Learn How to Make a French Knot on Plastic Canvas

For those who embroider or work on plastic canvas, it is important to know one of the prettier stitches: the French knot stitch or the colonial knot.

The French knot stitch is made by winding the thread one or more times around the needle and then drawing the needle back through the material at the point where it came out, leaving a nice little decorative knot on top.

Why are they called French knots?

One may presume that the French knot is steeped in French history, but this is not the case.

Very little evidence supports the French knot having deep roots in France. The only evidence is that it was used extensively in French royal and ecclesiastical embroideries in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Its origin and history are quite unknown.

This tutorial shows how to make a French knot when working on plastic canvas projects. The little knots are such pretty embellishments for embroidery, cross-stitching, and plastic canvas work.

Learn more about making the French knot stitch on plastic canvas by watching our video tutorial, or keep reading this post for a photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions.

WHAT YOU NEED to make the French knot stitch on plastic canvas

• Plastic canvas project
• Yarn
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors
• Small piece of paper for threading the needle (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS for making the plastic canvas basic stitch: french knot stitch

STEP 1: thread the needle

Threading yarn onto a needle can be quite difficult, but this trick makes it very easy. Cut a very small piece of paper that can run through the eye of the embroidery needle.

Fold the paper in half and slip the end of the yarn into the paper.

Keeping it folded, push the paper and yarn through the eye of the needle and remove the paper. Voila!  An easy start to making a French knot stitch!

step 2:  secure the end of the plastic canvas yarn into the project

Taking the threaded needle, run the yarn under several stitches already made on the back of the plastic canvas.

Pull until the working yarn is tacked within these stitches and cannot be seen on the project.

step 3: Bring the needle to the top

The next step is to bring the needle to the top of the plastic canvas where the French knot will be made. Push the needle in one of the holes on the plastic canvas and gently pull the yarn to the top of the project.

step 4: Wrap the yarn

With the non-dominant hand, hold the working yarn close to the plastic canvas. With the dominant hand, take the needle and wrap the yarn once around the needle near the plastic canvas.

step 5: pull the yarn to the back

While firmly holding the yarn against the plastic canvas using even tension with the non-dominant hand, push the needle back down into the same hole that the needle initially came up.

Pull slowly, and when the yarn is near the end, let go of the yarn in the non-dominant hand. This is the way to make small knots.

If you want a larger French knot, use more yarn, but only wrap the yarn once around the needle.

The French knot is complete. Add more to embellish your project! I hope you enjoyed learning how to make the French knot stitch on plastic canvas. For other plastic canvas stitches, check out our page with lots of tutorials.

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