Hello Daisies! Jody here to share a couple of tips I have found useful when doing hand-stitching on paper. This next month’s kit {July’s is Viewfinder} comes with a really great product, and hopefully you will be excited and anxious to use it after seeing how fun and easy it is! I just loved the cool sheet of different words to choose from and that the floss is included too. I was ready to get my stitch on as soon as I opened up my Cocoa Daisy kit! My first tip for you is to use the kit box as your base when you pierce the holes using the template.

If you don’t have a thick craft mat, or if you have a mat and you don’t want to pierce it, the Cocoa Daisy box works so great! Just put your paper on the bottom, lay the template down and pierce away! I used a large flathead pin, rather than a needle, so that it was gentler on my fingers. But if you have a trusty thimble, go ahead and use that with your sewing needle. The second tip is to use tape to hold the thread in place on the backside. I find that it is sturdier, and it lays flat compared to knotting the end. A knot is more likely to pull through or tear the paper than taping the thread down. And if you need to add more thread, just tape another piece down and start sewing again. It is quick and easy!

The last tip I have for you is to encourage you to make several ‘ready pieces’ at one time. What I mean by that is to pierce and prep small cards or tags with the text templates so that you are ready to hand-stitch whenever you want to create. Cutting several papers up and having them ready to sew makes for some easy and handy cards and tag-making! This is a great project to do with school-age kids too.

I machine-stitched my paper with the word ‘hello’ on it to a basic office supply tag and it is now ready to be used in any number of crafting projects or on a page. I love the look and texture that threads bring to a page. Whether hand-stitching or machine-stitching, you are sure to love the look and feel too! I hope one of my tips has you ready to go when your next kit arrives! Happy scrapping and sewing soon!