I started needlepointing about couple months ago, and I really love it! I like to have something to do with my hands while I’m watching TV or listening to a podcast, and needlepoint is wayy better than scrolling on my phone. It’s also really calming! My family laughs at me and says I’m a grandma, but I’m having a lot of fun. Will my room and future apartment be covered in needlepoint projects? It’s possible. Will all my friends and family receive needlepoint projects as gifts? Also possible.
This post was highly requested, and I’m so excited to help beginning needle-pointers figure out how to get started! It truly isn’t as confusing as it seems, but getting started can be so overwhelming at first. So here’s your one-stop shop for how to needlepoint! I’m going to cover what you need, teach you how to do the continental stitch, and (briefly) explain what finishing is.
What You Need to Start Needlepointing
The number one question is ‘What do I need to buy?’ You may already know this, but needlepointing is not a cheap hobby… Quality canvases can cost upwards of $100! However, each project takes a significant amount of time and can be ‘finished’ (more on this later) into a pillow, a tray, framed art, etc. So it’s an activity and decor all rolled into one! Technically, you only need a canvas of your choice (I’d recommend starting simple), thread, sharp scissors, and a needle. If you’re like me, you may require a needle-threader and needle-minder, as well. I also recently ordered stretcher bars to keep the canvas taught while stitching – not a must, but certainly helpful. Links for everything in the following list!
What to Buy
- Canvas
- Thread
- Needle
- Sharp Scissors
- Needle Threader (optional)
- Needle Minder (optional)
- Stretcher Bars (optional)
Where to Buy
Many places have beginner kits that come with the threads and needle you’ll need. Depending on the size of your canvas, you might need different types of thread or different sized needles. Getting a kit makes this easier! I love to support various small business for canvases and needle-minders (the cute stuff) and Needlepoint.com is the best for things like scissors and needle-threaders.
Favorite Places to buy Canvases
How to Stitch
This right here is the most difficult part. But don’t worry! A few practice rounds and you’ll have it down. I’m going to explain it to you as simply as I can, because I want this post have all the info you need without outside sources, but I am certainly not the most qualified. There are also a million different kinds of stitches. I only know one (and the beauty of it is you only need to know one): the continental stitch. This type of stitch can be used for everything, and looks great! You can absolutely venture out into more decorative, fancy types of stitching, but to start, the continental stitch will get you where you need to go!
Continental Stitching Tutorial
THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Do NOT worry about the back at all! I love when the back of my canvas looks neat, but truly it does not matter and won’t affect the look of the front of your canvas! So any crazy way you need to knot the back to secure stitches is totally fine. No sweat.
- Right to left is up and over, left to right is down and over. I kept having to go back to a tutorial or guide when I first started stitching but now it’s easy to remember! It’s totally fine if you mess up – just go back and undo the stitch with your needle.
- Put your waste knot about an inch away from where you plan to start stitching. Make sure it’s in the same row too!
- You can start left to right or right to left, whatever feels natural! A great piece of advice the owner of Silver Stitch Needlepoint gave me is don’t listen to the ‘Needlepoint Police’ !!! As long as you know how to secure your thread and tie it off, you can really do whatever you feel like doing.
Other Stitching Sources
If my explanation wasn’t enough, Needlepoint.com has a beginner class for around $30 that is super helpful and I will definitely be using as I expand my stitching abilities! And I’m sure there are other helpful Youtube videos out there!
What is Finishing?
The reason I said the back of your canvas won’t matter is because once the canvas is finished, no one will see it! Essentially finishing your needlepoint project is taking it from just a canvas to something else you can actually use. You probably immediately think of pillows, but there’s so much you can do. You can take your canvas to a needlepoint store near you, use online stores like Needlepoint.com, and some shops you purchase canvases from will finish your project for you! I’m not an expert on finishing since I haven’t even fully completed a my first canvas, but Morgan Julia Designs did the most helpful blog post on this with all the answers. I will absolutely come back to this post and update it once I get my first project finished, but this post was intended to teach you how to start stitching, not finish!
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I hope that was helpful! Please let me know if you have any other questions and I’d be happy to answer them.
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