Simple Flower Embroidery Designs: 15 Easy Motifs with Free Printable Patterns
Some of the prettiest embroidery on clothes is also the simplest. One flower with a French knot center, a few lazy daisy petals, a little sprig near a hem. These simple flower embroidery designs take an evening, not a month, and most of them use the same handful of stitches over and over.
Below are 15 simple hand embroidery designs, each shown on a real garment: jeans, shirts, sweatshirts, a cardigan and a denim jacket. For every flower you will find the stitches, the floss colors, a short how-to and a free printable pattern, so you can pick one tonight and start.
In This Post
- What You Will Need
- Before You Start: Placement and Transfer
- 15 Simple Flower Embroidery Designs
- 1. Five-Petal Satin Stitch Flower
- 2. Lazy Daisy Chamomile Sprig
- 3. Woven Wheel Roses
- 4. Forget-Me-Nots with French Knot Centers
- 5. Tulip Bouquet Tied with a Bow
- 6. Black-Eyed Susans
- 7. Baby’s Breath Sprays
- 8. Lavender Stems
- 9. Single Red Poppy
- 10. Wildflower Row Along a Hem
- 11. Pink Cosmos
- 12. Blue Looped Petal Flower
- 13. Cherry Blossom Branch
- 14. Tiny Rosebuds Scatter
- 15. Fishbone Leaf and Bud Vine
- The Embroidery Stitches for Flowers You Will Use
- Washing Clothes with Hand Embroidery
- FAQ
What You Will Need
- Six-strand cotton embroidery floss in pink, coral, red, yellow, white, blue, purple and a couple of leaf colors.
- Embroidery needles with a sharp point and a large eye, sizes 5 to 9.
- A small embroidery hoop (4 to 6 inches) for woven fabrics like shirts and denim.
- Stick-and-stitch stabilizer for sweatshirts, knits and T-shirts, so the fabric does not stretch.
- A water-soluble fabric pen or a heat-erasable pen to draw the flower.
- Small sharp embroidery scissors.
- The garment itself: washed and ironed before you start.
Before You Start: Placement and Transfer
Wash the garment first. New cotton and denim can shrink, and you want that to happen before the stitches go in, not after.
Put the garment on and mark the spot with a pin. A flower that looks perfect on a flat shirt can sit too low or too far to the side once you wear it. Then draw the design with a water-soluble pen. For knits, print or trace the design onto stick-and-stitch stabilizer, press it on, stitch through it and rinse it away at the end.
Every design below comes with a free printable PDF. Print it at 100% (Actual size) and check the 1-inch square on the page, so the flower comes out at the size shown on the pattern card.
For most simple floral embroidery on clothes, use 2 or 3 strands of floss. Two strands give fine, delicate lines; three or four strands give plump petals that show from across the room.
From Maker Warmth
Looking for your next stitch project?
Every pattern on this blog is free to print, from tiny bows to full denim jacket designs. Save this one, then browse the whole collection.
See all free patterns →15 Simple Flower Embroidery Designs
1. Five-Petal Satin Stitch Flower
This is the flower most people picture when they think of hand embroidery: five rounded petals, a cluster of French knots in the middle and two leaves. On a crisp white shirt, one flower near the top of the placket is enough.
Stitches: satin stitch, French knots. Floss: coral, yellow, olive. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: outline each petal with a split stitch, then fill it with satin stitch, working from the center outward so the stitches fan nicely. Add 5 to 7 French knots in the center and fill the leaves with satin stitch angled toward the tip.
Download the Free Printable PDF
2. Lazy Daisy Chamomile Sprig
If you are stitching your very first flower, start here. Each white petal is one lazy daisy loop, so a whole chamomile takes minutes. Three of them near the side seam of your jeans look fresh and a little bit retro.
Stitches: lazy daisy, French knots, stem stitch. Floss: white, yellow, green. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: stitch the stems first with stem stitch. Mark a small circle for each center, work 8 to 10 lazy daisy petals around it, then fill the circle with tightly packed French knots so it looks raised.
Download the Free Printable PDF
3. Woven Wheel Roses
Woven wheel roses look complicated, but they are one of the easiest flowers in embroidery. You make five spokes and weave around them until a full rose appears. On a chunky cream cardigan, a trio in dusty pink, white and deep rose feels cozy and soft.
Stitches: woven wheel (spider web) rose, lazy daisy leaves. Floss: dusty pink, white, deep rose, sage. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: make 5 straight stitches from the edge of a small circle to its center, like spokes. Bring the needle up near the center and weave over and under the spokes, round after round, without piercing the fabric, until the spokes are hidden. Add two lazy daisy leaves.
Download the Free Printable PDF
4. Forget-Me-Nots with French Knot Centers
Tiny, scattered and sky blue, forget-me-nots are a perfect way to make a plain white tee feel special. Keep the cluster small and loose, as if a few flowers just landed on the fabric.
Stitches: lazy daisy or tiny satin stitch petals, French knots, straight stitch leaves. Floss: sky blue, yellow, green. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: press stick-and-stitch stabilizer onto the T-shirt first. Stitch five tiny petals per flower, add one yellow French knot in each center, then tuck small straight-stitch leaves between the flowers.
Download the Free Printable PDF
5. Tulip Bouquet Tied with a Bow
Three tulips, long leaves and a little bow holding the stems together. It is a small bouquet, but it reads clearly in the center of a sweatshirt and works for spring, Mother’s Day or any day you want a soft, happy piece.
Stitches: satin stitch, stem stitch, lazy daisy bow. Floss: two pinks, green, cream. Level: beginner to intermediate.
How to stitch it: fill each tulip with satin stitch in two sections, a lighter pink in front and a darker pink behind, so the petals look layered. Stitch long leaves in satin stitch, stems in stem stitch, and finish with a bow of two lazy daisy loops and two straight-stitch tails.
Download the Free Printable PDF
Want more bows on your clothes?
Bow Embroidery: 15 Sweet Ideas for Jeans, Sweaters and Shirts
6. Black-Eyed Susans
Golden petals and dark centers stand out beautifully against blue denim. Four black-eyed Susans just below the back yoke of a jacket give you a bigger statement while each flower stays simple.
Stitches: satin stitch petals, French knots, stem stitch. Floss: golden yellow, dark brown, green. Level: beginner to intermediate.
How to stitch it: use 3 strands on denim. Stitch each long petal as a narrow satin stitch shape, leaving a round space in the middle. Fill the center with dark brown French knots wrapped twice, then add stems and a few leaves.
Download the Free Printable PDF
Love yellow flowers on denim?
Sunflower Embroidery on Clothes: 8 Ideas for Denim, Shirts and Sweatshirts
7. Baby’s Breath Sprays
Baby’s breath is pure French knot practice: thin branching stems ending in clouds of tiny white dots. On a blush pink shirt it looks airy and delicate, almost like lace.
Stitches: stem stitch, straight stitch, French knots. Floss: white, soft green. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: stitch a main stem, then branch it out with short straight stitches. End every branch with a French knot, using 2 strands and a single wrap so the knots stay small. Add extra knots close together at the tips for fullness.
Download the Free Printable PDF
8. Lavender Stems
Lavender might be the fastest flower on this list. Straight stems and rows of tiny purple loops are all it takes, and the result looks natural on an oatmeal linen shirt.
Stitches: stem stitch, small lazy daisy. Floss: two purples, green. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: draw five slightly different stem lengths and stitch them in stem stitch. Along the top third of each stem, work small lazy daisy loops in pairs, pointing up and out. Mix two shades of purple so the flowers look less flat.
Download the Free Printable PDF
9. Single Red Poppy
One red poppy on dark indigo jeans is bold without being busy. The shape is simple, four rounded petals and a black center, so it is a good next step after your first five-petal flower.
Stitches: satin stitch, French knot, stem stitch. Floss: bright red, black, green. Level: beginner to intermediate.
How to stitch it: outline the petals in split stitch, then fill them with satin stitch using 3 or 4 strands so the red covers the dark denim fully. Add one large black French knot in the center and a slim curved stem with one leaf.
Download the Free Printable PDF
10. Wildflower Row Along a Hem
A row of mixed tiny wildflowers along a hem is a great way to use up leftover floss. Daisies, buttercups and little pink knot clusters sit side by side like a small meadow.
Stitches: lazy daisy, French knots, straight stitch, stem stitch. Floss: white, yellow, pink, green. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: draw a light guideline about half an inch above the hem. Alternate flower types along it, keeping the heights uneven. Use stabilizer on a T-shirt and do not pull the stitches tight, or the hem will pucker.
Download the Free Printable PDF
11. Pink Cosmos
Cosmos have eight open petals with little notches at the ends and wispy, feathery leaves. Two of them on a cream sweatshirt feel light and summery even in cold weather.
Stitches: satin stitch, French knots, straight stitch leaves. Floss: two pinks, yellow, green. Level: intermediate.
How to stitch it: fill each petal with satin stitch, using a darker pink near the center and a lighter pink at the tip. Fill the center with French knots. For the leaves, stitch a thin main line and add many short straight stitches branching from it.
Download the Free Printable PDF
12. Blue Looped Petal Flower
Big, bold and surprisingly easy. Each large petal is built from long straight stitches that loop out from the center, and a raised yellow knot center pops right out of the fabric. It looks great on a light chambray shirt.
Stitches: long straight stitches, outline stitch, French knots. Floss: royal blue, yellow, green. Level: beginner.
How to stitch it: outline the five petals. Fill each one with long straight stitches from the center to the edge, laid side by side. Outline again in a slightly darker blue to neaten the edges, then pack the center with yellow French knots.
Download the Free Printable PDF
13. Cherry Blossom Branch
A branch of cherry blossoms running across the shoulder of a white blouse looks elegant and only uses two shapes: a brown branch and small five-petal blossoms.
Stitches: stem stitch, satin stitch or lazy daisy petals, French knots. Floss: brown, pale pink, darker pink. Level: beginner to intermediate.
How to stitch it: stitch the branch in two or three rows of stem stitch so it looks thicker at the base. Add blossoms in clusters, some open and some as tiny buds, and put a darker pink French knot in each center.
Download the Free Printable PDF
14. Tiny Rosebuds Scatter
Small rosebuds scattered across the chest of a black sweatshirt give a vintage-print feel. Red and pink both glow against black, and each bud is tiny, so you can stitch as many as you like.
Stitches: bullion knots or small satin stitch buds, lazy daisy leaves. Floss: red, pink, green. Level: intermediate.
How to stitch it: mark the buds randomly on stabilizer. Make each bud from two or three bullion knots side by side, or fill a small oval with satin stitch if bullions feel tricky. Add two lazy daisy leaves at the base of every bud.
Download the Free Printable PDF
15. Fishbone Leaf and Bud Vine
A slim vine climbing along the button placket of a denim jacket frames the front beautifully. The leaves are fishbone stitch, which gives each one a neat center vein for free.
Stitches: stem stitch, fishbone stitch, French knots. Floss: leaf green, white, peach. Level: beginner to intermediate.
How to stitch it: stitch a wavy stem in stem stitch along the placket, keeping clear of the buttonholes. Add fishbone leaves on alternating sides, then dot small white and peach buds made of two or three French knots between them.
Download the Free Printable PDF
Looking for more floral ideas?
20 Flower Embroidery Designs to Stitch on Your Clothes
The Embroidery Stitches for Flowers You Will Use
Almost every design above is made from the same six stitches. Learn these and you can stitch any simple flower you see.
Stem stitch. Small slanted stitches that overlap, making a smooth rope-like line. Use it for stems and branches.
Lazy daisy. A single chain loop held down by one small stitch at the tip. One loop is one petal or one leaf.
Satin stitch. Straight stitches laid closely side by side to fill a shape. Outline the shape with split stitch first for a raised, neat edge.
French knot. Wrap the floss around the needle once or twice and go back down right next to where you came up. Perfect for flower centers and tiny blooms.
Woven wheel. Five spokes plus thread woven over and under them, creating a round rose.
Fishbone stitch. Slanted stitches that meet in the middle of a leaf, alternating left and right, so a vein forms on its own.
Washing Clothes with Hand Embroidery
Turn the garment inside out and wash it on a gentle cycle in cold water, or by hand. Skip the dryer: lay it flat or hang it to dry. To iron, place a towel under the embroidery and press from the wrong side so the stitches stay raised.
Check that your floss is colorfast before stitching red or dark shades on a white shirt. Wet a short piece of floss, press it onto a white paper towel and see if any color comes off.
FAQ
What is the easiest flower to embroider for a beginner?
A lazy daisy flower. Each petal is one loop, the center is one or a few French knots, and the whole flower takes only a few minutes. The chamomile sprig and the lavender stems above are both good first projects.
How many strands of floss should I use on clothes?
Two strands for fine details like baby’s breath and stems, three strands for most petals, and three or four strands on denim or dark fabric so the color covers well.
Can I embroider flowers on a stretchy T-shirt or sweatshirt?
Yes. Use stick-and-stitch or another stabilizer on the front, keep your stitches relaxed and avoid stretching the fabric in a hoop. Rinse the stabilizer away when you finish.
Do I need a hoop for simple floral embroidery?
A small hoop helps on woven fabrics like shirts, linen and denim because it keeps the fabric flat. On knits, a stabilizer usually works better than a hoop.
How do I print the free embroidery patterns at the right size?
Open the PDF and print it at 100% or “Actual size”, not “Fit to page”. Then measure the square at the top of the page: if it is exactly 1 inch, the flower is printed at the size shown on its pattern card.
