The Perfect Way to Complete your embroidery project
You spend a long time and put a lot of effort into stitching your embroidery designs so it makes sense to frame them in a hoop that really gives them that wow factor.
Look at the difference yarn wrapping a hoop made to this design…
Decorating hoops is actually really fun and takes very little time and money.
Here are 5 ways to get your hoop looking fabulous…
- Yarn Wrapping
- Decoupage
- Fabric
- Paint / Wood Stain
- Washi Tape
Let me show you in a bit more detail, what is involved with some of these so you can see for yourself how simple it is to do…
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Yarn Wrapping
As the title says – with this technique you are basically wrapping the yarn around the hoop! Here’s a couple of tricks I’ve learned to make this as easy as possible…
- Use nothing smaller than a worsted weight yarn.
- Use a double-sided tape on the inside of the hoop ring.
Materials required…
A link is given for UK and US Suppliers
- Stix2 Double sided Tape – this stuff is super sticky and so easy to use. The backing comes off nicely so you are not picking and picking at the edge like so many other tapes! Stix2 Double sided Tape (US Product)
- Gorgeous Yarn – worsted weight or heavier.
Choose a yarn that has a colour to compliment the design you have stitched. Make sure it is not too fluffy and not too thin as it will take twice as long to wrap the entire hoop. Take a look at this video which shows you how to cover the hoop…
Decoupage
There is a huge variety of decoupage papers available and they are incredibly addictive! This is such a simple way of making a hoop look amazing.
Materials required…
For those of you in the UK…
- Decoupage Paper – the more colorful and bold, the better the result.
- Mod Podge – sealer and glue in one, perfect for decoupage.
- Decopatch Brush
- Varnish – optional.
For those of you in the US…
- Decoupage Paper
- Mod Podge – sealer and glue in one. This is fab stuff for all sorts of applications. Easy, simple and no mess.
- Decopatch Brush
- Varnish – optional.
Here’s what you do…
Cut your paper into 1-inch strips.
Tear the strip across into smaller pieces.
Tearing the strips makes the edges blend in better with each other when you overlap and glue them in place. Small pieces are easier to manage and blend better.
Brush on the Mod Podge generously – (on the outer and inner edge of the hoop). Place one of your torn pieces of paper – centrally – over the outer edge of the hoop so that it wraps underneath on both sides. Add more glue as you go to make sure it is saturated and stuck smoothly.
Continue gluing and adding the torn pieces of decorative paper so that it covers the whole of the hoop.
It needs to be smooth and flat without creases. The Mod Podge will dry clear so you don’t need to worry about the white covering when you have just glued. It takes a couple of hours to dry and once it has it looks great. If you want a more glossier look you can add some varnish (link above in materials)
Fabric
Fabric covered hoops are pretty special – they have a charm all of their own.
The supplies you use are the same as for the decoupage hoops apart from using fabric instead of paper. The method is slightly different…
Cut a 1-inch strip from a fat quarter of fabric ON THE BIAS – this is the stretchy direction of the fabric. That way, when you glue it to the hoop it will stretch around nicely.
Start by placing glue on the hoop and Wrapping the fabric around – just as described with the decoupage.
The line where the fabric meets needs to be on the underside.
Allow this to dry or clamp it in place for the next step.
Glue a good portion of the hoop and then stretch the fabric around – it covers quite a large section in one go.
Glue the underside and bring the sides in. You will need lots of glue all over the fabric – top and bottom for a good result.
Here’s a close-up of the fabric being folded into the underside of the hoop with lots of glue to keep it in place.
Make sure you glue over the top of the fabric on all sides as it gives a glossy finish.
The finished Hoop
Painted Hoops
This is a simple and effective way to add a bit of bling to a hoop – Acrylic Paints come in a gorgeous array of colours or you could just use a wood stain for a classic look.
Washi Tape
I love Washi Tape! If you have not discovered the delights of this yet – it is Japanese decorative masking tape and you can get it in so many different patterns. Take a look at the variety to choose from…
Washi Tape (UK), Washi Tape (US)
All you have to do is neatly stick it around your hoop for a unique patterned finish.
No more Boring Wooden Hoops!
Now you have seen 5 different ways to make your embroidery really unique – you have to give one a try next time you have a design all stitched up. Here’s a few of mine I have done with Yarn, Decoupage and Fabric…
Let me know how you get on decorating your hoops and send me some pictures to nicola@stitchdoodles.com.
Happy Stitching!
Want to remember this? Post this ‘How to decorate an embroidery hoop’ Tutorial to your favorite Pinterest board!
No one will say if the bias should be single fold or double fold. Which is it?
Gracias por compartir tus conocimientos. Bendiciones
Hello! I just tried the yarn wrapping but I can’t get it to go back together? I really want to make it work because I love it. Please help! thank you
I must be doing something wrong because I can’t fit the hoop over the aida. I did see you cut fabric on the bias so maybe that’s it.
I LOVE this! I’m new to hand embroidery and have been looking for a simple tutorial on how to make them look more finished. Thank you!
Fantastic – so glad you enjoyed it x
I will have to try fabric on my hoops
They do look fab plus it is great fun to do!