January 12: It’s Sew Easy: Stitching on Paper

There’s something about stitching that makes a papercrafting project special. Maybe it’s the texture. Maybe it’s the look. Maybe it’s the dimension. Whatever it is, a few stitches can take a card or layout from “cute” to “adorable!”

Check out the various kinds of stitching on this Washington, DC, My Reflections® Memory Keeper box. We hand-stitched around the perimeter of the circle. We used a needle and thread to fasten on the buttons. And the stitching on the ribbon was a cinch—the ribbon just came like that!




We asked our experts for their secrets. Here are their hints:

• When hand-stitching, start by punching a row of tiny holes with a paper piercer. It’s much easier to get evenly spaced stitches that way, and you can even use a ruler to make sure the line is straight or use the My Acrylix® Simple Stitches stamp set (C1234 $18.95 US/ $22.50 CAN) stamped in a tone-on-tone color of ink as a stitching guide. Once you’ve punched the holes, just go back through them with a needle and thread.

• If you use a sewing machine for your stitching, you just use a regular needle and regular stitches. The secret lies in this: Avoid sewing through adhesive. If you adhere paper together, just make sure to do it in a spot that won’t be stitched.

• If you do get adhesive on your needle, gently clean it with a solvent such as Goo Gone.

Do you want to know the other secret? You can get the look of stitching by using a stamp such as the new My Acrylix® Togetherness set (D1402 $22.95 US/$26.95 CAN).

And if you really want to make it look like real stitching, use your paper piercer to make holes between the stamped stitches. Everyone will think you did it with needle and thread!

Have you stitched on a papercrafting project? Tell us about it. Your comment will enter you to win a free Felicity Collection, full of yummy paper and delectable stamps. Check back tomorrow to see if you’ve won, and to read more about National Papercrafting Month.