What marks the beginning of the holiday season for you?

Many of us are about to leave the everyday world and cross over into the magical days of the Christmas season.

We each have our own heralds: activities, decorations, plans, smells, foods…

When I design a holiday embroidery project, I’m:

  • looking at imagery, 
  • thinking about experiences, 
  • choosing motifs and colors 

… with hopes that many of you will think: 

I *must* stitch this.

Some of your impulse to embroider a particular design will be spurred by colors and stitches and motifs that you’re eager to stitch.

But there are also emotional factors tapping into your experiences and preferences and making a project the right one for you.

Read on to see more of the elements inspiring Stitched Stories holiday designs.

Which ones herald the holidays for you? Is it about nostalgia for Christmas seasons past or hopes for the upcoming holidays. What is a happy holiday mood trigger for you?

1. Favorite holiday storybooks

One of my first holiday heralds is the act of getting out our stack of Christmas storybooks. I’ve always loved the Jan Brett illustrations–and our Holiday Folk embroidery kit was inspired by her illustrated borders.

embroidered folk-art reindeers, birds and trees inspired by storybooks

2. Pinecone garlands and wreaths

Are pinecones and evergreens something you love seeing and decorating with? They’ll soon be adorning shops and restaurants and even your own front door. 

Christmas Pines Sampler gives you a variety of pinecone and branch motifs to stitch–along with trees and bows and pointsettias and more.

embroidered holiday scene inspired by pinecone wreaths and garlands

3. Getting your Christmas tree

Do you put up a Christmas tree? When? And where do you get your tree? 

Mistletoe Farm is an embroidery project that celebrates visits to the Christmas tree farm.

4. Skating rinks and ski slopes

Snowy Pines was designed with thoughts of the winter activities December’s cold weather brings. Ice rinks and ski slopes open, and weekends fill with new activities.

embroidered winter scene inspired by outings to ice rinks and ski slopes

5. Vintage greeting cards and decorations

Even if you don’t send holiday cards this year, you surely have memories of glittered vintage cards of years past, of them taped around a doorway or strung across the window.

The elements in Noel are inspired by vintage decorations and greeting cards.

embroidered holiday word art and motifs inspired by vintage greeting cards

6. Playful and bright styling

While classic looks for the holidays endure, a little bit of whimsy is always welcome. Joy gives you brightly styled trees and reindeer circling round a center wreath.

embroidered Christmas trees and reindeer inspired by playful, bright styling

7. Hopes for a white Christmas

A white Christmas can be magical (as long as the power is on and the roads are mostly clear). While you can’t always count on a snowy holiday, you can dream on it while stitching Winter Cabin.

embroidered winter ski cabin  inspired by hopes of a white christmas

8. Gingerbread houses

The delight of a gingerbread house is made even more magical with the addition of bears dancing in the starlight on our Ursa Duet design.

embroidered bears dancing in the starlight behind gingerbread inspired cottage

9. The night before Christmas

If the stockings are hung, the gifts wrapped and the tree lit up, Santa is now welcome to stop by. Christmas Mantle lets you stitch a scene celebrating this moment. 

embroidered holiday scene with mantle, stockings and gifts inspired by the night before christmas

Have you spotted any of your holiday heralds?

collection of Christmas embroidery hoop art found in the Stitched Stories Holiday Shop

Click here to see all of our holiday designs.

When you start displaying embroidered hoop-art and samplers during the holiday season, you just might be creating season-start signals for your friends and loved ones.

framed Christmas Pines embroidery displayed on mantle with holiday decor

Seeing your stitched pieces on display will become a herald of the holiday season for your family and friends.

framed Christmas Mantle embroidery hoop art hung above mantle with stockings and holiday decor


Embrace the season of growth and new beginnings with one of our spring-themed embroidery projects.

We've got hoop art, large format, and stick & stitch designs perfect for your spring stitching.