Fabrics 101: Embroidering on Denim

Stitching on denim is a great way to customize jeans and denim jackets for fashionable apparel, but you can also use it in home decor projects -- pillows, pot holders, aprons, tote bags, door hangers, and so much more! Get our best tips and tricks for stitching on denim to guarantee excellent results every time.

Project Needs and Notes

- Denim fabric
- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer

This project was featured in the following:
All About Denim Lookbook

Denim is cotton, so it will shrink. It's recommended to wash and dry it before embroidering on it.

Denim is also very sturdy, and can support very detailed and complex designs. Avoid light designs, like Redwork, as they may get lost in the grain of the fabric.

Use cutaway stabilizer when embroidering on denim.

You may think that tear-away or water-soluble stabilizer will be sufficient. But because denim stretches easily, using those types of stabilizers may result in shifting, gaps, and misalignment.

Use cutaway stabilizer for the best results.

Hoop the denim and the cutaway stabilizer together.

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, or embroidery needle, to embroider on denim.

After embroidering, trim the stabilizer away from the back. Leave about 1/2" around the design.

The embroidered denim becomes a bright and colorful door hanger. For instructions on how to make this door hanger, click here.

Denim is an excellent fabric to use in home decor projects. And you can also embroider on jeans to add a custom look.

To embroider on jeans, start by ripping the outer seam of the jeans up 8".

Embroider the design, using one piece of cutaway stabilizer.

Then, sew the seam up again to finish.

Get creative with your design choices and their placement to make a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!