Would you believe embroidery this pretty takes only about six stitches to pull off? I had been embroidering for all of two weeks when I tried flowers on a pair of jeans, and honestly that was enough. Lazy daisies make the petals, French knots fill the centers, a satin stitch fills the leaves and a backstitch or stem stitch joins everything with a line. That is the whole vocabulary. Denim is also the friendliest fabric to learn on, because it is thick enough to hold its shape without a hoop fighting you and forgiving enough to hide a wobbly stitch. One pair of tired jeans, an evening, and you have something nobody else owns.
To embroider flowers on jeans, you trace or print a pattern onto water soluble stabilizer, stick it to the denim, then stitch through both layers using lazy daisy stitches for petals, French knots for the centers and a satin stitch for leaves. Rinse the stabilizer away at the end. A small design takes an evening.
However, I’m still not that confident with my skills as I only learned how to embroider for about 2 weeks. Until I saw a cute embroidered jeans online, this one got me interested because it looked easy enough for beginners to try, it doesn’t require any complicated stitches, and it looks incredibly cute!
I can say that among all of the embroidery projects I’ve done so far, this is my favorite. It just looks so pretty in person, and it’s a great way to add some flair to old jeans or clothes. But most of all, it’s such a fun activity to pass the time and at the same time very rewarding, especially once you’ve completed the project.
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It was definitely challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll breeze right through it like a pro. The best part of this project is the water soluble printed pattern, this definitely makes embroidering 100x easier because you have a pattern to go along with and you don’t even have to worry about it sticking out or looking tacky because once you’re done embroidering, you can just pour hot water over it and the paper will dissolve like magic!
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What You’ll Need for Flower Embroidered Pants
- Water Soluble Paper
- Needle
- Thread
- Scissors
- Shorts/Jeans
How to Embroider a Flower on Pants
If you don’t feel confident enough yet, you can visit this tutorial to learn 15 Basic Embroidery Stitches first.
Choosing Your Pattern
Find a cute pattern online, preferably one with simple details and a large shape, as they are easier to embroider. Print it out on a water-soluble paper, then roughly cut out around the pattern, and gently stick it on your jeans.
Lazy Daisy Stitch
Start embroidering the flower using either satin or lazy daisy stitch. To do a lazy daisy stitch, insert the needle at the base of the petal, then insert again near the starting point. Make a loop, and insert the needle at the top of the petal in between the loop. Pull the needle all the way.
Small Lazy Daisy Stitch
Now, you can work on your other flower. If it’s too small, you can just make small stitches on each petal, then always make a French knot at the center. You can also try lazy daisy stitch using fewer strands of thread for a more defined look.
Using the Lazy Daisy Stitch for the Leaves
For the leaves, you can also make some lazy daisy stitches; the only difference is that you embroider using fewer strands, and instead of going around, you just have to cover each teardrop shape that represents each leaf.
French Knot
Do a French knot at the center of the flowers or make large French knots for a single round flower. To do a French knot, push your needle from the back, then wrap the thread around your needle about 3 times. Insert your needle back at the starting point and pull to make a knot.
Satin Stitch
For the butterfly or other complicated shapes such as this one, you can just opt for satin stitches. To do a satin stitch, simply stitch back and forth until you’ve filled the entire shape.
Backstitch
For the entire stems or leaves, you can use the backstitch. To do a backstitch, push the needle from your starting point, then insert it ½ inch away and insert it back down the middle of the previous stitch. Repeat this motion until you reach your endpoint.
Stem Stitch
To do a stem stitch, insert from the back of your starting point, then insert down about ½ inch away. Push it back up in the middle of the previous stitch, then pull all the way. Do this motion until you reach the endpoint. Now, make more French Knots at the end of each stem and make sure to do them in different sizes.
Dissolve the Pattern
Lastly, pour over some hot water on the entire area with the embroidery, and the paper at the back with the pattern will dissolve instantly. Let the jeans dry, and they will be ready to wear!
Pro Tip
To add more details to your embroidery, you can divide a single embroidery thread into 2 (usually about 3 strands each), then mix that together with a different color just like how I did with the stems right below the flowers. This is also best to do with the flowers!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What stitches do you need to embroider a flower on jeans?
Six cover almost everything: the lazy daisy for petals, a smaller lazy daisy for buds and leaves, the French knot for flower centers, the satin stitch to fill a shape solidly, the backstitch for outlines and the stem stitch for curved lines and vines. Learn the lazy daisy and the French knot first, since those two alone make a recognisable flower.
Do you need a hoop to embroider denim?
Not always. Denim is stiff enough to hold its own tension, and many people find a hoop awkward on a trouser leg because the fabric is already a tube. If you do use one, go for a small hoop that fits inside the leg and keep the tension gentle so you are not pressing a permanent ring into the fabric while you work.
What thread holds up to washing denim?
Standard six strand cotton embroidery floss washes well as long as you separate it and use two or three strands rather than all six, which sits too proud and catches. Colorfast floss is worth checking for on reds and deep blues. Wash the finished jeans inside out on a cool cycle and the stitching will outlast the denim around it.
How do you transfer a pattern onto jeans?
Water soluble stabilizer is the easiest route on dark denim, since a pencil or a transfer pen simply will not show. Draw or print the design onto the stabilizer, peel and stick it over the spot, stitch straight through it, then rinse the whole thing away under warm water at the end. Chalk pencils work for simple shapes on lighter washes.
Can you embroider over a worn patch or a hole?
Yes, and it is one of the best reasons to do it. Back the thin area with a scrap of cotton or a fusible patch from the inside first so there is something to stitch into, then work the design over the top. Dense stitches like the satin stitch cover a worn knee neatly and buy those jeans another year or two.
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Easy Flower Embroidery on Jeans
