Many people hang pictures of their family on the wall to show them off to visitors or to view them when they want. Some people go all-out on a fancy frame and others turn color photos to black and white on their home computers. For many people, it’s fun to pick out frames, arrange the various photos on the wall, or do photo crafts. I might know of a photo or picture craft you haven’t tried yet. Embroidery portraits are gorgeous and, even if you’ve never done embroidery before, you won’t find this method hard at all.
Make a copy of your photo and save the original. The copy will get ruined and you don’t want to lose the actual photo when the project is finished. Adjust the copied image to fit the frame and mat you’re using.
Purchase water color paper to begin. You’ll find the paper at a craft store and maybe even a fabric store. Online, there are many places that sell water color paper. Lay the copied photo on the water color paper and tape it in place.
It’s a bit time-consuming to do the next step but, once you see the finished result, you’ll definitely feel as though it was worth your effort. Lay the picture and water color paper on a piece of cardboard. Use a pin or needle and begin making tiny holes through the picture and the paper at the same time. Outline the shape of the person, then outline features, like eyes, eyebrows, nose, and so forth. Do your best to space the holes evenly, but some uneven holes will, in the end, give you a more unique embroidered portrait.
You’ll achieve various looks by how you make the holes. For example, if you make holes that are close together you’ll end up with a different look than if you make holes that are further apart. So, for the outline of the person, make holes that are spaced further apart, but for something like the eyeball, make dots which are close together. That way, you’ll have more definition on the finished portrait.
Remove the photo and use a needle and thread to sew in and out of the holes you’ve made in the water color paper. Use thick thread for things like the hair or the outline; use thinner thread for eyes and eyebrows. Use various colors of thread to make certain features, like eyes, or do the whole portrait in black and white.
When you’re finished, frame the embroidered portrait and enjoy it. Don’t want to do a person’s portrait? Use a picture of a lighthouse, a vehicle, flowers, or something else. The embroidered pictures turn out beautifully.