Creative articles about embroidery

How to make beautiful embroidered candle covers (with free templates)

Dear community,
in this blog post you can find easy instructions for making beautiful embroidered candle covers (with free templates) – the perfect decoration for Christmas and New Year’s Eve!

Today we’re making some little decorations that are suitable for children’s rooms. And we are embroidering with and without thread.

Download here : CandleCover-BERNINA

 

Embroidered candle cover on white SnapPap

We embroider/perforate tea light covers, which can also be used to decorate LED lights. I have to say that I find real candles and tea lights much prettier, but where it’s sensible and practical LED lights are a good alternative. After all, open flames have no place in a child’s room or within a child’s reach. The tea light covers that we want to make today can be used with LED lights as a Christmas night light, but also provide lovely atmospheric lighting during the day. And they are perfect for children to handle. If you want you could make a lot of candle covers and put a small bulb from a small string of fairy lights under each one, which also looks really pretty. Children can paint the material in advance and watch the perforation process, which they will love.

I used SnapPap and ColARTex for the tea light covers. Unlike card, this material is easy to work using the embroidery machine (or sewing machine) as it stands up well and is more robust than card.

 

The technique

Do you know about perforating using a special needle? This is used to make holes in paper to create patterns that the light shines through. It is often done with firm metallic foil. Once perforated, the children can use thick threads to embroider patterns. The effect is the same as the one we achieve using the embroidery programme. I call this technique “Broderie Anglaise”, and I have also used it to decorate quite large glass light covers.

However, I have also recreated all the patterns for embroidery WITH thread.

 

In order to embroider without thread, we simply have to switch off the upper and lower thread sensors. This is possible on all BERNINA machines  that are fitted with these. Here on the B 700 embroidery machine I simply switched them off, took the upper and lower thread bobbins off and I was ready to go. (This can be done on all current machines, check in the instructions as required)

It is really, really important to use a fine needle to make neat holes. The 60 or 70 universal needles are ideal. Thicker needles make the holes too big and spoil the motif, as they perforate the material too much.

Instructions

Let’s get started! Put some stabiliser in the large oval hoop. Now you need a suitable piece of SnapPap or ColARTex (18 x 10 cm is enough). Spray the stabiliser with a small amount of spray adhesive before laying the material on top, or stick it to the stabiliser with adhesive tape so that it doesn’t slip.

Now it’s time to choose your pattern and start stitching. For the hole motif only one colour is selected for quicker perforation.

Once the material has been fully perforated, we take the hoop out and lift the material from the stabiliser. Then we can trim it. Please do NOT use your best dressmaking scissors for this as it will blunt them. Cut decorative zigzags or arches along the top edge.

Trim it to a width of 15 cm, taking care to keep an even distance from the side seam holes on both sides. The width is calculated to ensure that the covers fit over aluminium tea lights, LED lights and glass tea lights.

Zuschnitt nach dem Sticken / Lochen

The candle covers can now be stitched together along the pre-perforated side seam. This looks very pretty if you use gold or silver thread.

Here I show you how to make a lovely seam. If you want to use a large cross stitch you must always start from the top.

 

If you prefer to stick the seam together you can simply cut a tab in the side and glue the cover together. To do that you need to cut it a bit wider, approx. 14.5 cm is ideal. You don’t need to perforate the side seam for this method.

While it dries fix it in place with WonderClips, clothes pegs or paper clips. Universal glue or wood glue work well.

You can also embroider your candle covers. A slightly thicker needle is good here, as SnapPap and ColARTex is quite stiff, and otherwise your thread may break. A topstitch needle 90 is perfect here, but an 80 universal needle will also do the job. I used metallic thread here. (More detailed instructions to follow soon here in the blog)

CandleCover mit Garn gestickt auf weißem SnapPap

Wer Lust hat, kann weißes SnapPap auch mit den Kindern selbst bemalen oder einfärben. Das geht schon mit normalen Buntstiften schön. Mit Auqaurellstiften oder Wasserfarben erreicht man tolle leichte Schattierungen und Lichteffekte.

Und wer keine Stickmaschine hat, kann sowas einfach mal mit den Zierstichen in der Nähmaschine ausprobieren, das kann auch ganz toll werden. Einfach mehrere Reihen Zierstiche untereinander nähen auf einer Breite von 14,5 cm.

CandleCover-all

Here’s an overview. In the download folder you will find the files marked “1” (Broderie Anglaise with rim perforation in one colour) and “2” (Embroidery with rim perforation). With “2” you use two colours as you have to take the thread and needle away before the rim perforation, for which you need this stop. If you want to glue it together, you can use version “2” and simply omit the second step (rim perforation).

I hope you enjoy working on this project. You can find all the files and colours in the download folder. Our freebies are not authorised for commercial use,  in individual cases please contact me so that we can find a solution.

Download here : CandleCover-BERNINA

Nette

 

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