How to Make a Hand-Sewn Embroidered Name Tag with a Safety Pin

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Cut and mark the base

Cut a rectangle of cotton muslin measuring 5 cm by 8 cm. Then mark guidelines on it with a pen to show where your text will go. It doesn't matter exactly how you do it. Just map out whatever text you want, spaced however you like. The markings also help keep your letters an even distance apart.

Step 2 — Layer it up and stitch the edge

Pin the muslin to a piece of thin cotton, which will be the backing, then put both layers in your embroidery hoop. Use a bright colour (the video used bright green) to work a satin stitch all the way around the edge of the tag. This joins the layers, hides the loose ends, and gives the tag a finished-looking edge.

Rather than a tight satin stitch straight away, start with spread-out stitches that look a bit like a blanket stitch. Go around a second time, putting a stitch between each of the stitches from the first round. Then go around a third time, filling in the remaining gaps, until you have a solid satin stitch that covers the pen markings and all of the fabric up to your guideline. Building it up over several rounds made the edge tighter and more secure.

Step 3 — Embroider the lettering

Choose a colour for the text. The tag in the video used bright blue lettering with a salmon pink shadow. For the outline of the letters, work a back stitch: bring the floss up from the back of the fabric, then take it back down through the end of the previous stitch. Add the shadow along one side of the letters if you like.

To fill larger letters with satin stitch, first work a simple straight-stitch outline all the way around the letter and use it as a guide. Stitching an outline first makes the satin stitches much cleaner. Then fill the letter with satin stitch, lining each stitch up right next to the last. It's slow work. A tag like this can take a long time, and each stitch has to sit right next to the previous one. A thimble will help.

Step 4 — Make the back piece with the safety pin

Once the embroidery is finished, take the tag out of the hoop and cut around it, leaving a small border of cotton so you can cover the back of the embroidery. Take a second piece of cotton for the back of the tag. Stitch a small strip of trim onto it to hold the safety pin, using simple straight stitches, or a split back stitch for extra strength since it will be holding a pin. Put the pin in place and stitch around it so it can't slip out. This side of the back piece won't show, so it doesn't have to be neat. You could also do this part on a sewing machine.

Step 5 — Sew the front and back together

Place the embroidered front and the back piece with the right sides together, and pin them so they stay lined up. Using a split back stitch, sew along three sides only, lining your stitches up with the edge of the embroidered border. Trim the excess fabric, then turn the tag right side out. This hides the raw edges. One tip: don't cut off the corners of the embroidered piece before you do this. It made the sewing harder in the video, and it needed trimming afterwards anyway.

Step 6 — Close the edge, wash and press

Fold in the remaining raw edge and close it with a hidden (invisible) stitch, like the one used to close up a pillow. Catch a little of the fabric at the fold on one side, then a little on the other, pulling it together like a zipper so the stitches disappear. Secure the thread with a few extra stitches at the end. Then wash the tag with a little gentle dish soap to get rid of the pen marks, and give it a press with an iron. It should pin on easily and stay put.

What to expect from this project

This is a slow, careful project. The tag in the video took almost a full day of filming, and the stitching was sped up so it would be easier to watch. Each satin stitch takes time because it has to sit right next to the last one. It's worth it. When you personalize what you wear, you tend to be gentler with it in the wash and while you're wearing it, so it lasts longer and less ends up in landfill. The fabric and floss used were all cotton, so the whole tag is biodegradable.

If you enjoy hand embroidery, you might also like the alien embroidery design on a shirt or the space-themed shirt makeover.

Frequently asked questions

What materials do I need to make a hand-sewn embroidered name tag?
You will need scissors, a little cotton muslin or canvas for the front, thin cotton for the backing and back piece, a strip of trim or notion for holding the pin, a safety pin, pins, a 12 cm embroidery hoop, a thimble, embroidery floss, hand sewing needles, a pen for guidelines, and a gentle dish soap for washing out the pen marks.

Why stitch around the edge of the name tag several times?
The first round is spread out, a bit like a blanket stitch, and each following round fills the gaps until the edge is a solid satin stitch. Building it up in rounds made the edge tighter and more secure, and it covers the loose ends and pen guidelines for a finished-looking edge.

How is the safety pin attached to the name tag?
A small strip of trim is stitched onto the back piece to hold the safety pin in place, and extra stitches go around the pin so it can't slip out. A split back stitch is a good choice for this part because it is stronger, and the back piece won't show once the tag is sewn together.

How do I remove the pen guidelines from an embroidered name tag?
Wash the finished tag with a little gentle dish soap, which is mild enough not to affect the colour of the embroidery floss, then give it a press with an iron. Any guideline that is covered by stitches won't show.

Can I make a name tag like this on a sewing machine?
Yes. The joining and strap stitching could be done on a sewing machine. The tag in the video was sewn entirely by hand so that people without a machine can make one too.

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