Holiday embroidery designs
Holiday embroidery designs for the whole year: Santa faces and gingerbread men, jack-o'-lanterns, Easter bunnies, shamrocks, menorahs, diya lamps and red paper lanterns. Many are free, and every design downloads in PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3 and other machine formats.
Gifts for a holiday are often stitched in batches, so sew one test piece on the real fabric first and check the thread colors before you make twenty more.
21 designs
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Premium
- Premium
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Premium
- Free
- Free
- Premium
- Free
- Free
- Free
Motifs for every holiday
The calendar starts with fireworks and champagne glasses for New Year, then red lanterns and zodiac animals for Lunar New Year and hearts with arrows for Valentine's Day. Spring brings shamrocks and pots of gold, Easter bunnies and chicks in eggshells, and flowers, ties and tools for Mother's Day and Father's Day.
In the fall you will find grinning pumpkins, friendly ghosts and black cats for Halloween, diya lamps and rangoli patterns for Diwali, and turkeys and pies for Thanksgiving. December closes with menorahs and dreidels for Hanukkah and with Santa, reindeer, snowmen and gnomes for Christmas.
Every motif is drawn in house in the same lineal-color style: flat fills, a dark satin outline and small details, mostly in three to eight colors. Because they share one look, you can mix holiday embroidery designs from different seasons on one project, such as a set of napkins for the whole year.
Plan your stitching calendar
Gifts and orders add up quickly before a holiday, so start early. Many embroiderers begin Christmas projects in October, Halloween in September, Easter in February or March and Valentine's Day in January.
Some dates also move. Easter moves to a different Sunday every year, and Mother's Day and Father's Day are celebrated on different dates in different countries. Hanukkah, Diwali and Lunar New Year follow lunisolar calendars, so their dates on the everyday calendar change from year to year: check the date in your country before you promise a delivery.
Fabrics, stabilizers and sizes
Kitchen towels, napkins and table runners are the classic holiday projects. Stable cotton or linen works with a tear-away stabilizer; on terry towels, add a water-soluble topping so the satin outline does not sink into the loops.
Holiday sweatshirts and kids' tees are knits, which call for a cut-away stabilizer plus a ballpoint needle. Velvet and minky stockings need a topping as well. For dish towels and pajamas that go through the wash every week, 40 wt polyester thread keeps reds and greens bright.
A napkin corner or a gift tag suits the 70 mm size, while a stocking cuff or a cushion front can take the 125 mm version in a 5x7 hoop.
Frequently asked questions
Are the holiday embroidery designs free?
Many of them are. Free designs download in every format with a personal-use license, while premium designs tend to be richer seasonal pieces with more colors or small scenes. Each design page shows the thread chart, stitch count and smallest hoop, and you can browse all free embroidery designs in one place.
Do you have designs for Hanukkah, Diwali and Lunar New Year?
Yes. Hanukkah designs show menorahs, dreidels and Stars of David, Diwali designs feature diya lamps, rangoli patterns and lanterns, and Lunar New Year designs include red paper lanterns and zodiac animals. For these holidays we keep to widely shared, respectful symbols.
Can I sell holiday items I stitch with your designs?
Yes, with the right license. Free designs come with a personal-use license, so selling stitched stockings, towels or shirts at craft fairs or in an online shop needs a plan that includes a commercial license. The license page explains exactly what each license covers.
How do I add a name to a Christmas stocking or a holiday napkin?
Make the name with our monogram and lettering maker and stitch it below or beside the holiday motif. You can hoop twice (motif first, then the name) or combine both files on your machine's screen if it has an editing mode. Short names and initials look best on small items like ornaments and napkins.
Can I change the thread colors of a holiday design?
Yes. The colors are suggestions, so you can sew any color stop with the spool you prefer: blue and silver instead of red and gold, for example, or softer shades for a Mother's Day gift. The design page lists each color stop in sewing order, so you know when to switch.