Stitching a Festive Christmas Tree: Step-by-Step Guide
I originally stitched this Christmas tree embroidery square back in 2021 😅 as a little series of stitching videos on Instagram. Since then, Instagram has changed quite a bit, and those videos aren’t as easy to find anymore. So, I thought it would be helpful to write everything up here on the blog – just like I’ve done with my other embroidery panels!
In this post, I’ll share exactly how I stitched this design, including the threads, stitch types, needle size, techniques, and a few handy tips. I’ve also linked to the original videos for extra guidance. You can follow this step-by-step guide to recreate the design, or feel free to tweak it to make it your own!
What materials you need
To get started, you’ll need:
A Christmas Tree embroidery square
An embroidery hoop
Needles
Threads
Scissors
A fabric pen (for adding optional extras)
I’ll go into more detail about each of these below:
A Hand-Printed Embroidery Square
First, you’ll need one of my Christmas Tree embroidery squares. These are hand-printed onto natural calico squares, ready for you to fill with your choice of stitches and thread colours!
You can get your tree embroidery square here………
An Embroidery Hoop
I stitched my tree in a 5” hoop, which fits perfectly with all of my embroidery squares. This size gives you plenty of space to work comfortably and even leaves room to add extra embellishments if you like.
Embroidery Needles
Using the right needle for your project can make a big difference in how neat and precise your stitches look. Embroidery needles come in various sizes, so here’s what to keep in mind:
Larger needles create bigger holes in the fabric. If you’re stitching with just a few strands of thread, a large needle might leave gaps or cause your stitches to shift.
Smaller needles are better for finer stitching, but if you try to use one with too many thread strands (e.g., 6 strands), you may struggle to pull the thread through smoothly.
In my shop, I offer needle packs with 6 needles in three different sizes:
Large needles for stitching with 6 strands
Medium needles for 3–4 strands
Small needles for 1–2 strands
Throughout this guide, I’ll refer to these needle sizes so you can follow along easily. You can get these needle packs here:
Embroidery Threads
For this project, I used a mix of DMC and Anchor 6-stranded cotton threads. Both are high-quality brands known for their vibrant colours and durability. I picked these shades from my own thread stash, so feel free to dive into yours and choose colours that suit your festive tree!
I went with classic greens for my Christmas tree, but I also experimented with a little pine needle sampler in pinks - which turned out beautifully! I was so tempted to stitch an entire tree in pink, but—three years later—I still haven’t managed to get around to it!
Here are the 8 colours I used for this embroidery:
Scissors
Any scissors will work, but sharp pointed embroidery scissors are ideal. Their precision makes it easier to trim threads cleanly and get into tight spaces without fraying the ends. If you don’t have embroidery scissors, small sharp scissors from your sewing kit can be a good alternative.
Fabric Pen
I like to use a heat-erasable pen for adding extras to my embroidery squares. My go-to is the Pilot Frixion pens, as the markings can be easily removed with a quick blast from a hair dryer. Just be aware that these pens can sometimes leave faint marks, so it’s always a good idea to test first.
You can also use air-erasable pens, which work well if you’re stitching quickly. But, the markings can start to fade and disappear before you’re finished - especially in a warm room.
If you don’t have a fabric pen, you can use a pencil. Just keep in mind that pencil marks aren’t removable, so you’ll need to ensure your stitches completely cover any lines you make.
2. The Stitches
Here are the stitches I used for this one:
Long and Short Stitch
Whipped Backstitch
Split Stitch
French Knots
Satin Stitch
Backstitch
For extra details, I also added:
Herringbone Start Stitch
But just remember, you don’t need to stick to these stitches for your tree! Experimenting with different stitches can give your embroidery a completely different look.
3. Lets Start Stitching
Begin by placing your embroidery square into the hoop, making sure the fabric is nice and taut. I always aim for a drum-like tension in the hoop, as this helps keep your stitches neat and prevents the fabric from wrinkling.
Here’s how to get that perfect tension:
Place the fabric over the inner hoop and press the outer hoop on top.
Pull the edges of the fabric outside the hoop to smooth out any bumps.
Tighten the screw mechanism until the hoop feels secure.
Gently pull the fabric around the edges one more time to increase the tension further.
Your fabric should now feel tight, like a drum, and be ready for stitching!
I demonstrate this step in the first stitching video below.
💡 Tip: Check your fabric’s tension as you work, as it may loosen with stitching. If it does, simply tighten it up again as needed.
4. Step-by-Step Stitching Guide
The Tree Pines
I start by stitching the pines using ‘a Long and Short stitch in a straight stitch kind of way’ - yes, that’s exactly how I described it in the video 😅! I use three different shades of green to create the layered effect of pine needles.
Stitch – Long and Short Stitch
Thread colours – DMC 904, 906 & 907
Number of strands – 3
Needle size – Middle
1. Start with the darkest green (DMC 904) and stitch a row of long and short straight stitches in varying lengths.
2. Position the stitches from the bottom to the top of the tree.
3. Make the stitches steeper at the tree’s edges, and more vertical toward the center.
4. Continue adding rows of dark green stitches until about a third of the tree is covered.
💡 Quick Tip: Start each stitch close to where you finished the previous one. This helps minimize thread buildup on the back and makes stitching the other colors easier. Plus, you’ll save some thread this way!
Next, fill about half of the remaining gaps with the middle shade of green (DMC 906) in the same style.
Finally, use the lightest green (DMC 907) to fill in any remaining spaces.
In the video, I stitch the bottom row using all three shades so you can see how it looks. But feel free to tackle it one section at a time, or complete all of one green before moving to the next.
When stitching, I worked over the little light circles, but I made sure to keep the tinsel lines clear so they’d be easier to stitch later on.
The Candy Cane Tinsel
Next, we’re onto the tinsel, and I’ve chosen this adorable candy cane affect - so cute!
Stitch – Whipped Backstitch
Thread colours – Backstitches with DMC 822. Whips with DMC 321.
Number of strands – 6
Needle size – Largest
Start by stitching rows of backstitches along the tinsel lines. Try to keep the stitches as even in length as possible. The smaller your backstitches, the more twisted and defined your candy canes will look.
2. Next, whip these backstitches with the red thread (DMC 321).
💡 Tip: When whipping the stitches, push up from the fabric from the back of the hoop underneath the stitches. This helps lift them up so you can avoid snagging surrounding stitches. Another trick is to push the eye of the needle under each stitch first, rather than using the pointy end. This can make the process smoother and prevent tangling and snagging!
The Tree Trunk Bark
For the tree trunk, I stitched vertical rows of Split Stitch to create a textured bark effect. I left the knot of the tree clear and stitched around it. Don’t split stitches make the perfect bark texture?
Stitch – Split Stitch
Thread colour – Anchor 349
Number of strands – 2
Needle size – Smallest
The Lights
Next, I add these little lights over the top of the pine needle stitches. You can really have fun here with different sizes and colours of lights - add as many or as few as you like! Feel free to stitch them as close to the tinsel as you want for a sparkling effect.
Stitch – French Knots with 2 wraps
Thread colour – DMC 783
Number of strands – 4
Needle size – Middle
The Trunk Knot
Start by filling the knot with vertical Satin Stitches. I find that stitching the first one in the middle helps keep the satin stitches nice and straight.
Next, add a cute little extra detail by stitching curves at the top and bottom of the knot. For each curve, I used 3 backstitches to create a smooth, rounded shape.
Stitch – Satin Stitch (for the knot) and backstitches (for the curves)
Thread colour – DMC 898
Number of strands – 1
Needle size – Smallest
You’ll notice in the video that I’ve already added a few extra details to my hoop. I’ll talk more about those next.
The tree is now stitched! At this point, it could be finished—but I couldn’t resist adding some wording and stars around the edge to personalize mine. This is a great way to make your tree truly your own!
The Wording
I freehand drew my extra details, but if you’re not feeling confident, you can always create a template on your computer, print it out, and trace it onto your fabric.
Stitch – Backstitch
Thread colour – DMC 321
Number of strands – 2
Needle size – Smallest
Once I had drawn on my lettering, I stitched it using small backstitches. The smaller you make these stitches, the smoother and more curvy your lettering will look.
💡 My Little Tip: Tie off and start a new thread for each word to avoid thread shadows showing through the fabric.
Other stitches you could try for lettering include Chain Stitch, Split Stitch, and Whipped Backstitch (though whipped backstitch can be tricky if you’re working with very tiny backstitches).
Experiment with the number of strands too—using more strands will give you thicker lines, while fewer strands will give a finer look.
The Stars
This is such a lovely way to stitch stars and a perfect finishing touch for the tree! I do have to remove my hoop from the stand while stitching these, as I need to rotate the hoop to avoid getting in a muddle. That’s why the video is a little wobbly—but you’ll still be able to see how to stitch them.
This stitch is essentially a series of straight stitches that overlap to form the star shape.
Stitch – Overlapping Herringbone Stitch (or Star Stitch)
Thread colour – DMC 783
Number of strands – 2
Needle size – Smallest
Other ways to stitch stars:
You could outline stars with straight stitches for a simpler look.
Or try filling stars with Satin Stitches for a fuller effect.
And that’s it! The stitching for this Christmas Tree is now complete. I think it looks so lovely, especially sitting on my dresser next to my twinkling tree!
5. Finishing and Displaying your Embroidery
First, don’t forget to use a hairdryer to remove any heat erasable pen marks that may still be showing.
You can frame your finished embroidery in the same hoop you used for stitching, which is one of my favourite ways to display my embroidery projects. To do this, trim away the excess fabric, leaving about a 4 cm ring all the way around.
Next, stitch a running stitch about 1 cm from the fabric edge using 6 strands of thread, leaving unknotted tails at the start and finish. Gently pull these tails to gather the fabric, and then tie a knot to hold it in place.
The best part about this method is that it’s not permanent! If you decide later to add more to your embroidery, you can easily remove the running stitches and continue stitching until you’re happy with the design.
You can also turn your embroidery into a cute hanging banner with one of my banner kits. This way, you can hang your beautiful embroidery anywhere in your home. These kits are designed to pair perfectly with any of my embroidery squares.
You can find the banner kits here……..
Step back and admire your beautiful work!
I hope you enjoyed this project! Be sure to check out my other embroidery blog posts, some of which include links to live stitching videos so you can stitch along with me. I also have 12 other embroidery square designs available in my shop that I think you'll love for some relaxing creativity.
You can find them all here……….
And don’t forget to tag me on social media when you show off your beautiful work—I’d love to see it!
If you enjoyed this blog and would like to support my work, feel free to visit my Ko-fi and leave a tip - every little bit helps keep the creativity flowing! 🌸
Enjoy your stitching!
Until next time,
Liz x