Rachael, from Devon, sent us this fabulous article detailing how she created this embroidery keepsake. Read on…
What did you do?
I wanted to create a crafty lockdown family keepsake to remember the time together, but I wanted a design that I could keep up on the wall for years to come – that had “art” appeal too. Luckily I remembered a simple design of overlapping handprints I’d seen a few years ago on Pinterest.
Id not had chance to attempt it before and felt that this was the perfect opportunity especially as we had a new member to our family with an 8 week old.
To create that crafted appeal, I decided to embroider the design on to canvas using leftover bits of yarn. It was my first embroidery project but its pretty simple to do and looks effective!
Here’s how I did it:
- Draw around the family’s handprints on scrap paper and cut out – top tip for getting a paw print is to wet the paw with and get them to stand on some scrap coloured paper
- Draw around the print quickly before it drys! My dog was very bemused at the process!
- Trace around the cutout handprints on to the back of your fabric (I used plain canvas). Remember to draw the design back to front so it shows the correct way when flipped over.
- Think about where to place each hand to create a nice overlapped effect but avoid creating too “busy” areas. I had to move the small hand up as it looked too cluttered where it was initially positioned on top of the paw.
- Consider the order of your colours of yarn – I wanted a muted rainbow effect but I made the smallest hand dark blue so it was clear. You could also use embroidery thread or even cotton for a more delicate design but wool is best for a bold effect.
- I don’t have an embroidery hope so I stapled the canvas directly to the back of the frame
- Carefully stitch along each hand using backstitch to create a solid line (you could freehand this using a sewing machine) until each hand is outlined. Tie off all the ends and voila!
Tell us all a bit about yourself…
My name is Rachael. I am Mum to a 3-year-old and 8-week-old from Devon, UK. I’m a photographer & graphic designer who loves cooking, painting and trying my hand at all things crafty!
Were enjoying pottering at home in our little bubble, avoiding the news and scary world out there. Missing family and sharing baby cuddles but feel very blessed to be safe and sound in my lovely house.
Do you have any top tips for other parents?
Have a good sort out. Get the kids to help you go through their stuff and put away or box up to donate everything that’s not loved or practical to keep. It makes it much easier to stay on top of things and I find less is more when it comes to toys!
