DIY Project: Chain of Heart Napkins
Class up some ordinary cloth dinner napkins with a charming chain of hearts for Valentine’s Day. Based on the chain stitch, this simple embroidery technique can be learned in a snap. Along with delicious food and a little candlelight, these eco-friendly reusable decorations are a sweet way to share some love. –Natalie
The full how-to is after the jump!
Materials
-cloth napkins
-6 strand embroidery thread
-needle
-scissors
-optional: vanishing fabric marker or chalk pencil
Steps:
Select your embroidery thread; here I’ve chosen a range of corals and reds to complement the muted tomes of my napkins. Cut a piece about 2’ long, separate the 6 strands into two 3-strand lengths, and thread your needle with one of these. Tie a knot in the long tail.
All of the stitches in your chain of hearts will fall on three parallel lines- two outer points for the peaks of the heart and a center axis of symmetry. You can draw these three lines onto the napkin with a vanishing fabric marker, with the outer lines about 1/4” apart. I’ve labeled them A, B, and C in the images below.
The chain of hearts stitch:
1. Insert your needle at the beginning of chain through line B, drawing the thread from the back of the napkin to the front. About 3/16” up the line, insert the needle into line B and bring it out at line A at a 45 degree angle. With the tail of the thread underneath the point of the needle, draw the needle through. You have made the left lobe of the heart.
2. Reinsert the needle at the point on line A it just exited, with the thread wrapping over the peak of the heart’s left lobe to hold the arch in place. Come back through the napkin on line B where you began step 1, at the point of the heart.
3. Repeat step 1 for the right lobe of the heart: About 3/16” up the line, insert the needle into line B and bring it out at line C at a 45 degree angle. With the tail of the thread underneath the point of the needle, draw the needle through.
4. Reinsert the needle at the point on line C it just exited, with the thread wrapping over the peak of the heart’s right lobe. Come back through the napkin on line B between the peaks, at the start of the next heart in the chain.
To finish the chain, end on the back of the napkin at line C after completing a heart. Draw the needle under one of the stitches, make a knot around it, and cut the tail.
Great idea, and so simple. I love those DIY’s.
Oooh, thank you!
I like to do it..thank you for your clear instructions
Awesome. I love this
Me gustó mucho esta labor , me encanta bordar y les felicito por compartirla.
saludos.
me encanta esta puntada esta preciosa para decorar manteles
I love this design. Wonderful instructions. Thank you
Thanks for sharing this sweet tutorial!
I love details …thank you for the simple instructions.
Thanks so much. Great idea.
Thank you will try- looks great little hearts on the serviettes!!
Beautiful idea, I like it much, thank you
I really love your works! Thank you
Wonderful tutorial!! My mama taught me to do lazy daisies the same method, had them on the frayed hem of my jeans in the 70’s. Thank you for sharing!!!!
thank u l learn this stitch
es precioso!!!! Gracias por el tutorial
Muito delicado e lindo !!!
Fabulous thankuou for easy yo follow instructions :)
I’m so happy to have found this – thank you so much. I have one old-lady tip: on your example, after the knot, run the thread through the hem a short distance before cutting it. That way there’s no loose end. When hand sewing anything, I always look for a way to end my stitching that way, by hiding it inside a hem, or under other stitches. Now I can’t wait to try this!
so simple, so sweet, yet I have never seen this before! Thank you
These are so cute, I can use as a decorative edge.
Love it! I think I’ll do all four corners differently for different seasons… Hearts, flowers, snow-covered pine trees, and maybe just a colorful design of wheat stitches or leaves for fall! Great inspiration!
This idea is just too cute! I’m making a quit for my best friend who loves hearts. Your sweet little hearts will be incorporated into the piecework. Thanks for your images and clear instructions.
Grazie tanto! Just a few hearts on a napkin and the result is…….just great!
Very good idea
How do these hearts come out after washing in machine?
I might try this on pillowcases!
Simple et cependant très joli ! Merci.