DIY Friday: Emboidery hoop station numbers-Sew Cute!

Station numbers embroidered onto fabric and placed in hoops.

Sorry for the pun, I couldn't resist! I've got a baby shower to share with you and I'm going to do it in small portions, so you don't miss all the details that went into the event. It's for a mom-to-be who wasn't quite the pastel-uber-soft-and-sweet kind of girl. She's got an urban style and while she's excited to be having her first child, she's not ready to give up her cool status yet. She also doesn't know whether the baby is a boy or girl, so this shower is gender neutral. As I mentioned, I'll share the many wonderful aspects of this shower as the days/weeks go on. Today I'm going to highlight these adorable embroidery hoop station numbers.

Although many people cringe, having party games can be a great way to get your guests to mingle, laugh and enjoy themselves when there might otherwise be awkward getting to know the other guest moments. E's shower had four games, all of which were done at each guest's own pace. The stations were set up around the main gathering areas and had all the supplies needed to complete the task. The hostess made sure everyone knew that there were 4 stations, so they knew to look for each while the party progressed. Here is a photo from the shower:

"Belly's in a bottle", a classic guess the quantity game

While this shower style was modern and edgy, the station numbers in an embroidery hoop added a nice homespun touch, don't you think? For this project, we used a quarter yard of fabric (this is a white cotton swiss dot) which you can purchase at any fabric store, wooden embroidery hoops in various shapes and sizes ranging from 4" to about 7" tall, and embroidery floss colored to match your event.

Start by tracing the number onto the fabric lightly in pencil. Using 3-4 threads (are they called plies?) from a length of 6-ply embroidery floss, thread onto a needle and knot the end. Now, I am not a professional embroidery gal, so trust me when I tell you that this is quite easy. I did a straight stitch (in and out in one line) to trace the numbers. Make sure to leave yourself at least 4" around the number so that you have enough to fit within the hoop and have some hanging over to trim.

Once you are finished, iron the fabric and secure into the hoop, then trim to leave about an inch "ruffle". I've included a quick visual tour here:

What I love about these numbers are that they really are easy. And as I always say, a small detail like this can make a big difference in the overall feel of the party. When you add your personal touch, the guests and guest of honor will always appreciate it, and that all adds up to good party energy.