Beginner's Guide to Shoe Embroidery

Everything from stitches to shoe selection to designing your own pet and bridal shoes

Hannah Mitchell author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Stackpole Books

Publishing:7th Apr '26

£18.99

This title is due to be published on 7th April, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Beginner's Guide to Shoe Embroidery cover

From zero embroidery skills to stunning custom footwear, discover the viral trend taking social media by storm!

If you love adding a handmade touch to everything you do, stitching eye-catching embroidery on your shoes is your next creative obsession! It's easy to get started with just a few simple supplies like needle and thread, and with the instructions in this beginner's guide, you can start embellishing your shoes today.

Packed with tips, techniques, and over a dozen beautiful step-by-step projects, you’ll learn how to transform sneakers, boots, and bridal shoes into one-of-a-kind masterpieces. From playful bumblebees and floral patterns to custom pet portraits and scenic landscapes, this book invites you to explore embroidery in a fresh, functional way.

With guidance on designing your own motifs, preserving your work, and even photographing your finished pieces, this is more than a how-to—it’s a reference book you'll refer to long after you've mastered the basics.

  • Learn easy to advanced embroidery from Hannah Mitchell (@hanembroiders on Instagram)
  • 14 embroidery designs for shoes including a variety of flowers and leaves, hearts, bumblebees, lettering, wheat, mountains, trees, cats, and dogs
  • Learn to how to choose the right shoes for embroidery and all the supplies you need
  • Includes instructions on basic embroidery stitches for beginners like the straight stitch, the backstitch, and the satin stitch, so you can get started with no experience needed
  • Also learn slightly more advanced stitches like the lazy daisy stitch, the French knot, the couch stitch, and the woven wheel stitch to expand your skills 
  • Add beaded pearls, rhinestones, sequins, lace, and appliques for even more variety
  • From everyday shoes to bridal sneakers, make everyday pop with handmade beauty
  • Learn how to care for your completed shoes and photograph them beautifully for social media or just to share with friends
  • Make beautiful gifts for your loved ones for birthdays, weddings, Christmas, or just because
  • Written and designed by humans, for humans!

Embroidery artist Mitchell debuts with a delightful introduction to hand-stitching designs onto shoes with a needle and thread. She begins by detailing how to pick the right shoes to embroider. Her favorite are Converse All Stars because the fabric isn’t too thick, and she recommends steering clear of leather and pleather shoes, which embroidery can distort and crack. She walks crafters through basic stitches, like the straight stitch and backstitch, and explains how to prepare shoes for embroidery (take out the laces and tuck in the tongue) and sketch the desired design onto the shoe using an erasable marker or pencil. Instructions are included for simple hearts, bumblebees, flowers, and leaves. Readers also learn how to stitch letters and numbers, enabling them to add names or dates to their shoes. Aside from canvas sneakers, embroidery can also be added to Chelsea boots, which have an elastic section near the ankle that’s perfect for stitching, according to Mitchell, who offers instructions for stitching daisies, autumn florals, and wheat sprigs on them. Elsewhere, she explains how to create one’s own embroidery designs, how to hand-stitch lace and other embellishments to decorate bridal shoes, and how to create pet-inspired patterns. Comprehensive and easy-to-follow, this is sure to inspire anyone looking to rock unique kicks. * Publishers Weekly *

ISBN: 9780811777377

Dimensions: 279mm x 216mm x 22mm

Weight: 712g

112 pages