DIY embroidery: 4 summer designs to personalize your napkins
In this article, I suggest an easy and creative project: embroidering your cloth napkins.
Here, I have chosen small motifs inspired by the sea and sunny days: a shell, a wave, a slice of lemon, a lobster. But anything goes! It's an accessible activity, ideal for summer afternoons, and perfect for a pretty table setting for dinner with friends, or a picnic. This doesn't require a lot of materials and can be done quietly in a few hours. I'll show you everything in the rest of the article.
For this project, I used:
white cotton napkins
colored embroidery thread
embroidery needle
an embroidery hoop
a pencil for drawing patterns
Lemon embroidery
For this pattern, I embroidered the outline of the lemon slice using chain stitch, which gives it a nice texture and a nicely rounded effect. Inside, each segment is made using loop stitch: I placed them in a fan shape, starting from the center and working outwards.
I used yellow thread, of course. The pattern is simple to make, but the two stitches add texture and a nice effect to the towel.
The chain stitch in video
The lazy daisy stitch in video
Wave embroidery
I embroidered this pattern using a split stitch, gently following the curve to give it a flowing effect. This stitch is perfect if you want a slightly textured line.
I chose a dark blue thread, echoing the sea. It's a small pattern that's quick to make and reminds me of summer.
The split stitch in video
Lobster embroidery
This is the most detailed pattern of the four. I stitched the tail with vertical stitches (from bottom to top) and the rest of the body and claws with horizontal stitches (from left to right), following a design that I first sketched in pencil. I used a brick red thread, bright enough to stand out well against the white fabric.
It takes a little patience, but you don't need to be very precise: what matters is the overall movement of the pattern.
The straight stitch and satin stitch on video
Shell embroidery
For this motif, I embroidered the outline and inner lines using split stitch for a fine, even line. At the base of the shell, I used satin stitch, which adds density and creates a nice contrast with the rest of the motif.
The pale blue thread adds a soft and subtle touch. It is a simple pattern, but it requires a bit of precision to maintain a balanced shape.
The split stitch
