Piper Lilly DesignAll ornaments
DIY embroidery ornament kit

Christmas tree

Back stitch branches, a stem stitch trunk, and colorful colonial knots.

Finished christmas tree ornament
Before the first stitch

Getting started

Gather your supplies

Set out your wooden ornament, embroidery floss, a needle that fits through the holes, and scissors. Keep your ribbon for hanging the finished ornament.

Thread your needle

Moisten and flatten the floss end between your fingers, then pass it through the needle eye. If needed, separate the strands into two groups and pass each through the eye. You can use fewer strands if threading is difficult. Leave a short tail; do not double the floss.

Start from the back

Make a knot large enough to stay behind the hole, or hold the loose end on the back for the first few stitches. Always bring your first stitch up from the back of the wood.

Keep a gentle tension

Follow the scored lines and pre-cut holes. Pull each stitch until it lies neatly on the wood, without tugging hard. Keep the thread untwisted and work slowly if a hole already contains several stitches.

Where each stitch goes

Your pattern guide

Stitch the branches first, then the trunk. Add the colorful colonial knots last.

Labeled christmas tree stitch diagram

Pinch to zoom on your phone for a closer look.

Follow the pictures

Stitch by stitch

Back stitch

  1. Back stitch, step 1

    Step 1Bring the needle up from the back through the second hole in the line.

  2. Back stitch, step 2

    Step 2Take the needle down through the first hole.

  3. Back stitch, step 3

    Step 3Pull the thread gently until the stitch lies flat against the wood.

  4. Back stitch, step 4

    Step 4Come up through the next unused hole.

  5. Back stitch, step 5

    Step 5Go down through the previous hole to join the stitches. Repeat along the scored line.

Stem stitch

  1. Stem stitch, step 1

    Step 1Come up through hole 1 and go down through hole 3, leaving the thread a little loose.

  2. Stem stitch, step 2

    Step 2Keep the working thread below the stitch line and come up through hole 2.

  3. Stem stitch, step 3

    Step 3Skip ahead and go down through hole 4. Do not pull too tightly.

  4. Stem stitch, step 4

    Step 4Keeping the thread on the same side of the line, come up through the previous hole.

  5. Stem stitch, step 5

    Step 5Repeat these overlapping stitches, keeping the working thread on the same side throughout.

Colonial knot

  1. Colonial knot, step 1

    Step 1Bring the needle up through the knot hole.

  2. Colonial knot, step 2

    Step 2Slip the needle under the working thread to begin a loop.

  3. Colonial knot, step 3

    Step 3Bring the working thread over the needle tip to create a figure-eight wrap.

  4. Colonial knot, step 4

    Step 4Hold the wrap snug and insert the needle back into the same hole, keeping gentle tension on the working thread.

  5. Colonial knot, step 5

    Step 5Pull the needle through to the back while holding the wrap in place, so the knot settles on the front.

The final touches

Finish & hang

  1. When about 6 inches of thread remain, bring the needle to the back.
  2. Slide the needle under a nearby stitch, leaving a loop. Pass the needle through the loop and tighten gently. Repeat once more, then trim the extra thread.
  3. Repeat this finishing step when changing colors. Keep knots and thread tails on the back.
  4. Thread the hanging ribbon through the top hole and tie it securely. If desired, cover the back threads with a neatly trimmed piece of self-adhesive felt, leaving the hanging hole clear.

Your ornament is ready to hang, gift, or keep. Small variations are part of making it by hand.

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