With my little one stepping into kindergarten this year, I’ve been having a blast with my embroidery machine. And guess what? The current project on my table is creating bespoke embroidered shoelaces! She’s the biggest fan of my embroidery work, and now that she has shoes with actual laces (bye-bye Velcro!), I thought this would be a delightful surprise for her. Want to join in on the fun? Here’s a friendly guide to make your very own custom shoelaces!
Essentials You’ll Need:
- Embroidery Machine & Smallest Hoop: Personally, I adore my Brother SE1900.
- Shoelaces: Opt for wider laces that have little to no elasticity.
- Stabilizer: You’ll want sticky, self-adhesive tear-away and a water-soluble topping.
- Needle: A 75/11 embroidery needle is ideal, but there’s a caveat (keep reading!)
- Thread: I opted for a 40wt polyester embroidery thread for the top. For the underside, choose a thread that blends with your shoelace’s shade.
- Embroidery Scissors
Some Tips for Prepping:
Choosing the Right Stabilizer: A sticky, self-adhesive tear-away or wash-away stabilizer is perfect. If you wish to prevent the design from sinking into the laces, a layer of water-soluble topping, like Sulky Solvy, works wonders. However, if you’re out of sticky stabilizer, you can use a regular tear-away or wash-away stabilizer. You can then secure the laces with pins, adhesive sprays, or any method you like. I have some fabulous fabric floating methods if you need ideas!
Design Direction: Think about how the design will appear once the laces are tied. When I stitched a name, I decided to keep the design the same on both laces to avoid the mirror imaging challenge.
Design Scale: The designs should be petite to fit the laces. Ensure you’re using a font tailored for smaller dimensions or select designs that are already in a smaller scale. For clearer small text or designs, a 60wt or 90wt thread combined with a 70/10 or tinier needle might offer superior outcomes than the 40wt thread and 75/11 needle I used.
How to Go About It:
1. Set Up: Hoop in the sticky stabilizer. Expose the sticky surface by removing the top layer using a pin.
2. Kick-off the Embroidery: Attach the hooped stabilizer to your machine and stitch the design’s placement line. Remove, then align the shoelace over this stitch. Now, layer a water-soluble stabilizer film over the hoop and get embroidering! If there’s room, you can also embroider the second shoelace in the same hoop.
3. The Finishing Touches: Gently get rid of the water-soluble topping and peel the stabilizer away from the shoelaces. Should there be any leftover topper bits, a quick water rinse will do the trick. Now, step back and admire your craftiness! Next, get going with the laces for the other shoe.
For those feeling even more adventurous, how about trying your hand at custom embroidered shoes? Or delve into more back-to-school embroidery adventures!
| Items | Details |
|---|---|
| Embroidery Machine | Brother SE1900 |
| Shoelaces | Wide, minimal stretch |
| Stabilizer | Sticky, tear-away, water-soluble topping |
| Needle | 75/11 embroidery needle |
| Thread | 40wt polyester (top), color-matched (bobbin) |
| Scissors | Embroidery-specific |