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String Pair Ornaments (In-the-Hoop)

String Pair Ornaments (In-the-Hoop)

These ornaments are twice as nice! Stitch matching pairs of mittens, ice skates, and birds in-the-hoop, complete with a string to connect them together. Drape them over a branch for charming holiday style!

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies & Materials:

- Small piece of flannel
- Tear-away stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive (Gunold KK100)
- Hemp cord or twine
- Masking tape

The designs used in this tutorial include:

- X13685, Mitten Pair Ornament (In-the-Hoop)

When you download the design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files, and others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines.


We also recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)

Two printed worksheets with mitten outlines are partially stacked on a white surface. On top of the worksheets is a piece of pink fabric with a brown string placed in a curved shape.

Spray the backside of the printed dieline for the first mitten with a small amount of temporary adhesive. Smooth it onto a piece of flannel.

Square piece of light pink fabric with a white paper pattern pinned on top, showing two mitten-shaped outlines with intersecting lines for cutting or sewing guidance.

Cut out the shape. Remove the paper.

Orange-handled scissors placed on a white background next to two small pink felt mitten shapes.

Repeat this process for the second mitten.

Orange-handled scissors lie next to four pink felt mitten shapes cut out on a white surface.

Now that the fabric pieces are cut to the proper shape and size, it's time to embroider the design.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer. Madeira E-Zee Tear 1.5 oz. or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less paper-like, and will tear more cleanly.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric stretched and secured, attached to an embroidery machine; background is a plain, light-colored surface.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline files).

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, rather than an embroidery needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so that will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline or outline. This marks the area on the stabilizer for the front fabric piece.

Embroidery machine stitching a red outline of a heart shape on white fabric hooped in a rectangular embroidery frame. Machine is white and gray.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Spray the back of the front fabric piece with a small amount of temporary adhesive. Place the fabric right inside the sewn outline..

Embroidery hoop with white fabric secured inside, featuring a single pink felt mitten shape stitched near the center, on a plain light background.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue with the design.

A running stitch tack down will sew next. This holds the front fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

Then all of the inside elements will be embroidered.

Embroidery machine stitching a pink mitten-shaped design with colorful zigzag and heart patterns on white fabric held in an embroidery hoop.

On the color change sheet, look for the note that says "left mitten back piece tack down".

When you get to this section, stop the machine and remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric stretched inside, showing a partially completed mitten design in pink, purple, yellow, and blue zigzag and heart patterns.

Next cut a piece of cord that is 6-8" long.

Place one end onto the backside of the back fabric piece, so that the center of the cord lines up with the center of the mitten cuff. Then tape it in place.

Also tape the cord to the side of the hoop so that it will not be sewn over in the remaining steps.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric held taut, featuring a partially stitched mitten design in pink, purple, orange, and yellow threads; a piece of twine attached.

Spray the backside of the back fabric piece with adhesive, and place it inside the shape on the backside of the embroidery.

Embroidery hoop attached to a machine with white stabilizer fabric inside, a small pink felt mitten pinned on top, and a piece of brown string taped near the mitten.


Since both sides of the mitten with be seen, wind a bobbin with the same thread used in the needle.


Close-up of a sewing machine bobbin holder with a red thread spool in place, white sewing machine surface and blurred background.

Attach the hoop back to the machine and continue embroidering the design.

A tack down stitch will sew around the outer edge of the mitten. This binds all the layers together.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a pink mitten outline with colorful zigzag and heart patterns on white fabric.

Repeat steps 6-9 for the second mitten.

Embroidery hoop holding white fabric with two pink mitten-shaped embroidered patches featuring hearts and zigzag patterns, with a metal clamp and jute string attached.

Attach the free end of the cord to the back side of the second mitten with tape, aligning it with the center of the mitten cuff.

Place the back side of the second mitten in place, and finish the embroidering the design.

Two pink mitten embroidery designs stitched on white fabric held in a rectangular embroidery hoop with metal clamp, against a plain light background.

Once the embroidery is finished, remove the hoop from the machine.

Unhoop the stabilizer, and carefully tear it away (the dieline will be removed with the stabilizer).

Two small pink mitten-shaped ornaments connected by a brown string. Each mitten features embroidered zigzag and heart designs in pink, yellow, blue, and red on a light pink felt background.