This simple embroidery chicken pattern is suitable for beginners, and is loosely based on a pair of Rhode Island Red chickens.
Depending on the thread colours and stitches you use you can make the design more or less rustic or realistic. You can also use this chicken pattern to have a go at painting with stitches if you choose to fill in the chicken bodies.
If you are new to embroidery, our embroidery stitches guide will show you how to do all the stitches needed to complete this design, or check out our essential embroidery post for advice on starting embroidery as a beginner.
To complete the design like our sample project, you will need:
Using the mid brown thread, start to fill in the body of the hen, using short stitches following the direction the feathers would grow. Then do the same with the dark brown thread.
Use the golden brown thread to add some highlights to the upper part of the chicken pattern.
Finally, using the darkest brown thread, fill in any little stitching gaps. Using the four shades of brown on the hens feathers gives it an attractive depth of colour and more texture than using a single shade of brown.
Using the darkest brown thread, fill in the head following the direction of the feathers.
You then need to create a gradient between the darkest brown and the dark brown thread. Continue stitching down the neck, before transitioning to the mid brown.
Use the mid brown thread to fill in the body of the cockerel, then transition to the darker shades of brown to fill in the tail.
Fill in the comb’s using the red thread and satin stitch. See our how to do Satin stitch for advice.
Use the golden orange thread to stitch the beaks with satin stitch. The end of the beak needs some very tiny stitches so take your time and be patient.
Using the golden orange thread, use bullion knots to add the legs and feet to both chickens.
See our hand embroidery tutorial: bullion knot guide for advice. If you find bullion knots too fiddly, you could use chain stitch instead. See our how to do Chain stitch article for advice.
If you choose to display this as a piece of hoop art, gather up the loose fabric around the back of the hoop and loosely stitch it together to keep it tidy. You can stitch on (or glue) a piece of felt to the back to hide everything.
The chicken pattern would also work well as individual motifs to embroider onto kid’s clothes or to use as focal points in quilted cushions. Please share any chicken patterns you make with us on Instagram so we can see them!
For a more colourful fowl, how about this chicken embroidery pattern from Kindred Spirits Canada? It comes as a complete kit with thread, pre-printed fabric and chicken embroidery design. You can choose the fabric you want included, and choose to add the hoop or not, too. Just lovely!
Don’t forget the boys! Roosters are often the most characterful birds in the farmyard as they strut the stuff and crow their magnificence to anyone will will listen – and anyone who won’t listen, too! This beautiful chicken pattern shows off his lovely plumage and comes as a digital download with full instructions.
These charming chicken patterns are worked in backstitch on coloured fabric for a brilliant beginner-friendly chicken embroidery pattern. We love the cute characters!
Looking for another fab embroidery hoop project that will help you learn new stitches? Look no further than our wonderful wildflower embroidery pattern.
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