You’ve worked on the most beautiful needlepoint piece and now you wonder what to do next. Sound familiar?
So many enjoy needlepoint, but they do not know how to properly finish off the piece so it may be used or displayed. This page is full of ideas for finishing needlepoint!
What to do with needlepoint?
Small needlepoint projects are so much less expensive and quicker to make than the larger pieces, but many needlepointers don’t know what to do with the small stitched canvases once they are complete.
I for one, had a drawer full of lovely pieces of needlepoint that I enjoyed making but had no idea what to do with. So they went into a drawer in my sewing room waiting for the perfect finished project.
If it weren’t for this page, they would still be there! Well, many of them would still be there. I have a long way to go to finish everything I’ve stitched.
If you are looking for more needlepoint ideas, check out our free needlepoint project and patterns page!
Some ideas for finishing needlepoint are:
- Frame needlepoint canvases
- Create a needlepoint Christmas ornament
- Make a needlepoint pillow
- Upholster a needlepoint chair cushion
- Adorn a tote bag
- Make a pincushion
- Create a luggage or tote bag tag
- Display needlepoint pictures
This page has links to all of these projects and will get those pretty needlepoint canvases out of storage and into good use!
To self-finish the needlepoint projects, it is necessary to know the proper technique depending on the final product.
Look below for the binding stitch, which is an often-used stitch for DIY finishing. This stitch gives a nice and sturdy finished edge to the canvas. Projects that use the binding stitch are things such as keychains, headbands, and purse straps.
The binding stitch is especially useful to preserve the needlepoint when it is used in a project that will experience much usage, such as the projects above.
Learn how to frame needlepoint! This is a popular way to display small needlepoint pieces.
Placing the needlepoint onto a board or into a frame involves either using staple guns or more crafty ways such as using the lace method. The results are the same, but with the lace method, the piece is secured by needle and thread.
Do you have to block needlepoint?
Once the needlepoint piece is finished, it is important to block it. Blocking needlepoint is the act of stretching it back out into the shape that the fabric was before the needlework was completed.
For example, if the needlepoint is going to be framed, it is important that the finished fabric is in a square shape. The needlework usually distorts the fabric, so blocking it will stretch it back to the original shape.
Directions for quickly and easily blocking needlepoint can be found below.
Scroll down this page to find creative ways to finish off your needlework masterpiece!
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The binding stitch is a handy stitch to add to your needlepoint toolbox, particularly when it comes to self-finishing projects.
KC Needlepoint
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A finished needlepoint canvas can be used to upholster a chair seat. Learn how here.
Needlepoint Teacher
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This video and instructional blog post explains how to finish a needlepoint ornament.
Abigail Cecile
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Needlepoint framing is a way to finish your needlepoint pieces and you can do it yourself with video and how-to instructions.
Unwind Studio
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Here this a tutorial on how to use needle and thread to secure the needlepoint canvas to a board that then can be framed.
Needlepoint Teacher
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Framing a needlepoint canvas can be expensive. Learn how to frame it yourself using this tutorial.
Needlepoint Teacher
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How to add fringe to a needlepoint pillow.
World of Needlepoint
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Step-by-step instructions for making a needlepoint pillow.
wikiHow
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Unwind Studio created a video tutorial where you can see how to finish a needlepoint cushion. They also have a written tutorial.
Unwind Studio
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In this blog post, you will find detailed step-by-step instructions for self-finishing a needlepoint ornament, with a video tutorial and written instructions.
Unwind Studio
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How to make a needlepoint project into a pillow.
Needlepoint Teacher
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How to finish a needlepoint pillow.
Purl Soho
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In this class, Anna Maria Horner shows you how to turn needlepoint tapestries into beautiful, functional tote bags.
Affiliate Link to Creative Bug
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In this blog post, learn how to turn a needlepoint piece into a wall hanging.
Abigail Cecile
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The DIY snowflake ornament is stitched with the basketweave needlepoint stitch. Get the free needlepoint pattern.
Kreinik
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Turn a small needlepoint piece into a cute tag that would look darling tied to a purse or project bag.
Abigail Cecile
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This post shows you how easy it can be to attach a needlepoint piece to a tote bag.
Unwind Studio
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