Have a sweatshirt with a special signature that you want to make stand out? Turn that autograph into a fun, dimensional piece of wearable art with this easy puffy embroidery sweatshirt DIY!
Instead of simply embroidering directly onto the sweatshirt, I used puffy paint and embroidery floss to create a raised design. The hot glue gives the embroidery a little bit of dimension, making the stitching look almost like it is popping off the sweatshirt.
I originally made this project to preserve and highlight a football player’s signature on a sweatshirt. It’s actually my nephew! He signed my sweatshirt and I was so nervous it would bleed or fade so I wanted to turn it into something more permanent! It was such a fun way to turn a simple autograph into a keepsake that could actually be worn and enjoyed.
What Is Puffy Embroidery?
Puffy embroidery is a technique that gives embroidery a raised, three-dimensional appearance. Traditionally, embroidery artists can use materials such as foam underneath the stitches to create this effect.
For this DIY sweatshirt project, I used a much simpler method: hot glue underneath embroidery floss.
The hot glue creates a raised outline, and the embroidery floss wraps around it to give the design a textured, dimensional look.
Supplies
You don’t need a lot of supplies to make this DIY embroidered sweatshirt.
- Sweatshirt with a signature or design
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Embroidery floss
- Embroidery needle
- Scissors
- Optional: fabric marking pen
- Optional: cardboard or a piece of paper to place inside the sweatshirt
How to Make a Puffy Embroidered Sweatshirt
1. Start With Your Signature
The easiest way to do this project is to start with a sweatshirt that already has a signature, drawing, or design on it.
For my sweatshirt, I had a football player’s autograph that I wanted to make more permanent and decorative.
Before starting, make sure the signature is positioned exactly where you want it.
2. Place Something Inside the Sweatshirt
Put a piece of cardboard or another protective layer inside the sweatshirt.
This helps prevent the hot glue from accidentally sticking the front and back of the sweatshirt together.
It also gives you a firm surface to work against while you’re adding the glue.
3. Trace the Signature With Puffy Paint
Turn on your hot glue gun and carefully follow the lines of the signature with the paint.
You don’t need a huge amount of paint. The goal is to create a thin raised line that you can cover with embroidery floss.
Work slowly, especially around curves and small details..
4. Let the Puffy paint dry
Give the puffy paint a day or two to dry and become firm.
5. Thread Your Embroidery Needle
Choose an embroidery floss color that complements the sweatshirt and signature.
Thread your needle and tie a knot at the end.
For a thicker, more noticeable look, you can use multiple strands of embroidery floss.
I also placed the sweatshirt in an embroidery hoop to keep it taut.
6. Wrap the Embroidery Floss Around the Glue
This is where the magic happens!
Begin wrapping the embroidery floss around the hot glue line. Keep the floss fairly snug as you work so that the glue stays covered.
The goal is to completely cover the raised glue with embroidery floss.
As you work your way around the signature, the glue acts almost like a little 3D foundation underneath the thread.
Continue wrapping until the entire signature is covered.
I literally was making this as I watched the game on the TV!
7. Finish the Embroidery
When you reach the end of a section, secure the embroidery floss on the back of the sweatshirt.
Trim any excess thread.
The Finished Puffy Embroidery
Once you’re finished, the signature has a completely different look!
The combination of puffy paint and embroidery floss creates a raised, textured effect that makes the autograph really stand out.
I especially love this technique for a signed sweatshirt because it turns something that could easily fade or get overlooked into a statement piece.
A Fun Way to Preserve a Signed Sweatshirt
If you’ve ever had a favorite athlete sign a sweatshirt, shirt, jacket, or other piece of clothing, you know how special that autograph can be.
Rather than keeping the sweatshirt tucked away in a drawer, this puffy embroidery technique is a fun way to enhance the signature and turn it into a wearable keepsake.
You could use this same idea for:
- Football player signatures
- Sports autographs
- Concert signatures
- Children’s drawings
- Handwritten notes
- Names or initials
- Special dates
- Handwritten quotes
- Kids’ artwork
You could even use the technique on a plain sweatshirt to create your own raised embroidered design. It would also be cute on a corner of a blanket!
Tips for Making Puffy Embroidery
Practice first. If you’re working with something sentimental or irreplaceable, test the technique on scrap fabric before starting.
Don’t use too much puffy paint. A thin line is usually enough to create the raised effect.
Keep your thread tension consistent. This will help the finished embroidery look neat and even.
Work slowly. Curves and loops can be tricky, especially when following handwriting.
Can you use Hot glue?
I have seen people using hot glue to add dimension in embroidery- like on tote bags. Because hot glue isn’t traditionally intended as a permanent fabric embellishment, I would treat a sweatshirt made this way as a keepsake rather than an everyday garment.
If you do need to clean it, follow the sweatshirt manufacturer’s care instructions and consider gentle hand washing rather than putting it through a hot wash and dryer.
For a valuable signed sweatshirt, minimizing washing is the safest option.
Turn a Signature Into Something Special
This DIY puffy embroidery sweatshirt is such a fun way to make a special autograph stand out.
Using just embroidery floss and hot glue, you can create a raised embroidery effect without needing advanced embroidery skills or an embroidery machine.
For my sweatshirt, it was the perfect way to highlight a football player’s signature and turn it into something I could proudly wear and display.
If you have a special signature on a sweatshirt hiding in your closet, grab some embroidery floss and a hot glue gun and give it a little dimension!
You, of course, could skip the puffy paint and just do a split stitch over the signature!
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