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In this post: Make your own embroidery hoop art with a simple embroidery hoop and fabric! Plus use our free ‘Be Thankful’ printable template to make it extra easy!


Once upon a time embroidery hoops were simple utilitarian tools. One would use an embroidery hoop to hold fabric taut whilst create a needlepoint piece, remove the hoop and frame or otherwise display the completed piece, placing the hoop back in a drawer for later use. But not any more! Embroidery hoops themselves are now often used as the frame for a finished piece of art, like this fall ‘be thankful’ embroidery hoop art.

embroidery hoop art pin

be thankful fall hoop art

Be Thankful Fall Hoop Art

hoop art aka design

Because they make such inexpensive frames or base parts for creating, I’ve made many things with embroidery hoops in the last little while: chalkboard embroidery hoops, embroidery hoop orbs, and embroidery hoop ornaments. And now the ‘be thankful’ fall embroidery hoop art!

Supplies

Instructions

1. Separate the two pieces of your embroidery hoop. Using a foam brush stain each piece with dark walnut stain. Let dry according to package directions. 

For a step-by-step tutorial on how to stain wood, check out this post.  

2. Print out hoop art template found here.

3. Tape the printed template to a bright window (or onto a light box if you’re all Fancy-Nancy-like!). Tape your piece of linen or soft cotton on top. Using a pencil, lightly trace entire template onto fabric. Remove the fabric and template from the window.

hoop art template on window

4. Assemble the hoop and your fabric as shown in the photos below, layering the smaller hoop piece, felt/batting, fabric with penciled on template (photo does not show template), and then outer hoop. Tighten the screw to secure all together.

embroidery hoop assembly

5. Separate embroidery floss into its individual strings, and use three strings to thread your needle. Slide the needle to the halfway point of the string, then bring both halves together. Tie a knot at the end opposite the needle. Stitch the “be thankful” using a combination of single small back stitches for the lighter strokes and larger back stitches for the heavier downward strokes of each letter.

hoop art stitching

6. Trace pennant banner pieces onto back of laminated burlap and cut out.

7. Using three strands and a simple backstitch sew pennants onto hoop art as indicated on the printable template.

8. Optional: rub distress ink onto edges and anywhere you’d like extra “wear” and distressing to appear.

distress ink on hoop art

9. Trim the excess fabric on the back side of the embroidery hoop. Hot glue remaining wee little edges to back of hoop just to clean up your embroidery hoop art.

hot glue hoop art fabric to back

Voila! Embroidery Hoop Art. It’s totally a thing and all the cool kids are doing it.

hoop art

More Embroidery Hoop Projects

Have you ever made embroidery hoop art? Or are embroidery hoops just a tool for you?

shannon photo and sig oct 2022