If you love beading jewellery and sewing, then you are going to love this project designed by Alison Bennett. This Christmas tree has been embroidered using a variety of beads and then framed in a beautiful red box frame.. The project is designed to be framed and wall mounted but you could also embroider cushions, quilts and cards – the possibilities are endless
Materials:
Red box frame
Green Seed Beads
12 Red Crystal Beads
Fabric
Embellishments for star & presents
Embroidery Thread & Hoop
Double sided sticky tape
Step One
Press your fabric to smooth out any creases then insert fabric into an embroidery hoop ensuring the design is in the centre and is pulled nice and tight.
Thread your needle with enough thread to keep you going (about 24inches). Once threaded, bring ends together and tie a firm knot at the end, so you will be working with 12inches of doubled thread. I find this is a good amount to work with as the thread can sometimes get a bit unruly if too long.
Step Two
Now for the best bit, the beading! Starting at the top of the tree, push the needle through the fabric and out onto the design guide line, (it’s a good idea to anchor the thread with a double stitch at this point.) Start with the green seed beads by loading about 3 beads onto your needle and following the line of the pattern, stitch them firmly into place, making sure you hide the pattern line as you go.
Step Three
Repeat this until you have your outline covered and then fill in the centre of the tree with the rest of your seed beads (just like colouring in).
Note! It’s a good idea to secure your work with a double stitch every 10-20 beads, as this will protect it from mass unravelling!
Step Four
Time to decorate your tree! You have 12 beautiful red crystals to play the part of baubles so to work out where to place them, follow the guidelines of the picture, or place them wherever you wish.
Use a new piece of thread to do this, making sure you fasten the thread in place again with a knot at the back. Feed the thread through to the front where you would like your first bauble to be positioned and slip a red crystal onto your needle. Holding the crystal firmly in place with your finger, feed the needle through to the back and fasten in place with a couple of stitches. I recommend sewing each red crystal on separately as this method will ensure that if one comes loose, the whole lot are not going to follow suit.
Step Five
Using the same method as the baubles, place the star at the top of the tree. To keep it in place, thread your needle through the centre of the star, thread a green seed bead onto the needle and then take the needle back through the centre of the star and again holding it firm with your finger, fasten with a double knot at the rear.
Step Six
Time to put the presents under the tree! Using the diagram to guide you, sew the wire swirls in place with about 3 stitches. Then attach each gift with a couple of stitches for each. Remember to always hold the bead firmly in place with your finger when securing it with a double stitch at the back, this will safeguard against droopy beads!
Step Seven
Now to frame your work!
Take your fabric out of the hoop, iron any edges that may have creased and lay it on a flat surface.
Using good quality double sided tape lay it on the wrong side of the mat, making sure you cover the inner and outer edges. Carefully peel the backing off the tape attached to the mat, then, ensuring the tree is centred, lay the mat onto the fabric and press down firmly.
Step Eight
Use the fabric around the edges to pull out any creases that you don’t want showing in your finished product.
When you are happy with how it looks, lay double sided tape around the outer edges of the back board, peel the backing off the tape and press down firmly. This will form the base which covers up all of your stitching
Step Nine
Now you can cut off any remaining fabric from around the edges with sharp scissors.
Place your finished creation into the glass frame. Secure in place and admire your beautiful work!
Kits Available
Alison sells kits for this project. Each kit includes Red box frame, Beads, Fabric, Pattern, and Full Instructions, Priced at $49.95 + p & h. The box frames are sold separately on the website too.
