Want a fun little summer project? Buy an inexpensive plain little pair of canvas sneakers and turn them into something special with a little embroidery, This is not only a great way to practice your beginner embroidery stitches but a fun way to add some artful flair to your outfits! Use your favorite colors to match your wardrobe. One of the very genius pieces of advice my Mom gave me a long time ago is to pick colors that you like and they will always match because your taste is consistent. WORKS EVERY TIME. Thanks Mom!
You only need a few simple supplies:
A PAIR OF CANVAS SNEAKERS - These sneakers pictured above cost me 12.99 USD. They are very lightweight making it easy to get a needle through. I also liked that they are slip-ons. No difficult lacing to have to work around. It is great to shop for these in person so you can feel if the canvas will be difficult to sew through.
SIX STRANDED COTTON EMBROIDERY FLOSS - Pick your favorite colors to match your wardrobe. I personally love color so I chose bright and colorful variegated floss.
SCISSORS - A small pair of scissors for thread cutting.
EMBROIDERY NEEDLE - This is tricky to get the actual size I used but I chose an needle that was both sharp and also had a thick diameter to handle getting through the thick canvas. An embroidery needle size five and below would work nicely for this. Experiment by sliding the needle through. If it is difficult to push the needle through, you will want one with a sharper tip. If the needle feels like it is bending, you will need one that is thicker. * Remember the higher the number, the smaller the needle.
Start by examining your sneakers. Feel around underneath to see where the thicker seams are and get an idea of where you would like to create your design. Upon the initial examination, I noticed it would be hard to get my hand underneath the top front to make knots so I decided that the design would just be on the edge of the top where I could easily knot.
The sides felt nice and thin so most of the design would be on the sides. Use the seams as a guide for the stitching.
Make a simple design around the seam with variegated thread. Even just the simple SEED STITCH adds some elegance. I especially like the colored thread on black background. It makes even the simplest stitch pop.
It doesn't matter what the inside looks like because your feet will be in them! I didn't feel any of the thread inside while I was wearing them.
In order to make both shoes look alike, sew a small section on one shoe, then move to the other shoe and do approximately the same thing. They don't have to look exactly alike. As long as they are close they look 'matching' to anyone looking at them.
Not exact but close enough! I made a pair for myself and one for my sister for her birthday. Now we can be twins (hahahaha)! On this pair I filled the space with LAZY DAISY STITCH, STRAIGHT STITCH, and FRENCH KNOTS.
If you are interested in brushing up on your beginner stitches you may be interested in THIS post about 11 great beginner stitches.
There is also a stitch sampler available at my shop HERE. It is fantastic practice for some beginner stitch practice that includes a instructions and a pattern. When you are done, you have a great keepsake to hang and use as a reference!
Thank you kindly for stopping by!
xox
Pam