Christmas Tree Embroidery Pattern Free: Easy Hoop for Beginners

Size: design about 4.2 x 4.2 in (11 x 11 cm), for a 6 in (15 cm) hoop

Fabric: a 10 x 10 in (25 x 25 cm) square of cream or white cotton or linen-cotton, washed and pressed

Threads: DMC 6-strand embroidery floss, one skein of each colour; use 2 strands throughout. Lengths are the 2-strand thread you stitch with, with spare, cut in 18 in (45 cm) pieces:

- DMC 729 Medium Old Gold: about 42 in (107 cm)

- DMC 909 Very Dark Emerald Green: about 40 in (102 cm)

- DMC 725 Medium Light Topaz: about 7 in (18 cm)

- DMC 321 Red: about 23 in (58 cm)

- DMC 801 Dark Coffee Brown: about 8 in (20 cm)

Notions: 6 in embroidery hoop, size 7 embroidery needle, water-soluble fabric pen or a light pencil, scissors

Stitches: running stitch, backstitch, stem stitch, French knot, straight stitch

Transfer

Print the template page at 100% (actual size) and measure the 1 in scale square; if it is not exactly 1 in, check the print setting. Tape the template to a window, centre the fabric over it and trace every line and dot with the pen.

Put the fabric in the hoop so it is drum tight, with the screw at the top.

Stitch guide

Running stitch: Bring the needle up on the line, go down 1/8 in further along, come up again 1/16 in on, and repeat, so you get even dashes with gaps between them.

Backstitch: Bring the needle up one stitch length along the line, go down at the start of the line, then come up one stitch length ahead of your last stitch and go back down into the end of it, so the stitches touch.

Stem stitch: Work left to right along the line. Come up at the start, go down 1/8 in along, and come up halfway back along that stitch, keeping the thread below the needle; repeat so each stitch overlaps half of the one before like a twisted rope.

French knot: Come up where the knot goes, wrap the thread twice around the needle, hold the wraps snug with your other hand, and go down right next to where you came up, pulling the thread through slowly.

Straight stitch: One single stitch: come up at the inner end of the line and go down at the outer end, keeping the thread smooth and not too tight so it lies flat.

At each corner of the tree outline, end one backstitch exactly on the corner and start the next from it, so the points stay sharp.

Order of work

1. Stitch the dotted gold ring around the design in running stitch. DMC 729, 2 strands.
2. Backstitch the zigzag outline of the tree in green, starting at the top point and going all the way round the three tiers and along the bottom edge. DMC 909, 2 strands.
3. Backstitch the three short trunk lines side by side in brown, from the bottom edge of the tree down. DMC 801, 2 strands.
4. Stem stitch the three gold garland swags across the tree, one in each tier, from the left end to the right end. DMC 729, 2 strands.
5. Make a red French knot on each of the ten bauble dots. DMC 321, 2 strands.
6. Make the star last: five straight stitches from the centre dot out to each of its five points. DMC 725, 2 strands.

Finishing

1. Rinse the fabric in cool water to remove the pen lines, roll it in a towel and press it face down on a soft towel.
2. Put it back in the hoop centred, tighten the screw, and trim the fabric to 1 in outside the hoop.
3. Run a running stitch around that edge, pull it up at the back like a drawstring, and tie off.

Counts: 43 running stitch dashes in the ring, 1 backstitched tree outline (3 tiers), 3 backstitched trunk lines, 3 stem-stitch garland swags, 10 French-knot baubles, 5 straight stitches in the star.