Create a visual journal and pick up a relaxing hobby 🪡

An embroidery journal is a simple way to slow things down and help you unwind during your studies. Think of it as a diary, but with stitching! 

Embroider icons or words to mark every day and by the end of the year you'll have a lovely keepsake full of small memories, and have picked up a new hobby. The best part is you don't need to be 'good' at embroidery to start, it's easy to learn and all the materials you need can easily be picked up at your nearest UAL arts shop. 

What you need (all available in the arts shop)

• Embroidery hoop (we recommend the bigger the better)
• Cotton fabric
• Thread
• Needle
• Scissors
• Pencil or pen

How to set it up

1. Iron out any wrinkles in your fabric before putting it into your hoop. You want your fabric to be very taut. If your hoop doesn't get clamp-tight and the fabric gets loose easily, you can bind your hoop with some fabric scraps or ribbon. 
2. Decide how you want your journal to look. One of the most popular designs includes dividing the fabric into 12 monthly sections using lines (like a pie), with the year in the centre. You could also do quarterly sections for the seasons or not have any dividers at all – it's totally up to you!
3. Get your design onto your fabric using a pencil or pen. You can print out a template and trace it, or you can completely free hand it. 
4. Then it's time to start journaling! Get creative and practice different stitches, remember that this is a great time to learn and have fun with it. 

New to embroidery? Learn the basic embroidery techniques to get started. 

The end result

A colourful diary of your entire year made by you! Hang the finished hoop on your wall, take the fabric out and stitch it into a tote bag, create a dedicated memory box for them and more. 

Pick up your supplies from the arts shop today and get journalling! 🧵

Keep up to date with what we have in stock by following our Instagram @ual_artsshops.