Quick & Easy Faux Stitching

Are you like me and intimidated by the thought of using your sewing machine on your paper projects? Tired of dragging out that old, clunky machine? Or perhaps you want the look but don't want to spend the time? Well you're in luck! What I have right here is a tool that will miraculously create quick, even stitching with out ever touching a needle and thread! Yes, that's right! And all it takes is three easy payments of ...

Sorry! Too many late night infomercials... But believe or not, it really works! You can create quick and easy stitching without a needle and thread using this tool. It's called a Serrated Tracing Wheel and it can be found in the sewing notions department of your local craft and fabric stores. Sewers and quilters use it to transfer patterns on to fabric. And the best news is that it costs less than $2! No installment plan necessary!


All you need is a Serrated Tracing Wheel, a ruler (for straight line stitching), a fine point marker or gel pen, and your paper. And you will probably want to protect your work surface with a cutting mat.

Bonus Tip! For deeper "stitches" use an old mousepad instead of a cutting mat.


First line up your ruler where you want the stitching.

Note: You can also do this technique without a ruler for a more freeform or hand-stitched look.





Next roll your serrated tracing wheel along the ruler to pierce holes in your paper. For best results, apply a strong, even pressure on the wheel. I find that pushing the wheel away from me works better than pulling the wheel towards me.




Then simply connect the holes using your marker or gel pen. Pause in each hole to allow the paper to soak up more ink to get a more realistic stitched effect. I used a brown pen here for the contrast, but I really like the look I get with my white gel pen.




Change the way you connect the holes to get different "stitches."

I used two lines of holes to create the stitching in rows 3 - 5.

The last row was made without a ruler.




That's it! All done! Wasn't that easy? This will also work with cardstock, chipboard, etc.

Here are a couple of projects that I made with some stitching detail.

For more info on these projects, check back for my next post!