Finishing Embroidery with a Felt Backing
When it comes to finishing your embroidery piece, there are a lot of different options. Mounting the embroidery on card and finishing it with felt is a simple and economical option.
This is the method that I used for finishing the Wreath Christmas Ornaments. It is perfect for ornaments, but it will also work for any embroidery project.
Finishing embroidery with a felt back gives a minimal, “frame-less” look that showcases the embroidery stitching.
See it All
Below you will find:
- supply list
- video tutorial
- step-by-step written tutorial with pictures
- other finishing options
Supplies and Tools
Everything you need to make this project
- piece of embroidery (you will need at least 1/2″ of fabric beyond the edge of the stitching
- piece of lightweight cardboard such as a cereal box cut to the size and shape you want for finishing (if your embroidery piece is large, you might want two pieces to be more sturdy)
- piece of batting the same size as the cardboard
- piece of felt the same size as the cardboard
- loop of string or ribbon for hanging (optional)
- clips or clothespins (optional)
Video
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Tutorial
See each step in the process, with images to help guide you.
Trim the embroidery
Lay the cardboard on the back of the embroidery and trim the excess fabric.
You will want about 1/2″ of fabric extending beyond the edge of the cardboard. There is no need to measure exactly, you can just eyeball it.
Be sure that the embroidery is centred before you cut.
Assemble the layers
Lay the embroidery face down and place the batting on the back.
Place the cardboard on the back of the batting.
Make sure everything is centred and looks good before moving on to the next step.
Glue the fabric edge down
Place small dots of glue at the top and bottom of the cardboard.
Fold the fabric over and press into the glue. It might be helpful to hold the fabric with clips until the glue dries.
Once the top and bottom have been glued, glue a spot on each side.
Then work one section at a time adding dots of glue and folding the fabric over.
Once all the fabric is folded over, let the glue dry then remove the clips.
The edge should be smooth.
My sample is just blank fabric without embroidery, so I’m sure yours will look much better!
Add a hanging loop
If you will want to hang the piece, tape a loop of thread onto the back of the cardboard.
The length of the loop will depend on how you want to hang it. This loop is long for hanging on a Christmas tree, but if you want to hang on a wall it will be just a short loop.
Glue on the backing
Add a thin layer of glue onto the back of the piece. Try to avoid large spots of glue and spread it around.
Place the felt onto the glue.
Carefully check the edges of the felt. If there are any gaps between the felt and the fabric, add a bit more glue to secure it.
Let dry and then it’s finished.
Final piece
On the final piece, the felt shouldn’t be visible from the front. If there is any felt sticking out, just trim it off.
This is not an archival finish, so it won’t last for hundreds of years, but it will last a long time and is an easy and economical way to finish small stitching projects.
Other finishing options
Want to finish your embroidery piece another way? Here are a few more options:
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