Is it me, or has anyone else noticed how crafty Target www.target.com has become lately? The added craftiness is a result of Todd Oldham’s Hand Made Modern line. If you’ve spent time in the art section of Target you’ve most likely seen sister company Kid Made Modern, a favorite of mine when it comes to finding hip craft kits for kids. It may seem like the current offering of ready-to-use craft supplies from Hand Made Modern are intended for grown-up crafters, I think many of them are great for kids and tweens, too.
My favorite supply has to be the wooden embroidery board. It’s oversized canvas is great for children interested in trying cross stitch or as a simple lacing board for parents looking for that type of activity. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the design possibilities; here’s how I used the board to encourage beginner cross stitching for a simple monogram art project.
Materials
- 1 Hand Made Modern Wooden Embroidery Board
- 1 DMC plastic needle
- Multi-colored jute cord
- Scissors
- Washi tape
Instructions
Start out by marking your letter on the embroidery board with washi tape. It can be as big or as little as you like.
Next, it’s time to thread your plastic needle. I love plastic needles for smaller hands as they’re great for introducing the idea of needlecrafts without using a sharp needle! Cut a long length of jute and tie a double knot at one end, but don’t trim the excess cord (you’ll see why a few steps from now). Thread the other end through the eye of the needle.
Let’s cross stitch! Insert the plastic needle into a hole from the back of the board and pull the cord through to front. Insert the needle again diagonally to create the first part of the cross.
Continue stitching down the board one row at a time. The only area you won’t stitch is the area you taped off as that’s creating your monogram.
What happens when you start to run out of cord? Not to worry, it’s time for a new piece. Leave a tail of the cord loose on the back of the embroidery board. Start a new piece as if you were going to start stitching as you did with your first stitch. Remember how I said not to trim the excess off your knotted cord? Use this piece to tie the loose end with! Your last stitch is now secure and you can continue stitching. You can trim the excess tails off once the piece is done.
Continue stitching all across your board until it’s covered. When you’re done stitching, remove the washi tape to reveal your letter!