Diy Valentine Embroidery Gift February 09 2021
Hi Everyone!
With Valentine's Day on the way, we wanted to share this fun embroidery craft with you. This two-part series will give you instructions to embroider a Tenugui towel as well as the instructions on how to wrap your treat using the traditional Furoshiki gift-wrapping method, plus a delicious chocolate Madeleine recipe to fill your box for your special Valentine!
Supplies:
1) Tenugui cotton hand towel
These Japanese cotton hand towels are available online or in many Japanese import stores. Depending on where you live, check out Daiso (these Japanese stores are similar to dollar stores). They almost always carry Tenugui towels in really cute patterns. These towels are very reasonable and usually cost anywhere from $1.50 to $4.50 a towel.
2) Tools
Gather your embroidery floss, hoop, needle, water soluble pen or chalk pencil. You can use a graphite pencil, but press lightly, so that it can be gently washed away. You can choose any floss color you like. The traditional red or pink, for embroidering heart shapes, or a contrasting color will stand out against the towel pattern you have chosen.
3) Box
I’m using a basic to-go food container. The size of my box is 4”x 5” and 2” deep. Your box needs to be around a similar size or you will not be able to wrap your Tenugui towel around it. Once you find your box size try wrapping the Tenugui towel around it by following the instructions below.
Instructions:
1) Because the fabric will be wrapped around the box, you only need to embroider a limited amount of the Tenugui towel. Of course if you would like to embroider more feel free to do so!
To figure out where to embroider, place your box in the center of the towel and see which areas will be visible once wrapped. Using your pencil, chalk, or water-soluble ink pen draw hearts, XO, or words on each end for your towel. There are plenty of free templates you can download and trace onto your towel.
After doing this, start embroidering!
2) I used 3 to 6 strands of embroidery floss for my images. Keep the stitches simple use - BACKSTITCH, RUNNING STITCH, OUTLINE STITCH. You can find all of these stitches in our tutorials. Once completed, remove the water-soluble ink, chalk or pencil and iron.
3) Line the boxes with wax paper, place cookies inside.
Cover cookies and close box.
4) To wrap your box, place it in the center of your towel.
Fold the long side over the box.
Repeat on other side.
Fold in at each corner as you would wrap a present.
Bring one side up to the center of the box.
Tie the remaining fabric in a knot.
Finish with a square knot. Spread out the towel end to form a bow.
I bought this great stamp kit from Robert Mahar, and have used it for all my Christmas baking and now for Valentine Day gifts. You can buy Robert Mahar's kit on the site Knock Knock.
You can also pick up cute envelopes from Daiso or any Japanese import store.
Slip a note or card in one of these envelopes and place it with your gift.
Happy Valentines Day! Enjoy your stitching!! If you want something small and cute to embroider after your towel, check out our Penny Squares!
