DIY

Needlepoint for Beginners: A Guide to Getting Started with Needlepoint

Today’s post is all about needlepoint for beginners! “Needlepoint” was one of my top search terms for 2019. Which is crazy because I didn’t personally start to needlepoint until the end of the summer. Had I started on January 1, I think it would have definitely been the most searched term. I’ve been THRILLED to see how many people have picked up needlepoint. And I know, based on what people are searching here and what people are asking via email and DM, a lot of people are interested but don’t know where to start.

When I first wrote about needlepoint, I essentially shared where to find canvases. It was probably the thing I was most “expert” on at the time since I had spent so much time combing through websites looking for cute and not cheesy canvases.

Since writing that though, I’m thoroughly hooked on needlepoint. It’s become a slight problem because I could do it all day and not get a single thing done. I’ve also learned a lot through my own mistakes and also from the larger needlepoint community. Honestly, I made my stitch-stagram so I could have one space where I could follow needlepoint accounts! And I’ve also joined a Facebook group called Needlepoint Nation where I learn something every time I scroll through the new posts– these women are straight-up EXPERTS.

Anyway, I feel more confident doing a post with tips for needlepoint beginners now.

You can make needlepoint as complicated as you want, but at its core, it’s super simple. I like to describe it as paint by numbers with thread (or “fibers” as its called in the needlepoint world!). Where you have more creativity (and therefore more room for error) with embroidery, needlepoint canvases are pre-painted and give you the exact blueprint so to speak of what to do.

Needlepoint

WHAT YOU NEED:

– A canvas! From my experience, you should absolutely stitch something that sparks joy to quote Marie Kondo. Needlepoint can feel really repetitive, which is meditative if you’re enjoying it and annoying if you’re not so into it. Pick a canvas that really makes you happy! If you’re just starting out, Penny Linn has a fantastic selection of beginner-friendly canvases. (Here are more of my favorite places to find them.)

– Fibers! If you’re just starting out, it may be helpful to ask the needlepoint store you’re buying from to include their own selections for threads. They’ll take the guesswork out of it and it can relieve some of the “stress” of making the right choices, choosing the right amount, etc. If you’re going to buy your own, DEFINITELY go to a store in person. I have a knitting store two towns over where they sell thread for needlepoint in addition to yarn. I love going in and staring at the wall of threads and picking out the colors! Silk & Ivory is a very popular brand and it’s what I stitched with the most when I first got going. But now that I’ve been doing it for a while, I actually prefer DMC Perle Cotton. I found Silk & Ivory to be a little fuzzy (I’d be covered in lint when I stood up!) and the DMC is tighter/smoother while stitching and when stitched.

– Needles! You’ll want to “match” your needle to your canvas. Each canvas will have a mesh size and that will help determine what size tapestry needle you need for it. I think all of my needles are size 20 (for #13 mesh) or 22 (for #18 mesh).

– Stretcher bars! So I didn’t use these at first. I would just stitch on the canvas. And then Needlepoint.com sent me a canvas that was already attached to stretcher bars and my needlepoint world will never be the same. The idea is that the stretcher bars will help keep your canvas’ shape (stitches can pull and distort the end shape). And that certainly is the case. However, my favorite benefit is that it makes it so much easier to hold the canvas while stitching. The bars are much easier to grip than just the canvas, which caused me hand cramps after prolonged stitching.

– Sharp scissors! There are a ton of beautiful embroidery scissors that would work. If you’re traveling though and will be throwing your scissors in a bag, definitely consider getting a pair with a case. I have these and while they’re not the ~chicest~ they’re the safest/best I’ve used. I have a few other pairs that are prettier but I’m always afraid they’re going to stab me or tear a tote.

– Carrying case! You can go fancy, you can make your own, you can find something you already have at home. I have a bag like this that zips up and protects my current WIP and then I put fibers in a smaller one to keep them separate and untangled.

– Needle Minders! This is an unnecessary but convenient “add-on.” I was just securing the needle when not in use on the sides of my canvas. But a needle minder is a fun way to keep your needle out of the way when not in use. It’s a magnet that you secure to the canvas and the needle rests on it. I love Penny Linn’s selections!

HOW TO DO IT:

– Beginner’s Guide from Thorne Alexander: A free, perfect guide with everything you need to know to get started.

Getting Started! Start with this video. I think it does a good job of getting you set up right from the get-go.

The Continental Stitch! There are a ton of stitches you can use to needlepoint. They all look different and can add a decorative flair to your canvas (like a special background or a textured look for a particular portion like hair for example). With that said, start out with the continental stitch. It’s the absolute easiest and looks the most traditional. If you’re doing a larger area, consider the basketweave stitch (it helps keep your canvas from distorting), but if I’m going to be honest here… no one will know if you did or didn’t do basketweave because it ultimately looks the same.

– Stitch Guides! If you want to attempt a more complicated design, try to find stitch guides online or buy a kit that comes with a stitch guide. I did a more complicated stitch for one of my canvas backgrounds and, while I love the way it looks, it wasn’t that relaxing because I was constantly counting and examining to make sure I wasn’t messing up the design. So keep that in mind.

WHAT TO DO WITH IT:

This has been the most asked question via DM…. what to do with all the needlepoint?!?!? I love looking up Instagram accounts of huge needlepoint fans because they have the best inspiration for projects. Ornaments, pillows, belts, and stockings are probably the most popular… but you can also do canvases for keychains, scissor covers, eyeglass cases, jewelry case inserts, wallets, etc. I framed my first canvas– I sent it to Framebridge– and absolutely love how it looks framed. And I’ve made a couple of ornaments.

I will say, this is the part where things can get expensive. Sending away a canvas to a finisher is not for the faint of heart. I HIGHLY recommend starting a canvas with the end project in mind so your price expectations are clear. Finishing small items (like a small ornament) can start ~$50 and then as projects grow it can be upwards of $200.

TIPS:

– Youtube! My life is run by Youtube essentially. If you’re stuck with something, start with YOUTUBE. Personally, I get embarrassed to ask people things because I’m afraid of looking dumb (🤷🏻‍♀️) and I like that I can watch ten videos and figure something out without admitting that I have no idea how to it.

– Local shops! Now that I’ve admitted that, I will say that a lot of towns have local shops and you should 100% support them when/if you can. Beyond shopping though, the people who work there are amazing resources for learning. From my experience, most shops offer classes or drop-in stitch clubs. And the employees are all avid stitchers themselves and can help you figure out what fibers to buy, what needle you might need, what stitch will look best, etc.

– Start with the right size thread! I didn’t pick out the fibers for my first few canvases, so I didn’t really have to think about my threads. But now I’ve started picking out my own, I realized how easy it is to pick out the wrong size!!! The skeins can all look super similar but you don’t want to get home and have multiple sizes for the same canvas. (I am speaking from experience here 🤦🏻‍♀️.) Start with knowing your canvas mesh size. I found this chart to be the most useful. Using the thread that’s too thin will not give you the best coverage. Using thread that’s too thick can make stitching messy and challenging. Using multiple weights on the same canvas can look messy and uneven.

– Color! This is a general rule of thumb but start with the lightest color of your canvas first. There are a couple of reasons, but the bottom line is that you don’t want darker threads to show through on lighter threads or show up through the canvas. Whether that’s when you pull the needle and thread through the canvas or jumping to a new area. You can also pick different colors than what the canvas calls for, just make sure you’re going darker and not lighter (so the paint from the canvas doesn’t show through). For example, you can change a light pink section to navy but not navy to light pink.

– Start small! I would choose a small canvas with no more than four or five colors. This will help you practice and get on your feet without biting off more than you can chew!

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37 Comments

Sarah Gouin

This is a really helpful and informative post. I used to do needlework years ago and am inspired to pick it up again. It is great to see so many people interested in it.

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Tambi

I recently came across a table top silver tinsel Christmas tree. My first thought, was how cool it would look with retro handmade ornaments. I haven’t done needlework in years. Now that I have a project in mind, I can’t wait to jump back into it!

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Stevie

One of my 2020 goals is to start needlepointing. I have been doing a lot of research to get started & this is the most helpful blog post I have read so far! Thank you so much!!

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Evelina

I love needlepointing! Starting a belt soon for my son who will be attending Miami University next fall. I have a friend who is amazing at painting canvases so I can make it more custom for him. She helped me make a biography belt for my husband last year.
I would add to your list of supplies a needle threader – lifesaver when your eyes get tired or you’re working with a fiber that unravels.

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Mols

This is such a great little needlepoint starter blog! Particularly about using local shops. I live 3-4 hours from the closest shop in any direction, so whenever I have the chance to go to one, I tend to have 4-5 canvases in my bag that are WIPs that I will be asking for advice on, plus whichever new canvases that I need fibers for. The ladies are always so patient and helpful!
I’ve always gotten the opposite advice about colors though — I start with my darkest and then work my way up to the lightest since the darker colors will show a lot less dirt than the light colors and so there is a less of an issue of the color ending up being dinghey from constantly handling the canvas while I stitch if the lighter colors are the last to be added! I’ve never had an issue with the darker colors showing through, but while I’m just starting a canvas, if there areas of the same color that are totally separate, I will cut the thread and start again in the new area (rather than having a piece of thread crossing the lighter unstitched areas if that makes sense). There’s definitely no right or wrong way though! That’s just how I’d been taught and so it has stuck

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Lindsay McCarthy

Great! Post! I picked up cross-stitch this summer and have joined an online group (Caterpillar Cross Stitch for anyone interested) that does a monthly stitch along.. It’s been so good for me to put down my phone and listen to an audio book! (I find it too difficult to watch tv while stitching) I’m HIGHLY interested in jumping into needlepoint and this is a great starting point for me. Thanks!!!

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Becky

Thanks so much for this informative post! I’ve been following along your IG and dying to try needlepoint! I started in November with a cross-stitch I made as a gift, and I am hooked. I placed an order for my first needlepoint canvas, and am (impatiently) waiting for it to ship so I can get started.

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Tally Ragsdale

This is so cool! Reading all your posts about needlepoint I decided to pick it up myself. But none of the stores around me(at least none that I could find) sell “beginner” geared sets or kits. And I had no idea about needles or canvas size or anything. It was very overwhelming. I had to settle with a cross-stitch kit, which I’ve been enjoying. Thanks for all the awesome tips!

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C.C.

Those canvases are so expensive! I’ve found drawing my own in pencil or doing counter cross-stitch to be very fun, easy and under $5, if you don’t want to draw you’re own there’s so many free patterns online!

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C.C.

Those canvases are so expensive! I’ve found drawing my own in pencil or doing counted cross-stitch to be very fun, easy and under $5, if you don’t want to draw your own there’s so many free patterns online!

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Lori Holland

THANK YOU FOR THIS! I have been one of the readers searching “needlepoint” lately to find out how on earth to get started, but just couldn’t find info as great as this. I did order a few starter items from needlepoint.com but still felt lost and overwhelmed, so this is just what I needed! I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer so most of my days are spent at home, and I wanted this to be a distraction and productive hobby to do during the day. I can’t wait to re-read this, take my notes and really get going! Again, you’re the best 🙂

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Kristen

I found you a few weeks back when I was searching beginner needlepoint. Just ordered 3 kits online- one of them being the double doodle that you did! I have 2 doodles too! Thanks so much for all the info. Can’t wait for my first canvases to arrive!!

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Karen

Stupid question , for needlepoint is a design already stamped on the canvas or not? Never tried needlepoint before but very curious. Thank you for your time.

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mary fink

I am looking for a complete needlepoint chair seat cover. I received a beasufril chair after my grandmother passed and I need to replace the seat cover.

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Deborah Beckwith

Do you use DMC Perle Cotton size 8? If so what size canvas mesh do you use? Thanks

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Linda Rose Stahl

I have been needle pointing, self taught, since I was 12 years old, and my personal care aide says wants to learn how to do this anywho can you design a canvas with cats at the bottom instead of dogs, we had a dog for 14 years a cockapoo.

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Trish Strombeck

What stretcher bars do you recommend? I started my first project..the canvas is sized 8.5″ x 5.5″.

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Pinkie Styler

I don’t know anybody who needs needle points anymore and my eyes are so old and difficult I have missed being able to go to a yarn store to get help. I’m very happy I came across your site and I hope I will be able to refer to it often. Pinkie

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Carol Matlock

I made a picture from a kit of a cartoon turtle. Found out when I bought a picture frame that glass is now glued into all frames! Bought a cheaper one that I had to take apart to fit project in and it was a huge pain. Any thrifty ideas for picture frames mounting? Thanks, first attempt at needlepoint!

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Alexa

I just finished my first cross-stitch over the holidays! I found a kit on etsy! I liked that everything was included!

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Raphiel Mitchell

Looks simply, but I am left handed and somethings are difficult for me.
I do Counted Cross Stitch and this as simple.

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Mackenzie K P

Wow this was SO SO helpful. It was nice to see you do it up close! I’m someone who needs visual learning. Went ahead and purchased a beginner kit from Thorne Alexander! Excited to give a try.

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Linda AMiller

I’am a beginner and found needlepoint to be
Relaxing during the Pandemic!
The only stores I had were Joann’s & Hobby Lobby to buy thread. Did order couple kits Amazon! Enjoyed!

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Rosemary french

Herrschners and Mary Maxim has wonderful kits too. I’m not as happy with Mary Maxim’s yarn… but it’s doable.

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SusanRanta

Glad I found you. Am working on my first needlepoint kit and so far it’s going well. Next project is a scenic landscape from Sedona AZ, 24 inches wide. I live dangerously. It will take me many months but it’s a project from the heart so I will finish it.
Add me to your list. [email protected]. Susan

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Rosemary french

Not sure anyone is now taking up needlepoint almost 2 yrs into the pandemic…but one thing beginners need to always do…stop from time to time and hold up your work…letting your needle dangle…and therefore untwisting your yarn. Otherwise the yarn gets smaller and tighter and not looking like the beginning.

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Marissa

Do you have any recommended resources on switching back and forth between colors (like for a two-tone pot?) do you do all of the lightest first or alternate as you go?

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Patricia McNutt

When do I get rid of the waste knots and will I have them all over as my project has a lot of colors.

Then you. Your YouTube video was very helpful.

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Lindsey

Carly,

This guide has been SO helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to spell everything out so clearly. I have referenced your video so much.

You’re just the best! 🙂

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Julia P

I remember you writing this post four years ago and thinking if I ever wanted to start needlepointing I would come back and reference it. Well here I am looking to start a new hobby! This is such a great easy to understand post that makes needlepoint less intimidating. Your YouTube video was SO helpful too! It made my first few stitches a ton easier 🙂 Thank you Carly!!!

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