Sewing and Stitching for the Paper Artist

Learn how to sew and stitch paper with these step-by-step tutorials and tips for sewing paper. It's easy and it's a great way to recycle paper for craft projects.

Sewing & Stitching For The Paper Artist
 

Materials

• Scrapbook Page, Paper, Collage or Card
• Sewing Machine With Thread: Needle should be one used for delicate fabric and tension set for delicate fabric.
• Sharp Hand Sewing Needle: Needles are either blunts (not a sharp point) or sharps (yep, you guessed it).
• Sewing Threads: Use a quilting thread or other quality thread designed for needle arts so that the thread will hold up without breaking or splitting.
• Fibers: Usually specialty yarns that are colorful and full of textures.

Step by Step

Sewing Machine

1. You sew paper as you would any fabric.
    
2. Note that heavy weight paper may need a tension adjustment on your sewing machine. Read your machines manual for tension adjustments.
    
3. Avoid using any adhesives before you sew. Adhesives can damage your needle and jam your machine.
    
4. Experiment with different machine stitches.
    
5. Remember to backstitch at the end of your stitching so that the threads will not unravel. You can also use a touch of glue or a dot of clear nail polish to bond the ends.

Hand Sewing

1. Use sharp sewing needles (sharps have a pointed tip) rather than blunt needles unless you are using a punch to create holes for the hand needle to pass through. Apply some hair spray to your finger and to the end of the thread, stiffening it enough to be easily threaded.
    
2. The smaller the needle the smaller the stitch you will be able to sew. Hand sewing needles are assigned numbers for the different sizes available the smaller this number the larger the needle.
    
3. Most needleart stitches can be used in paper designs. Basic stitches include backstitch, blanket stitch, buttonhole stitch and ladder stitch. All can be found at: www.rrvfsbo.com/articles/Sewtech.htm or in any book on hand stitching.
    
4. At the end of your stitching don’t forget to knot off. You can secure the knot with a touch of glue or a dot of clear nail polish.