Cute Ghost Embroidery Tutorial

general embroidery supplies:

- needle

- scissors

- 5 inch embroidery hoop

- thimble / finger covering (optional)

feel free to chose any colors for your ghost! however, if you'd like to replicate the photo, these are the materials you should look for:

- black embroidery fabric measuring at least 8"x"8

- 1 x light yellow embroidery floss

- 2 x cool toned light green embroidery floss

- 1 x cool toned dark green embroidery floss

- 1 x white embroidery floss

-1 x black embroidery floss

Step 1: Sketching the Outline

you can use many different writing utensils and methods to transfer your pattern onto your fabric. if you have chosen to use black embroidery fabric, you will need to use a white gel pen, or some other kind of utensil that will write on the black to sketch out your design. If you are using a white, or a light colored fabric, a lead pencil or chalk pencil are also both good ways to sketch out your pattern.

begin by placing your chosen embroidery hoop onto your fabric and lightly tracing the shape. this allows you to accurately place your design. next, if you have chosen a white or light colored fabric, you can open the pattern image on a laptop, ipad or other device, scale it to fit within your drawn circle, and place the fabric onto the screen, lightly and carefully tracing the pattern. (avoid using a pen or marker if you are using this method.) if you have chosen black fabric, you can also utilize this "faux projector" method using some kind of screen, though it is a bit more difficult to see the design. otherwise, simply copy the pattern on by hand using a light colored marker or gel pen.

alternatively, you may also project the pattern onto the fabric if you have the means to do so.

overall, its okay if your outline is a little messy! the end result rarely ends up looking exactly like any initial sketches. (point proven: i decided to not give my ghost any little arms in the end). your pattern is just meant to help you visualize and block out your stitches.

Step 2: Stitching the Ghost

now its time to begin embroidering! we are going to begin by filling in the ghost using the cool toned light green, or a color of your choice.

cut a piece of the embroidery floss that is about two times the length of the distance between your shoulder and wrist. (this is much easier than it sounds!) and thread your needle with it, tying a small knot at the other end.

to fill in the ghost, i used a CHAIN STITCH, a very simple embroidery stitch perfect for beginners and veteran embroiders alike. I began by stitching the outline of the ghost, then proceeded to wind around the inside, all the while using the chain stitch to give our ghost a little bit of texture!

a CHAIN STITCH can be made by coming up with your needle, then going back down really, really close to where you came up, but not EXACTLY in the same spot. next, pull your thread through to create a loop. skip 2 or 3 holes away from your newly formed loop, taking care to not accidentally pull it taught and lose it, and then come back up again in with your needle, going THROUGH your loop, and NOW pulling your thread taught. repeat the process of going back down and forming a loop using the spot where your thread is now coming up as a single strand. keep repeating tis process, and youll have a beautiful chain stitch! Dont worry, its easy! and you can find a VIDEO TUTORIAL of the chain stitch attatched in the file below!

if you begin to run out of thread, simply go down with your needle and pull all the remaining string through, give it a snip with your scissors, tie a little knot and cut a new piece of thread!

Step 3: Stitching the Skeleton Mask

next, it will be time to embroider the skeleton mask using some white embroidery floss. i embroidered this section using the most basic stitch, simply coming up, then going back down, this is called a SATIN STITCH.

feel free to experiment with all kinds of different stitches and textures!

Step 4: Stitching the Floral Border

now its time to make our fun floral border! its time to use the darker toned green floss, again beginning with a piece of thread that is about twice as long as the distance between your wrist and shoulder, or a little less. To create the green branch, i used the most basic embroidery stitch, simple going down and coming back up where my stenciled patterned showed the branch.

creating the yellow flowers uses a slightly more advanced technique, called a FRENCH KNOT, but dont worry, you can do it! to create a FRENCH KNOT.

there is a video attached showing this process, as it is a little tricky.

Step 5: Adding Detail in Black

i decided to add some details to the ghost's mask using black thread.

to add eyes, i used the french knot technique covered in the previous step.

next i ran a very simple stitch around the outline of the mask, and added some little dots for texture.

Step 6: (optional) Stitching the Sparkles

this last step is optional, but i love to add a little smattering of white sparkles in any blank space around the embroidery! there are many different ways you can add these, including forming a kind of asterisk (*), forming a cross (+), stitching a tiny french knot using only one loop around the needle, or if youd like a bigger sparkle you can carefully stitch a sort of "Star" shape.

the best thing to do is just follow your heart!

Step 7: Your Ghost Is Complete!

your ghost embroidery project is now complete and ready to haunt your home! hang him up using some ribbon, take him out of the hoop and stitch him onto a jacket or backpack as a patch, frame him under glass, the possibilities are endless!

hope you enjoyed! (✿ ♥‿♥)