How to Embroider a Leaf: Explore Different Stitches and Styles for Stunning Results

I'm often asked how to embroider a leaf, and there isn't a quick answer.

Leaves in nature are intricate and varied. While your embroidery can't replicate all these details, you can capture some of the shapes and textures with a few simple stitches.

Before you start, decide how you want your embroidered leaves to look:

• Outlined or filled in?
• Realistic or cartoon-like?
• Textured or smooth?
• One flat colour or softly shaded?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the stitch options available, so I would like to guide you through this challenge.

Let’s explore the possibilities of creating leaves with embroidery.

Some stitches, like the satin stitch, are bold and smooth, perfect for creating solid blocks of color. Others, like the French knot, are delicate and textured, ideal for adding texture and detail.

And then there is colour!

Choosing embroidery thread should evoke the same excitement you felt as a child selecting crayons for your artwork.

Experiment with various colors and shades. Imagine a vibrant emerald leaf or a warm, golden one, or even a playful combination of both, reflecting the beauty of the changing seasons.

Have fun and let your imagination guide you!

How to embroider leaves and stems

Learning to embroider a leaf was one of the first needlework techniques my grandmother taught me. These were tiny ovals made with detached chain stitches, also known as lazy daisy stitches.

My grandmother stitched tiny flowers with tiny leaves using a single strand of floss, but my young fingers weren't quite so dextrous. However, I was delighted with my clumsy attempts which had a charm all their own.

It didn't matter if my tie down stitches were a bit long, it just made the leafs look spiky, a feature I used in the sample above to add leaflets to a split stitched stem. 

The section from one of my crazy quilt blocks, in the photo below, shows lazy daisy leaves used to decorate freestyle stem stitch tendrils. 

Fly stitch leaf

Another simple stitch that you can use for leaves of varying sizes is the fly stitch. 

A single y-shaped fly stitch can create a tiny piece of greenery in a floral design. Grouped together they form a more obvious leaf shape. 

There is no need to place every stitch perfectly. After all, when did you last see a perfect leaf in nature? 

In the example here I used DMC perle cotton no. 8, a non-divisible twisted thread thicker than stranded cotton. For a leaf this size it worked well, but for tiny leaves stay with the floss or perhaps a size 12 perle. 

Blanket stitched leaves

Try the blanket stitch for a different take on embroidering leaves. The corded edge can delineate the central vein when you work two rows back to back as in the photo of ferns above. This arrangement, incidentally, has its own name - Barb stitch. 

I used perle cotton 8 again for these embroidered leaves.

Or you can stitch a folded leaf, by having the corded edge down one side only. I created the leaves in the photo above after watching a nature documentary about sundews, an insect eating plant!

For these leaves I used a shiny rayon thread and added a back stitch line along the other side of each leaf.

How to embroider a leaf with Satin stitch

Satin stitch is a popular choice for embroidery leaves. 

However, it is best suited for small leaves as when you work a larger area the stitches can be prone to snagging and pulling. One solution is to take the needle down in the centre of the leaf, creating a vein.

I used 2 strands of crewel wool for the project above, stitched many years ago. 

To achieve a smoother outer edge when working satin stitch, first outline the leaf with backstitch or split stitch, then work over this framework.

You can work padded satin stitch over felt or interfacing to raise the leaf off the surface fabric. 

Fishbone stitch leaves

Fishbone stitch creates a deliberate vein down the centre of a leaf. It works well as a counted stitch on evenweave fabrics and in surface embroidery.

Leave gaps between the stitches or place them close together, depending on your preference.

In the floral piece pictured, I used raised fishbone stitch for the leaves and thorn stitch for the spikey stems, all stitched with DMC stranded cotton.

Split stitch leaves

Split stitch is useful for forming lines and filling areas when worked closely together.

It's ideal for longer leaves, like those in the photographed tulip floral. In this project, I used split stitch with stranded cotton for all the leaves, including the outlined one.

I hope these examples have given you some ideas for how to embroider a leaf.  You will find more by clicking on the links below...

• Cretan stitch leaf
• Needlewoven picot leaf

If you liked this page, and would like more like it, feel free to comment below.

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