Feeling crafty now that the days have gotten shorter and darker?
Why not make these cute to/from cards/greeting cards, and make someone's surprise extra special?
You don't know how to embroider, you say? No worries! I'll show you how.
To start, download the free pattern here, and print it out.
Mark off the corners of each 'x' onto paper. Tracing paper is the easiest, or you can use baking paper, or even normal white paper, and use a window as a lightbox. Choose which card to use, and place the pattern on the card.
I used a tool that I have no idea what is called in English - or even Norwegian! - but it is pointy, and used to make holes in wood before you hammer in a nail. Ring a bell? A needle or something else pointy would work wonders too. Make holes in the card with your pointy tool of choice. Select the yarn, I used thin wool for these cards, but shiny embroidery thread would give a completely different look, so experiment. Find a little helper, and start to stitch the pattern.
You can either stitch all the bottom stitches first, and then work your way back down with the top stitch, or you can finish the whole stitch one at a time, and work from top to bottom. I find the back of the embroidery is nicer looking when I stitch the bottom one first and then the top one, but it is easier to keep track of the pattern when I do the whole stitch. Again, experiment and see what works best for you. Just remember to always have the stitches facing the same way, so the bottom one goes from right to left, and the top one goes from left to right, so all the x-es look the same. It makes the pattern look neat and tidy.
Make a hole in the top and voilá! Your very own hand stitched to/from cards.
Now all you need is to wrap the presents, add the cards, and wait for the very best part of the season: to surprise someone with a gift!
