Answer
Best Free Beginner Embroidery Patterns Online: Where to Look
The best free beginner embroidery patterns are small samplers that teach a few basic stitches at a time: running stitch, backstitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, lazy daisy and French knots. Good free places to find them are DMC's free pattern library, Wandering Threads Embroidery, Needle'nThread and Craftuary's free Wildflower Sampler, which explains each of its seven stitches step by step.
At a glance
| Where | What's there | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Craftuary Wildflower Embroidery Samplerours | A 4.5 in design for a 6 in hoop: a daisy, a star flower and a lavender sprig, seven basic stitches, nine DMC colours, with a true-size template to trace. | A first project that teaches the basic stitches |
| Craftuary Heart Vine Cross Stitch Bookmarkours | A 28 x 84 stitch chart on 14-count Aida (2 x 6 in), three DMC colours, full cross stitches only. | A first cross stitch project |
| Craftuary Academy: Embroidery 101ours | Short looping 3D lessons for each stitch (running stitch, backstitch, satin stitch, French knot and cross stitch on Aida), free, no account needed. | Seeing exactly where the needle goes |
| DMC | The thread maker's free patterns, sorted by craft (embroidery, cross stitch, punch needle and more). Download the pattern only, or add the matching threads as a kit. | Patterns with the exact thread colours listed |
| Wandering Threads Embroidery | An embroidery teaching site with a free patterns page and stitch tutorials. | Learning from a teacher's tutorials |
| Needle'nThread | Mary Corbet's hand embroidery site, with free hand embroidery patterns, monograms and a large library of stitch how-tos. | Free line drawings and stitch reference |
| Antique Pattern Library | Scans of old needlework publications, free for personal, educational and creative use. | Vintage and public-domain designs |
How to start
- Start with a sampler. One small design that uses five to seven stitches teaches more than one big design in a single stitch.
- Use a 6 in hoop and plain cotton. Light, tightly woven cotton or linen-cotton, drum tight in the hoop, is the easiest to stitch and to trace onto.
- Two strands of six-strand floss. Separate the strands one at a time and put two back together; they lie flatter.
- Learn the stitches in this order. Running stitch, backstitch, stem stitch, lazy daisy, straight stitch, satin stitch, then French knots.
Questions
What is the easiest embroidery pattern for beginners?
A small sampler: each motif teaches one or two stitches, so you learn running stitch, backstitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, lazy daisy and French knots in one hoop. Craftuary's free Wildflower Sampler is one, with every stitch explained.
What do I need to start hand embroidery?
A 6 in hoop, a 10 in square of light cotton, six-strand embroidery floss, a size 7 embroidery needle, small scissors and a water-soluble pen to trace the design.
Are free embroidery patterns safe to use?
Yes, for your own stitching. Free patterns are for personal use unless the designer says otherwise, so ask before selling items made from them in quantity.
Site and brand names are used only to identify them; Craftuary is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@craftuary.com.
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