Not going to lie, this next craft is a labor of love.  It’s a bit time consuming, but it’s a great thing to keep your hands busy on a cold night in front of the fireplace!  These hand-embroidered cards make a great gift for friends (I made them for our holiday swap…hope you enjoy them, Cyd!) , not to mention that they are far cheaper than purchasing them in the store…

Materials needed:
-Kraft paper cards and envelopes (Michaels or other craft store), about $8 total for 20
-Embroidery thread (about $0.49 per color, which will be more than enough to make 10-20 cards)
-Crafting needles (found in sewing aisle)–try to find one that is long-ish and thin, with a big enough head to thread embroidery through
-Whatever you’d like to stamp the envelopes with. I used clear embossing powder to emboss them with a subtle evergreen stamp.

These also make beautiful  Christmas gifts as a stationary set for your paper-loving friends!  Just tie them with some raffia and place in a box to keep them from getting bent.

Directions:

-Use a cookie cutter or hand-draw a pattern onto the cards, lightly, with a pencil

-Thread embroidery thread onto craft needle

-Embroider over pattern with a simple whip stitch (simply going in and out with the needle!)

That’s it! It’s so super easy, and makes a thoughtful card that is GUARANTEED to be unlike any other your friends will get this holiday!

Evergreen stamps decorate the front of the kraft envelopes…

The back of the envelopes are embossed with a Noel stamp to continue the festive feel throughout!

Here’s a closeup of some of the patterns I used.  The snowflake was freehanded and took more time than, say, the candycane or Christmas tree.

I hope you enjoy these cards! They can be personalized with any pattern: snowman, a monogram, or anything you can come up with!

Happy crafting!

Much love,

-B

{all photos by me. Please link to EAD if posting!}