Stitch it, wash it, love it—Kraft-tex won’t tear, no matter what you throw at it!

Have you tried Kraft-tex? It’s a sturdy craft paper that’s tough enough for machine embroidery and softens beautifully when washed. You can toss it in the washer and dryer, and it comes out with a leathery texture that looks amazing. It’s super durable, tear-resistant, and so fun to work with. Let me show you why I’m hooked!

Supplies

Check out the DBJJ team’s favorite supplies in the Designs by JuJu Amazon store.

Kraft-tex comes in many colors and, as you can see, I own a few

For this project I chose Kraft-tex in the color natural, unwashed. It not only comes in lots of colors, but some are washed, some are dyed, and ALL are lots of fun! I have used it to make wallets, bag bottoms, and straps. I’ve embroidered on it to make cards. And every single thing turned out wonderfully. Don’t be afraid to play!

A couple of things you need to consider:

  • I always slow my machine down to 600 or 700 spm.
  • Put in a new needle if you haven’t in a while. I used a size 75/11.
  • Choose a more open or sketch design, so you aren’t completely perforating your fabric. 
Natural, unwashed Kraft-tex, both cut to size. Left one balled up to throw in the washer

I cut two 8½” x 10½” pieces of Kraft-tex. The right one is straight off the roll. The other I balled up and washed in my machine with hot water, then dried in the dryer with my towels. That is the beauty of Kraft-tex—it can take a lot! You can wash and dry more than once, and the more you do, the more of an aged look you will achieve. I wanted to see if I could make it look a bit vintage. 

Stabilizer hooped and unwashed Kraft-tex ready to float

I hooped my tear-away stabilizer and floated the first piece of unwashed Kraft-tex. I chose to float it because I didn’t want to take a chance on hoop burn. Also, I didn't embroider a basting box around it because the stitches would show. 

Embroider your design. I did hold the Kraft-tex down until it got the bear outline stitched. (Be sure to keep your fingers clear of stitch path.) I also used 80 weight thread to embroider the lettering. That is truly a personal preference. The design is digitized to use your 40 weight threads. I just prefer the thinner thread for more visible detail in the letters. 

Design stitched and trimming jump stitches

Trim the few jump stitches between words and remove your embroidery from the hoop.

Trim threads on the back and gently remove tear-away stabilizer

Since I do not want to take a chance of my embroidery completely perforating the Kraft-tex, I left most of the stabilizer in place. I held onto the embroidery and gently tore it away from the outside edges. The thread tails will not show through, so trimming them is also personal preference.

Second piece of Kraft-tex straight from the dryer

The second piece of Kraft-tex has been washed and dried. It was a bit bent up, so I pressed it with steam. All the wrinkly goodness remained; I just needed to flatten it enough for the embroidery. I embroidered it the same way I did the first piece, hooping the tear-away stabilizer and floating the Kraft-tex.

Embroidering on washed and dried Kraft-tex

You can really see the texture of the washed piece above. 

Washed piece on the left, unwashed on the right

Above you can compare the washed/dried and unwashed pieces of Kraft-tex. The washed piece did shrink a scant quarter inch in both directions. It also looks quite a bit more wrinkled and aged. I love it!

Frame on the left is the washed Kraft-tex, on the right is directly off the roll

I trimmed them both to fit 8” x 10” frames and cannot wait to gift them! Imagine if you did the same wash/dry procedure and embroidered treasure maps for a child’s birthday invitations. Or how about using some of JuJu’s cute card designs and making personalized cards for those special people in your life? The possibilities with Kraft-tex are really endless. I hope you get some and let your creative juices flow. 

If you give Kraft-tex a try, please share with us in the Designs by JuJu Embroidery Blessings Facebook Group, or use the hashtag #designsbyjuju anywhere on social media. We love to see what you create!

Sandie Larsen

Sandie Larsen

Hi! I am Sandie, and so thrilled to be here! I enjoy sewing, quilting, bag making, pattern testing, reading, gardening in containers and traveling with my husband. A good friend introduced me to machine embroidery, and I have been hooked! I love creating for my family and friends.