Machine Embroider Greeting Card on Watercolor Paper

Instructions

1. Gather Your Supplies
   For the purpose of this tutorial, I'm going to assume you know how to download an embroidery design and load it into your machine.
   I also find it very helpful to line up my threads right beside my embroidery machine in the order in which I will be using them in my design.
   
2. Setup Thread
   Make sure you have thread loaded in your bobbin and thread your machine with the first color of thread. Be sure to refer to your design's color change sheet to know what color thread to use and in what order.
   
3. Trim Your Paper
   Trim the watercolor paper so that it is slightly smaller than the size of your card front. For my card, I trimmed the watercolor paper to 4-3/4"Wx6-3/4"H.
   
   
4. Trim Colored Cardstock
   You'll also want to trim your colored cardstock (you'll use this as the border behind the embroidered design) to 5"x7" or slightly smaller but larger than the watercolor piece. (Totally optional.)
   
5. Trim Inside Cardstock
   And trim the white lightweight cardstock to be slightly smaller than 5"x7" (just like you trimmed the watercolor paper). This will be used on the inside of your card. Again, this is optional. But, I like this look when I'm using colored cardstock for the folded card. (I didn't use in this example.)
6. Trim Card
   Then trim the paper for the card. It should measure 10"Wx7"H. Go ahead and fold the card in half so that it measures 5"x7" when folded. It's helpful to use a bone folder to help create a nicely creased fold.
7. 
8. Hoop Cut-Away Stabilizer
   Hoop a piece of cut-away stabilizer into your 5x7" hoop (or whatever size hoop you are using. Remember, the hoop must be large enough to hold your watercolor paper, which is the front of your card.).
   
9. Secure Watercolor Paper
   Lay the piece of watercolor paper in the center of your hooped stabilizer. Use a couple of small pieces of painter's tape to secure in place. It really doesn't take much tape because once the machine starts stitching, the stitches will hold the paper in place.
   
   Then use a ruler and pencil to very lightly mark the center of the paper or the center of where you want to place your design. For a 5"x7" card, measure down 3-1/2" and across 2-1/2" to find the center.
10. Secure the Hoop
    Once you have your watercolor paper centered and secured to your hooped stabilizer, it's time to secure the hoop to your embroidery machine.
11. Load Design
    Now you'll load your design into your embroidery machine, if you haven't done so already. Then follow your machine manufacturer's instructions for centering the needle over the center mark you made on the watercolor paper.
12. Stitch Design
    Start stitching your design! Then follow the prompts on your machine for the thread color changes. Continue changing the thread according to the color change chart until your design is complete.
    
    TIP: Trim your jump threads before each color change!
13. Remove Hoop
    Once your design has finished stitching, remove the hoop from the machine and un-hoop your stabilized design.
    
    
14. Trim Stabilizer
    Use a pair of scissors to trim the cutaway stabilizer close to the design.
    
15. Glue
    If you are using a background or border piece of colored paper, you will glue the embroidered design so that it is centered over the colored paper. You can use your favorite glue, glue stick, or even two-sided tape.
    Once you have that securely glued together, you will glue those two pieces to the front of the card. Simply apply glue to the back of the colored paper, center it over the front of the folded cardstock, and press to secure in place.
    
    
    Allow the glue to completely dry before placing the card in an envelope.
16. Ready to Use!
    Now your machine embroidered greeting card is ready to use!
    
    
17. Envelope Liner
    I like to create an envelope liner out of cute scrapbook paper. To do so, simply lay your envelope with the flap open on the back of the paper and trace. Be sure to trace down the side of the envelope about 3".
    Then cut out inside the traced line and trim if necessary to fit inside the envelope.
    
    Apply glue to the back of the paper and insert in the envelope. Make sure the paper is below the adhesive strip on the inside of the envelope flap.
    
    I then like to insert something into the envelope while the glue is drying to prevent the envelope from being glued shut.