DIY brooches tutorial – quick-stitch gifts made easy

Embroider delicate summer blooms you can enjoy all year round and make Mollie Johanson’s woven wheel stitch DIY brooches.

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Mollie Johanson

Published: June 14, 2020 at 8:00 am

Embroidered roses may look complicated, but they're actually surprisingly easy thanks to the Woven Wheel stitch! In this tutorial we'll show you how to make this fab stitch, then put it to use by making some DIY brooches - they make a gorgeous coat accessory or a fantastic gift!

You will need

For each brooch

  • Linen fabric: 25x25cm (10x10in)
  • Stranded cotton: floral colours of your choice
  • Thin card: 7x14cm (3x6in)
  • Brooch pin
  • Toy stuffing
  • Matching thread
  • Basic sewing kit

Notes

Use a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated.

You will need to download and print the free woven wheel stitch DIY brooches template

If you feel like being really fancy, you could even add some beads to your brooches. If you wanrt to give it a go, check out our How to sew a beaded watermelon brooch tutorial

Woven Wheel Stitch

You will need:

  • Linen fabric
  • DMC stranded cotton
  • Card
  • brooch pin
  • Toy stuffing
  • Matching thread
  • Basic sewing kit

Step 1

To start the woven wheel, bring the needle up at the centre of the wheel then work five straight stitches to act as spokes.

Step 2

Bring the needle up near the centre then take it over one spoke and under the next, without piercing the fabric.

Woven_Wheel_Stitch_DIY_Brooches_step1

Step 3

Alternate passing the needle over one spoke and under the next around the circle.

Woven_Wheel_Stitch_DIY_Brooches_step2

Step 4

Continue weaving the thread around the spokes until the entire circle is filled and the spokes no longer show.

Step 5

To create a fuller flower, push the threads in towards the centre and add more rounds. You can also fluff the thread to add character.

Woven_Wheel_Stitch_DIY_Brooches_step3

DIY brooches

Woven_Wheel_Stitch_DIY_Brooches_complete

Cutting out

Step one

Download and print the free woven wheel stitch DIY brooches template

Step two

Choose your design, then trace around the outer shape and cut it out twice in thin card.

Step three

Cut the linen fabric as follows:
Front: 15x15cm (6x6in).
Back: Cut 1cm (3/8in) bigger than the template all the way around.

Embroidering the design

Step one

Place the front piece of linen fabric centrally over your chosen template then trace over the flowers, but not the outline.

Step two

Embroider the flowers using three strands of stranded cotton. Start by working the small flowers using satin stitch for the leaves and seed stitch and French knots for the small flowers.

Step three

When the small flowers are finished, work the large flowers in woven wheel stitch.

Making the fabric shapes

Step one

Place the template centrally on the back of the embroidered linen and pin in place.

Step two

Cut the fabric 1cm (3/8in) outside the edge of the template.

Step three

For the square or hexagon brooches, fold the fabric over on top of the template and tack the edges in place with a few stitches at each corner. For the round brooch, work a running stitch around the edge of the fabric and gather it to make the circular shape then secure.

Woven_Wheel_Stitch_DIY_Brooches__step4

Step four

Press the edges of the fabric on the wrong side (WS) then remove the template. Step five Repeat this with the back piece of linen to make the same shape as the front.

Finishing the brooch

Step one

Hand-stitch the brooch pin to the centre of the back piece of linen.

Woven_Wheel_Stitch_DIY_Brooches_step5

Step two

Pin the front and back WS together.

Step three

Sew the layers together using running stitch and three strands of stranded cotton, stopping to leave a small section unstitched.

Step four

Stuff the brooch lightly with stuffing then stitch the gap closed to finish.

Woven_Wheel_Stitch_DIY_Brooches_step6

Mollie Johanson

Embroidery Designer

Mollie is the author of Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small. She lives near Chicago and is happiest with a cup of coffee and some stitching. She specializes in designing exceedingly cute, contemporary embroidery and cross stitch projects with a kawaii influence. Her work has been featured on The Spruce Crafts and in books and magazines including Simply Sewing Magazine, Cross Stitch Crazy and Mollie Makes. She co-hosts the Very Serious Crafts Podcast with Haley Pierson-Cox and Heidi Gustad. Find her on Instagram @molliejohanson
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