How To Make A French Knot In Embroidery

French Knot is also known as

Punto de nudo francés _[ES], Point de noeud _[FR], Knötchenstich _[DE], Punto nodini _[IT], Ponto de nó francés_[PT], Franska knutar _[SV].

About the French Knot

The French knot is one of the easiest of all knots. Interestingly, however, it is often hailed as one of the most difficult-to-handle or difficult-to-do stitches. This, so much so, that learners often end up hating to do this stitch. It is only a matter of getting the hang of it.

This stitch can be used to do little flowers or as a filling stitch to fill in small circles and the center of flowers. Many closely done French Knots can give a 'woolly' appearance and can be used for textures.

How to do the French Knot

You use both the hands to do the French Knot. I strongly recommend that you read the tips at the end of the tutorial to make perfect French Knots.


Fig 1: Bring the needle out through A.	Fig 2: Now, place the needle close to the fabric. Wrap the thread around it twice, as shown.

Fig 3: Keep the longer end of the thread pulled with your fingers while putting the needle back in a point just close to A. This is probably what you have to master. TIP: If you are holding the needle with your right-hand fingers, wrap the thread and hold it pulled with your left-hand fingers. Vice versa. This makes it easy to put the needle in through the fabric without the risk of pulling out of the wrapped thread. If this seems difficult for you, try this: after wrapping the thread, turn the needle around about 180 degrees and then try to put it near A.	Fig 4: Pull down the needle through the fabric. You will see your first French Knot formed.

Tips for making the perfect French Knot

A Milliner's needle has the same shaft thickness throughout making the passing of the needle through the wrapping easy. Use it if you have one.
Do not wrap the thread too tight or too loose, but just tight enough to ensure that the eye of your needle passes smoothly through it.
Wrap the thread no more than twice around the needle. If you want a thicker knot, use more strands of thread instead of more wraps.
Do not pass the needle back in through the same stitch point that you came out from, but near it. This ensures your knot does not fall through the hole in the fabric to the other side!

Related Projects

Do you want to know where and how to use this stitch? Check out the projects below and know more! Let's make something beautiful today ❤️.

Video on how to do the 3SAT Berries pattern

Learn Hand Embroidery Stitches | Back Stitch, Leaf Stitch, French Knot

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Learn French knot and 305 other stitches from our 600-page eBook.

Related Stitches from the Knot Stitch Family

French Knot	Plucked Knot	Colonial Knot
Peking Knot	Pistil Stitch	Danish Knot
Bullion Knot	Sword Stitch	Pearl Knot
Coral Stitch	Scroll Stitch	Knotted Diamond
Indian Edging	Turkey Rug Knot	Four Legged Knot