The evil eye trend has been going strong, and I’m all about it. You can find it on everything these days… clothes and jewelry, pillows and posters. For my latest DIY project, I decided to combine it with one of my other obsessions: embroidery thread! The result was this statement DIY brooch accessory, made using plastic canvas and completed with tassels and rhinestones. Here’s how to make it.
Stitched Eye DIY Brooch Supplies:
- Darice #7 White Plastic Mesh Canvas
- Darice Cotton Craft Embroidery Thread
- Cardboard Piece (2 inches wide)
- Darice All-Purpose Craft Scissors
- Darice Hot Glue Gun
- Rhinestone Trim
- Darice Threading Needle
- Darice Pliers
- 10mm Darice Jump Rings (3)
- Darice Nickel-Plated Pin Back
- Stitched Eye Brooch Pattern (Free!) *
* In this pattern, the pink represents white thread.
Step 1. Prep a needle with black embroidery thread. Stitch an X, and then stitch another X over it. You’ll be double stitching X’s throughout the entire pattern.
This will be the center of the eye. Make sure you start a couple inches away from the edge of the canvas, since you’ll still need space to stitch around it.
When you’ve finished a stitch or need more thread, simply tie a knot and snip away the excess.
Step 2. Add four white stitches around the black center. In the pattern, the white thread is represented by pink. Again, don’t forget to double stitch the X’s.
Step 3. Add a border with two rows of blue. You should have a diamond shape by now.
Step 4. Add a single border of black stitches.
Step 5. Add more blue, according to the pattern. This will create a circular shape for the pupil.
Step 6. Now, here’s the bulk of the work! Begin stitching white around the pupil.
Step 7. Stitch, stitch, stitch some more. The oval shape of the white stitches will taper off at the ends, forming points.
Step 8. Cut the plastic canvas around the eye, taking care to avoid cutting the actual threads.
Step 9. Instead of cutting away the stray ends, glue them down. This will eliminate the risk of threads unraveling, especially if you cut too close to the canvas. It’ll also clean things up.
Hot glue the pin back to the back of the eye.
Step 10. Hot glue rhinestone trim around the eye.
Step 11. Next you’ll make the tassels for the DIY brooch. For each tassel, wrap blue embroidery thread around the cardboard. Repeat at least 15 times.
Step 12. Carefully remove the bundle from the cardboard. Place the top 1/3 of the bundle on top of a shorter strand.
Tie around the bundle twice, and cut away the excess.
Step 13. Repeat until you have three tassels. Connect to the canvas with 10mm jump rings.
This DIY brooch project does take time, but it’s perfect to work on while binge-watching your latest Netflix obsession. It’s also surprisingly therapeutic, which is always a plus.
Tutorial Shots: Kirsten Nunez
Styled Shot: Haruka Sakaguchi
For more plastic canvas projects, try this DIY tapestry wall hanging and this hemp and feather DIY dream catcher.
About Kirsten Nunez
Kirsten is a lifestyle writer and craft book author focusing on DIY, food, health, and creativity. Since 2010, she has been sharing DIY projects at WildAmor.com (formerly Studs & Pearls). In May 2014, Kirsten published her first book, Studs & Pearls: 30 Creative Projects for Customized Fashion; you can find it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon & select independent bookstores. She spends most of her time writing, crafting, traveling, and dreaming up new recipe ideas. Kirsten is a born and raised New Yorker currently living in the Bay Area of California.
Leave a Reply