Embroidered Multilingual Love Card

I like combining my two hobbies - crafts and languages. So this time, I will show you how I made this love card where the phrase "I love you" is embroidered in several languages. I chose the languages I speak but here is a little longer list so you have more to choose from besides English:

• Modern Greek: Σ'αγαπώ
• Czech: Miluji tě
• Slovak: L´úbim ťa
• German: Ich liebe dich
• Spanish: Te quiero
• Valencian: Et vull
• Hawaiian: Aloha au iā ʻoe
• French: Je t'aime
• Portuguese: Te amo
• Russian: Я люблю тебя
• Georgian: Მიყვარხარ
• Galician: Quérote
• Basque: Maite zaitut
• Danish: Jeg elsker dig

Or any other you like, of course ;-)

You'll need:

• 3 sheets of heavyweight paper of the same size
• Embroidery thread
• Hand sewing or embroidery needle
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Liquid glue
• Flat brush

1 - Trace the phrases lightly with a pencil to see how you want to distribute them. Larger letters will be easier to embroider, however, I find that it looks better when some of the phrases are written in smaller font. I decided to make one phrase the centerpiece written in all capitals and a frame.

You can trace straight lines using a ruler.

2 - Using the needle, pinch holes where you traced the letters. Make the distance between the holes regular in straight lines, no more than 0,5 cm/0.2 in and even closer in curves. Do this just for one phrase, embroider, then pinch the next phrase. If you do all of them at once, you might get confused, especially if your phrases are close to each other.

3 - Erase the pencil trace of that phrase and let's embroider.

We'll be using the simple backstitch for the letters. I have tried other stitches as well but I find that the backstitch looks the best and it's simple to do. This stitch is shown in the first photo and if you need a video tutorial, here it is.

When you're done with one phrase, repeat the steps for the rest of the phrases.

When you're done, measure 0,5 cm/0.2 in on each side of the card and cut those edges off.

1 - Prepare another sheet of paper. Paint the backside of the embroidered sheet with glue and glue this sheet onto the new sheet, try to center it.

2 - Pinch holes at the upper edge at 1 cm/0.4 in distance, starting 1 cm/0.4 in from the corner.

3 - Now take the last sheet of paper and also pinch holes along the upper edge at 1 cm/0.4 in distance, just this time, start 0,5 cm/0.4 in from the corner.

4 - Prepare a large piece of thread and place the two sheets so their long edges with the holes face each other. Stitch the two sheets together going from one sheet to the other and back and passing the needle always from the upper side. Leave at least 10 cm/4 in end on the side you started at.

5, 6 - Tighten the stitches.

7, 8 - When you reach the other end, turn the card inside up and pass the needle through the stitches just like shown in the photo. You alternate between sides again but this time you're not passing the needle through the holes.

9 - When you reach the end where you originally started, you can put the needle aside. You should have 2 thread ends, tie a knot. Cut another piece of thread and pull it under the knot and tie a new knot so you have 4 strands.

10 - Make a 4-strand braid (tutorial here) or just use two of those strands as one and plait a normal 3-strand brand. Finish with a knot and cut to even the end.

And that's it. Not you can write something lovely on the card and give it to your one and only!