Birthday & party embroidery designs
Birthday cakes with candles, balloon bunches, party hats, confetti, gift boxes and graduation caps: these birthday & party embroidery designs are for the shirts, bags and keepsakes of a big day. Start with the free ones or go premium; every design comes in PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3, XXX, U01 and PEC.
Stitch a birthday shirt at least a day early, so there is time to wash out marking pen and press it.
4 designs
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Premium
Three kinds of celebration
- Birthday designs: cakes with candles, cupcakes, wrapped gifts and crowns.
- Party and balloon designs: balloon bunches, party hats, confetti and gift boxes.
- Graduation designs: caps with tassels, rolled diplomas and class-of motifs.
Birthday motifs put the guest of honor and the new age in the spotlight, party motifs dress the decorations and the guests, and graduation motifs mark the end of school or college. The colors are bright and cheerful, and the dark outline keeps candles, ribbons and tassels clear even on a small favor bag. These birthday and party embroidery designs work for a first birthday as well as a grandparent's 80th.
Names, ages and years
Most celebration pieces need text. Add the age or the class year with the number designs and names with the monogram maker, then stitch the motif first and the lettering below it in the same hooping. Check the spelling of every name twice before you press start, because unpicking letters from a knit shirt is slow work.
Fabrics for shirts, favors and stoles
- Birthday T-shirts and bodysuits: these are knits, so back them with a soft cut-away and switch to a ballpoint needle.
- Cotton favor bags and fabric gift bags: a tear-away, stitched before the bag is sewn if you make it yourself.
- Wool or wool-blend felt crowns: felt is stable, so a light tear-away is enough.
- Satin graduation stoles: float them on hooped adhesive stabilizer to avoid hoop marks.
Polyester thread is the safer choice for kidswear, since party clothes often meet cake, juice and a hot wash afterward.
Sizes for little and big guests
A 70 mm cupcake fits a favor bag or a toddler's bib, the 95 mm cake suits a child's shirt, and a 125 mm design works on the front of an adult T-shirt or a keepsake pillow. For a family party, one motif stitched in different sizes gives everyone a matching shirt that still fits. If you are short on time, the smaller sizes have fewer stitches and finish sooner.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a birthday design take to stitch?
It depends on the stitch count and your machine's speed. Find the stitch count on the design page, divide it by your machine's stitches per minute, and add a minute or two for each color change. A small single motif is usually done well within an hour, so a same-day birthday shirt is realistic.
Can I sell custom birthday shirts made with these designs?
Custom shirts are fine to sell once your plan includes a commercial license. The personal-use license that comes with free designs does not cover shirts you make to order or sell at a market. Compare the plans on the pricing page before you take orders.
What can I embroider for a first birthday?
A cake with one candle on a bodysuit or a bib, a felt crown with the number one, or a keepsake pillow with the name and the date. Iron a soft fusible cover over the back of anything a baby wears. For more baby motifs, see the baby designs.