How to make an embroidered pendant
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How to make an embroidered pendant

Embrace the joy of embroidery and stitch yourself a beautiful floral pendant with this lovely tutorial by Rebecca Reid.

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Rebecca Reid

Published: March 23, 2022 at 10:00 am

Brighten up your look with this trio of pretty embroidered pendants in a variety of colours and styles. The first design is stitched on rich navy blue fabric featuring two woven wheel roses and white berries. The second is a cream fabric adorned with a spikey blue holly. Finally, the third is stitched on a dusky pink fabric featuring a duo of red woven wheel roses and surrounded by delicate mistletoe. Each design features realistic blooms of flowers created using the raised technique of woven wheel - also known as a woven spider web or woven rose.

These fabulous little pendants are quick to make and inexpensive to whip up, making them the perfect candidate for homemade gifts! If you know someone who loves jewellery, flowers and everything homemade, then these are perfect. They can also be made into brooches or used as trinkets if you prefer.

These are a great project for beginners and will make satisfyingly quick stitches for the pros out there. If you need some advice on embroidery or any of the stitches listed below please visit our embroidery guide for beginners.

The trio of embroidered pendants was designed by Rebecca Reid and first appeared in Love Embroidery issue 7. Looking for similar projects? Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly inspiration and free patterns.

Stitches key for the embroidered pendant

Embroidered pendant materials:

  • Cotton fabric: 15x15cm, cream, pink or navy
  • Mini embroidery hoop frame: 4cm diameter (ours is from Love Crafts)
  • Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of blue, green, pink, red, turquoise and white
  • Craft glue
  • Basic embroidery kit

Free embroidered pendant template

You’ll also need the free embroidered pendant template.

How to do a woven wheel stitch:

At the heart of this project is the woven wheel stitch. Below we will show you step-by-step how it is done! Each Woven Wheel is formed of a base of spokes made from Straight Stitches, then a separate thread is woven in and out of the spokes. You need to work an odd number of Straight Stitches to allow the weaving part to work. This is usually five stitches but if you’re working a large Woven Wheel then it will be better to work with seven or more to keep the woven stitches close to the fabric. Use a sharp needle for working the spokes and a blunt tapestry needle for weaving the stitches to guard against accidentally piercing the fabric as you weave.

Step 1

Draw a circle on your fabric to the size you want your Woven Wheel to be, then mark evenly-spaced spokes around the circumference of the circle. To work the spokes, come out of the centre of the circle and then in at one of the marks you made on the edge of the circle. Come out again at the centre and in at the next outer mark and so on until you have worked all the spokes.

Step 2

Bring the weaving thread out under one of the spokes at the centre of the circle and then thread it into a blunt needle. Weave the thread under and over each spoke alternately. Usually, you would work the spokes and weaving stitches in the same colour so the spokes don’t show, but we have shown it here in a different colour to make it easier to see.

Step 3

Continuing to work with a blunt needle, take care not to pierce the fabric or the spokes’ thread and carry on weaving alternately (under and over) until you reach the outer edges of the spokes and they are completely covered. Then, take the needle back through the fabric to finish – you might find it easier to switch to a sharper needle at this point, in order to pierce the fabric.

Step 4

For a variation on the stitch, work a Whipped Woven Wheel. Stitch the spokes as before and then start to work the weaving part, only this time go under one spoke then back under it again to wrap it or ‘whip’ it before moving onto the next spoke. You won’t be working over and under but whipping each spoke in turn, so you can have an odd or even number of spokes.

You will need:

  • Cotton fabric
  • Mini embroidery hoop
  • Stranded cotton
  • Craft glue
  • Basic embroidery kit

Step 1

For the berry design
Transfer the design to the fabric using your preferred method. Use one strand of green to work the stems and leaf outline in Stem Stitch. Use one strand of white to work the buds in French Knots. Use one strand of green to work the bases of the berries in Satin Stitch. Finally, use two strands of pink and red to work the berries as Woven Wheels.
woven wheel stitch on a blue fabric

Step 2

For the holly design
Transfer the design to the fabric using your preferred method. Use one strand of turquoise to work the stems in Stem Stitch. Use one strand of blue to work the small leaves in Lazy Daisy Stitch. Use one strand of blue to work the holly leaves in Fishbone Stitch and one strand of red to work the berries as French Knots. Use one strand of pink to work the petals in Lazy Daisy Stitch. Use two strands of blue to work the Woven Wheel in the centre. Use one strand of pink to add three French Knots to the Woven Wheel.
woven wheel stitch on a white fabric

Step 3

For the mistletoe design
Transfer the design to the fabric using your preferred method. Use one strand of blue to work the leaf sprig in Stem Stitch for the stems and Lazy Daisy Stitch for the leaves. Use one strand of green to work the mistletoe in Stem Stitch for the stems and Satin Stitch for the leaves. Use one strand of white to work the berries as French Knots. Use one strand of blue to work the leaf at the bottom in Fishbone Stitch. Use two strands of red to work both the Woven Wheels.
woven wheel stitch on a pink fabric

Step 4

Once the embroidery is complete, place the hoop centrally over the design with the design right-side up. Draw around the outer edge of the hoop. Cut the fabric so it has a 1cm border around the drawn line.
embroidered pendant step4

Step 5

Spread craft glue onto one side of the smaller wooden disc. Place the disc unglued-side down onto the back of your embroidered design. Fold the edges of the fabric onto the glued back of the disc. Ensure they are firmly in place and leave to dry.
embroidered pendant step5

Step 6

Secure the screw and nut at the top of the hoop. Place the fabric-mounted disc in the hoop and tighten the nut so the embroidery is held in place. Spread glue over one side of the larger wooden disc and place this over the back of the hoop so the notch is at the top. Use clips to hold the disc in place until dry. You can now glue a brooch pin to the back, or attach a chain for a necklace.
embroidered pendant step6

More like the embroidered pendant

We hope you loved these pretty embroidered pendants. Are you looking for similar projects? Don’t miss our free embroidered buttons pattern, which will liven up your cardis! We also have lots more nature-inspired patterns available, try the cactus embroidery, the deer embroidery, the mushroom embroidery pattern, the bee embroidery or this lovely embroidered wall hanging. Looking for a relaxing project, try this beautiful yet easy wildflower design or the plant embroidery. If you’re also looking to delve into machine embroidery or would like to find out more about it take a look at our guide to the best embroidery machine.

Rebecca Reid

Crafter, designer and TV presenter

Rebecca is founder of Amber Makes and has previously worked as Senior Technical Editor of Love Embroidery and Simply Sewing magazines. She works with sewing TV channels including Sewing Street, Yarn Lane and Sewing Quarter. She been stitching since she was a child and has worked on many craft magazines as well as running her own curtain-making business. She is known by her colleagues as a sewing oracle – you name it, she can sew it. She’s hugely knowledgeable about sewing techniques, fabrics and tools and is full of helpful advice for her fellow sewists, from the best place to buy curtain-making materials to which books and websites are handy for that sewing problem you’re stuck on.
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