The Popcorn Lazy Daisy Stitch Makes Things Pop!
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This plump stitch is so much fun once you get the hang of it and it's going to add gorgeous volume and texture to your work that just might push your embroidery to the next level.
I love using the popcorn lazy daisy stitch for some of my flower embroidery designs and it turns my flat work into a piece that literally has parts that can be moved and manipulated. You could say it gives things a little bit of life.
It’s not a stitch I would recommend as a beginner because it takes both hands, some extra coordination, and a bit of patience. There’s an element of awkwardness when first learning this stitch, and I think that’s probably true for most stitches, but with the popcorn lazy daisy stitch, it takes some getting used to.
If you're a newbie, start with an easy embroidery stitch that's beginner-friendly, such as the simple lazy daisy stitch, then come back and learn this one.
Step 1
- Start with a small single stitch going side to side then come up near the beginning of the stitch. The beginning for this tutorial will be on the left but you can also start from the right.
Step 2
- Next, create a row of loops. You don't necessarily need any tools for this, but I found it to be much more manageable using a piece of copper wire bent at both ends. One end will be to hold the loops while the bend on the other end can be wrapped around your finger to hold the wire in place.
- Then slide your needle halfway up through the small stitch.
- Wrap the tail of your thread over your wire and slide it behind your needle. How tall the thread is from the small stitch to the wire will determine the height of the popcorn lazy daisy stitch.
Step 3
Keep your wire in place and pull your needle and thread through the small stitch, then nudge your loop over to the side where you started.
Repeat these steps to create more loops until you reach the end of your small stitch. You can make as many loops as you'd like. The more you add the wider the popcorn lazy daisy stitch will be.
Step 4
- Replace the wire with your needle once the last loop has been created. Slide your needle carefully through the loops from the same side as your last loop. So in this example, go from right to left.
- Use the needle to hold the loops in place and carefully slide the wire out.
Step 5
Wrap the tail of your thread over the back of your needle.
Then bring the thread over the top of the loops to the other side of the needle, and wrap it under from front to back, then over the front of your needle. You can add one more wrap if you'd like. This will make the tip of your popcorn lazy daisy stitch a bit more pointy.
Pinch the loops together with your fingers.
Step 6
Then carefully pull your needle through to form a small knot at the top of your loops, then push your needle to the back of your fabric if you want to hold the stitch in place.
If you want your stitch to be a bit fluffier, stitch it down so it's a bit shorter, and if you want less fluff stitch the top down farther from the bottom.
If you’d like your popcorn lazy daisy stitch to stand up and be more 3-dimensional, push needle through the top of your stitch from the front.
Then push your needle through to the front from the side of your popcorn lazy daisy stitch, and push it through the fabric below. Be sure to hold onto the top of your stitch and do this slowly so you don't pull too much through. This will give you a cute stitch that can be manipulated to resemble a floating flower.
Have fun practicing this adorable 3d embroidery stitch and figure out whether using a tool or not works best for you. Once you get the hang of it you'll probably want to use it in a lot of your flower embroidery!
Popcorn Lazy Daisy Stitch Video
In case you need a little more help with this, I've made a video to accompany this embroidery stitch tutorial. Happy stitching!