Use the completed stunning hoop to add a touch of magic to your mantel or as a beautiful wall decoration. Let’s get started and make this holiday season uniquely yours! Disclaimer: This post might contain some affiliate links, you can find my full Disclosure Policy here.

Project Overview

PROJECT SIZE: approx. 14x13cm (5.5×5.1in) STITCHES USED: back stitch and satin leaf stitch Just a quick word before we start. This whole project began as a little experiment. I was curious to see if I could stitch mistletoes more realistically, and you know what? The end result turned out so beautiful that I couldn’t resist sharing it with you! What makes this pattern stand out is those satin-like berries that seem like they’re about to pop right out of the hoop – super realistic and impressive! To make these lifelike berries, I used wooden beads, wrapping them up in thread. It’s a bit more time-consuming and can get a bit tricky when the bead is almost entirely covered, making the needle a bit stubborn. But don’t worry – I’ll cover the whole process in the tutorial below. If you find this method too challenging, you can stitch the berries as small clusters in French Knot or, even easier, you can use already red-dyed beads. I stitched the pattern on a 7-inch hoop, but you can adjust the size of the pattern when you’re printing it so it fits your needs and purpose.

Tools and Materials

For the most part of this project, your regular tools will do the trick. Depending on your berry stitching approach, you might need a few extra materials. I’ll lay out all the options below. As you can see, I’ve included two types of needles in the list. The stitching part of this pattern requires all 6 strands of thread, so you’ll need a needle that can handle all of them. A needle size 5 should be suitable for the job and great for attaching the normal red beads to the fabric.

Mistletoe pattern – download from my Free Pattern Library Linen, linen blend, or cotton fabric Embroidery needle size 3 – if you are wrapping the wooden beads in thread or stitch them in French knots Embroidery needle size 5 – if using pre-dyed beads Stranded cotton embroidery thread Embroidery hoop size 7” Wooden beads 8mm – if you are wrapping the berries in thread Pre-dyed red beads 8mm – if you are using pre-dyed red beads Washable Transfer Pen Sharp Scissors

If you are stitching the berries in French knots you need a Milliner needle size 3. Milliners or straw needles, are the recommended needles for knotty stitches. Same goes if you decide to go with the wrapping the beads in thread method. You’ll need a steady needle that you can push harder for those last few tricky wraps. So, as a general rule for this pattern:

if you’re using pre-dyed red beads – use a needle size 5 if you are wrapping the wooden beads in thread or stitch them in French knots – use a Milliners needle size 3

Download the Free Mistletoe Pattern

Download the Mistletoe pattern from my Free Pattern Library. To get access to the Free Pattern Library fill out the form below and I will send you an email with your password. You can read more about my Free Pattern Library here. The pattern you have downloaded is full size, so when printed on A4 paper will have the exact size to fit into a 7-inch hoop. You just need to have the Fill Entire Paper option selected.

Mistletoe Color Palette

This pattern uses just two colors, and to to capture the authentic mistletoe look, I opted for a rich and vibrant red – DMC 817 (Coral Red Very Dark) for the berries and a deep green – DMC 319 (Pistachio Green Very Dark) for the leaves. You can check the Mistletoe Color Palette article for the DMC to Anchor and RGB thread color conversion chart, or take a look at these color palettes that feature the same lively reds and rich greens:

Garnet Red Stitch Color Palette Strawberry Embroidery Color Palette Rose Stitch Color Palette

Transferring the Pattern

To transfer patterns manually onto light fabrics you can use a lightbox or a window.

Print your pattern: If you don’t have access to a printer, you can trace the pattern onto a piece of tracing/baking paper. Plugin and turn on the lightbox: Place the printed pattern on the lightbox, then place your fabric on top of the printed pattern. If you don’t have access to a lightbox, place the printed pattern over a window and secure it with masking tape, then place the fabric on top of it and secure again. Secure the fabric: Secure your fabric with masking tape. Trace the pattern: Trace over the pattern’s lines with the tool of your choice. You can use a washable tracing pen or a very fine-tip pigment liner (0.05 or 0.1).

This is how my traced pattern looks like. If you notice I marked the places where I’ll place the berries as small dots. Doesn’t matter how you’ll end up stitching the berries – French Knots or beads, just tiny dots should be enough.

Stitching the Mistletoe Stems

Back Stitch – 6 strands of thread in DMC 319 (Pistachio Green Very Dark). We’ll be stitching the stems in back stitch. Start by coming up one stitch length forward, then insert the needle back one stitch.

Stitching the Mistletoe Leaves

Satin Leaf Stitch – 6 strands of thread in DMC 319 (Pistachio Green Very Dark). We’ll be stitching the leaves in satin leaf stitch. This stitch is a variation of the classic satin stitch. The difference is you’ll always go down in the same sport at the base of the leaf. 7. Apply the same technique for the rest of the leaves until you complete both branches. This was the easy part done! From now on, it’ll depend on you how you want to stitch the berries. I will take you through the trickier option – the one where we’ll wrap the wooden beads in thread. This method might be a bit more challenging, but it’s the most impressive!

Stitching the Berries

For the wrapping – 2 strands of thread in DMC 817 (Coral Red Very Dark). While wrapping the beads, we’ll be using two strands of DMC 817, each cut to a length of 100cm. For the berries you will need 8mm wooden beads. I ordered an assorted pack just to test out and make sure I got the right size for this project. For the 7inch hoop, the 8mm ones were just perfect. Trim the red thread to a length of 100cm, then go on to separate two strands and thread them through a Milliners needle size 3. Do not create a knot at either of the two ends. For efficiency, I pre-wrapped all 23 beads in thread before attaching them to the fabric. Take your time and enjoy the process. This step might take a bit of time. While it might require some practice initially, once you get the hang of it, it’ll become easier and quicker. Ensure you don’t cut the ends, leaving the long tail as it is. This extended tail will be essential for attaching the beads to the fabric. Now with all the bead prepared it’s time to attach them to the fabric. Thread the needle with the long tail, using the same Milliners needle used for wrapping the beads. Go down into the fabric in the dots you traced earlier. Draw the thread through the fabric until the bead is secured and positioned atop the fabric. Turn your hoop around and secure the thread by gently pinching the fabric. Having the fabric slightly looser within the hoop will help, but ensure it’s not overly lax – just not extremely taut. Next, pass the needle through the loop that has just been created to provide additional reinforcement. Ensure there is sufficient thread at the end to tie another knot, then trim any excess thread. Due to the beads being somewhat heavy, I prefer an added level of security. Tie one or two more knots, then trim any excess thread. And these are the gorgeous berries done! If you weren’t aware they were stitched, you might mistake them for the real thing! As I mentioned earlier in this tutorial, there are several alternative stitching methods for this pattern. It’s possible that the process may seem tedious or finding the appropriate wooden beads might be challenging. In such cases, consider stitching the berries in small clusters using French knots. Alternatively, for a simpler and less time-consuming approach, use pre-dyed red beads. Regardless of the method you opt for, I trust that this pattern has brought you joy and will become a lovely addition to your decorations this year. Remember that you can download the Halloween pattern from the Free Pattern Library. To access it just fill out the form below and I will send you an email with your password.

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