Christmas Wreath Embroidery Pattern Free: Easy Beginner Hoop

Size: design about 3.7 x 3.8 in (9 x 10 cm), for a 6 in (15 cm) hoop

Fabric: a 10 x 10 in (25 x 25 cm) square of cream, natural or white linen 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 3345 Dark Hunter Green: about 38 in (97 cm)

- DMC 3346 Hunter Green: about 36 in (91 cm)

- DMC 471 Very Light Avocado Green: about 36 in (91 cm)

- DMC 321 Red: about 47 in (119 cm)

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

Stitches: stem stitch, detached chain (lazy daisy), 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 the ring, every leaf, every berry dot and the bow with the pen.

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

Stitch guide

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.

Detached chain: Also called lazy daisy. Come up at the base of the petal, go back down in the same hole leaving a loop, come up at the tip of the petal inside the loop, and go down just outside the loop to tack it in place.

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.

Each leaf is one lazy daisy: the loop's base sits on the ring and its tack stitch at the leaf tip. Keep the loops the same size all the way round so the wreath looks even.

Order of work

1. Stem stitch the wreath ring in the darkest green, all the way round the traced circle, starting and ending at the bottom where the bow will cover the join. DMC 3345, 2 strands.
2. Make the 13 outer leaves as lazy daisy stitches in the mid green: each starts on the ring and points clockwise, tilted out of the ring, every second leaf drawn on the template. DMC 3346, 2 strands.
3. Make the 13 inner leaves the same way in the light green, starting on the ring between the outer leaves and tilted into the ring, so the leaves alternate out and in all the way round. DMC 471, 2 strands.
4. Make the berries: five clusters of three red French knots on the ring, one cluster at the top and two on each side (15 knots in all), on top of the leaves. DMC 321, 2 strands.
5. Make the two bow loops at the bottom of the ring as large red lazy daisy stitches, both starting from the same point on the ring, one pointing left and one pointing right. DMC 321, 2 strands.
6. Finish the bow with two red straight stitches from the same point down and out to the tail ends. DMC 321, 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: 1 stem-stitched ring, 26 lazy daisy leaves (13 outer mid green, 13 inner light green), 15 French-knot berries (5 clusters of 3), 2 lazy daisy bow loops, 2 straight-stitch bow tails.