Hand Stitching

Hand stitching or hand sewing your cards add a special touch that cannot be replicated by stickers.  If you have the extra time and patience, it truly shows the amount of thought you put into the card to make it extra special. 

Find and Make Your Pattern

Find a font (if doing lettering) or image (character, scene, animal, etc.) on the computer that you like and print off on a sheet of white paper. If you do not have access to a printer, or are using an image from a book, take a piece of paper of little weight (thinner paper), and trace over.  

TIP: If you like the image or text and plan on using over, trace the pattern onto template plastic you can purchase from your local craft store. Once copying your image, pre-punch your holes onto the template for future ease. 

Punching the Holes

A simple sewing needle works well as a hole punching tool.  However, if using a thicker needle, it may be more helpful to use something that will make a bigger hole (thicker swing needles, awl, skewer, paper puncher, etc.).  Make sure to punch holes over the lettering or lines or image. 

TIP: When punching your holes into the card, put the card on top of styrofoam, card board, or cork (from old cork board, pot trivet). It allows for the holes to go all the way through the paper and doesn’t leave damage to your table surface. To make sure that your pattern doesn’t slip while punching your holes, tape to the card or surface you are using as the backing to your hole punches. 

Stitching

Embroidery thread works great as the thread.  You can also use string, quilting thread (if small lines are desired), embroidery thread, ribbon, anything of your choosing that can be used as thread.  Use a sewing needle, cross-stitch needle, or paper sewing needle from your local craft store. There are various stitches you can use to create your patter but be sure to stitch over all of the holes so that you don’t have lingering holes all over your card when finished. 

TIP: If using embroidery thread, make sure to separate your strand so that you do not end up with a very thick line if your pattern requires smaller detailing. 

If you do not have experience with any sewing, there are great tutorials on line that you can use as an aid.  If those don’t work, check to see if there is a local quilt guild that could help show you the ways of sewing. 

Have fun with it.  You can be super creative and pair the technique with many other techniques of card making to create spectacular cards.