Many papercrafters like to use sewing as a decorative element in paper projects like greeting cards or gift tags. Mixed-media artists and quilters sew paper elements to fabric collages and art quilts. Whether your primary loyalty is to fabric or paper, sewing on paper can be a lot of fun.
Supply List for Sewing on Paper
- Paper card stock. Regular office or scrapbook paper isn't strong enough to withstand the rigors of being sewn. You can also try a thick paper with a high rag or fiber content. Avoid papers with leaves or other inclusions, which can break a machine needle or get in the way of hand stitches.
- (Optional) Pencil for drawing or tracing your design onto the paper.
- Adhesive: double-stick tape, glue stick, or repositionable spray adhesive to hold the layers together while you sew.
- (For hand sewing) Darning needle or large-head pin to pre-punch holes in the paper.
- (For hand sewing) Embroidery needle. Use a long needle with a narrow eye. A size 8 needle is a good for embroidery floss.
- (For machine sewing) Sewing machine with a 10/70 sharp needle. Lightweight needles are better because they leave smaller holes.
- Thread. Embroidery floss is good for hand sewing. Try a decorative embroidery thread for machine sewing.
Things to Remember Before You Sew on Paper
- Keep your design simple. Outlining your main paper elements with a contrasting-color thread can be very effective.
- (Optional.) Use a pencil to lightly draw or trace the design onto the paper so you can follow the lines as you sew.
- Don't try to sew through more than 3 layers at a time.
- Adhere the layers together. Unlike fabric, paper can't be basted without leaving permanent holes, so you'll need double-stick tape, glue stick, or repositionable spray adhesive to hold the layers together while you sew.
Stitching the Paper with a Sewing Machine
- Set your machine for a longer stitch length (at least 3.5 mm) to avoid tearing the paper.
- Choose a stitch that doesn't make too many holes. A straight stitch of basic zigzag is good. This isn't the time to try your machine's intricate decorative stitches, because all those holes could tear the paper.
- Sew with a full bobbin. It's really annoying to run out of bobbin thread in mid-project and have your sewing machine punch a lot of holes in your project after the thread runs out.
- Choose inconspicuous spots to start and end your stitching. Ideally, pick places that can be covered by embellishments. If you can do this, you can stay-stitch the beginning and end points of your sewing to secure your stitches. If not, just pull the threads to the back at the beginning and end points.
- Make sure your presser foot is down and your feed dogs are up, then start sewing. Once you get comfortable working on paper, put the feed dogs down and try some free-motion embroidery.
Stitching the Paper by Hand
- Punch holes in the paper with your needle or a pin before you sew.
- Thread your needle and start stitching. Try a variety of different stitches.
Securing the Stitches
Pull the threads to the back of the paper at the beginning and end points of your stitching. You can either knot the threads, or, if you don't want a bump caused by the knot, you can adhere the threads to the back of the paper with your favorite adhesive.
See more easy sewing projects:
Make a fabric gift pouch in 30 minutes or less
Make a holiday fabric postcard in 30 minutes or less
Find out what else is going on in Sewing and Needlework at Suite 101.
Christine Mann - Christine Mann writes about quilting, home decor sewing, and creativity in daily life.
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