stem a raised, rope-like line rather than a flat one.

   Keep your stitches short and even, and bring the needle up just ahead of the last stitch each time. Follow the drawn line so the stem stays straight and the leaf veins land in the middle of each leaf.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Keep the working thread on the same side of the needle every stitch. Switch sides mid-row and the cord effect breaks and turns into a stem stitch.

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   Used in this stepgreen embroidery floss (light and medium)embroidery needle

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3. 3

   Step 3: Satin-Stitch the Leaves

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   Switch to a medium green and fill the leaves with satin stitch. Lay the strands side by side, running from the outer edge of the leaf in to the center vein at a slight slant so both halves tilt toward the middle. That angle is what makes the leaf look like a leaf instead of a solid blob.

   Keep the strands flat and packed snug against each other with no fabric peeking through. Take your time here; smooth satin stitch is the difference between a leaf that looks polished and one that looks fuzzy.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Strip your floss and lay the strands back together before you stitch. Untwisted, flat floss reflects light and gives satin stitch that smooth sheen.

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   Used in this stepgreen embroidery floss (light and medium)embroidery needle

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4. 4

   Step 4: Stitch the Petals with Lazy Daisy

   Watch this step · 8:30

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   Now the petals. Work each one as a lazy daisy loop: bring the needle up at the center end of the petal, dip it back in the same hole, and pull through over a small anchor stitch at the tip so the loop lies flat. Drop one or two straight stitches down the middle to fill the petal out.

   Go all the way around the head in a bright golden yellow, keeping the petal lengths even so the flower stays round. Overlap the bases slightly toward the center; the brown knots will cover where they meet.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Anchor the tip of each loop with a snug little stitch so the petal cannot slide loose. A loose anchor lets the loop flop and the flower loses its shape.

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   Used in this stepgolden yellow embroidery flossembroidery needle

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5. 5

   Step 5: Fill the Center with French Knots

   Watch this step · 10:48

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   Time for the seed center. Bring the brown floss up in the middle of the head, wrap the thread once around the needle, hold it taut with your free hand, and push the needle back down right beside where it came up. Pull slowly and a neat little knot sits on the surface.

   Pack the knots close together, working from the outer edge in, until the center is a dense field of brown. That raised, nubbly texture is exactly what a real sunflower center of seeds looks like.

   Tip:

   Watch this step One wrap gives a small tidy knot; wrap two or three times for bigger seeds. Keep the tension on the wrap firm right up until the needle passes through.

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   Used in this stepbrown embroidery flossembroidery needle

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6. 6

   Step 6: Finish and Frame Your Sunflowers

   Watch this step · 11:20

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   Both flowers are done. You have satin-stitched leaves, cord-stem outlines, a full ring of golden petals, and a dense brown seed center on each one. Flip the hoop over and tuck in any loose tails so the back stays tidy.

   Dab away any visible transfer pen with a damp cotton bud and let the fabric dry flat. Then leave it stretched in the hoop as instant wall art, or trim and mount it for a card or a small frame.

   Tip:

   Watch this step If you plan to keep it in the hoop, run a bead of glue around the inner ring on the back and fold the excess fabric in so it never slips loose.

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   Used in this stepembroidery hoopsmall sharp scissors

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Keep going

How to Embroider a Rose (Easy Woven Wheel Stitch)

7 steps · about 11 minutes

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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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