Hand Embroidery Needles Explained

There are so many types of embroidery needles. When it comes time to select them, you may be left wondering which one is best to use: are they the same as sewing needles? Do I need a crewel needle? And what in the world is a chenille needle?! This guide covers the basics to help you choose the right needle for your next embroidery project.

This post is part of a series of posts about hand embroidery supplies.

Disclaimer: This post has some affiliate links in it. I receive a small commission from purchases at no additional cost to the buyer. I only recommend products I would use and love and that are of good quality. All opinions are my own!

Types of Embroidery Needles

It’s essential to learn about the different types of embroidery needles, because each has a specific purpose, and choosing the right one can make your life a whole lot easier.

Choosing a specific embroidery needle depends on the embroidery technique or style you plan to use. First, let’s go over what all of these needles have in common.

Needles have an eye (where the thread passes) and a pointed tip that pierces the fabric.

Different types of needles have varying characteristics that include:

• size or thickness of the needle
• size and shape of the eye (to accommodate particular types and sizes of the thread)
• sharp or blunt tip
• the overall length of the needle

Crewel Embroidery Needles

Embroidery needles, also called crewel needles, have a long, oval eye that is larger than a standard sewing needle, making them easier to use with multiple strands of embroidery floss for surface embroidery or with wool yarn for crewel work. The end has a sharp point, making it great to use on fabric with a tighter weave for surface embroidery.

Some of my favorites are John James and gold eye Clover needles. The gold-plated needles make threading a needle easier.

Standard Sizes: 1- 10 (largest to smallest)

Tapestry Needle

Tapestry needles have a large, long eye and a blunt tip. They are ideal for needlepoint or cross stitch, where it isn’t necessary to pierce the fabric to pull the thread through. (i.e., canvas and Aida fabric) You can also use these needles for Hardanger embroidery, pulled thread, and drawn thread work.

They’re also helpful to use for certain surface embroidery stitches because the blunt needle tip won’t snag the embroidery thread or fabric. (i.e., the basket stitch and other sorts of raised embroidery stitches that involve weaving in and out of the threads)

Standard Sizes: 13 – 26 (largest to smallest)

Chenille Needle

Chenille needles have a large, elongated eye. They are very similar to tapestry needles in length, diameter, and sizing, but instead of a blunt tip, they have a sharp end.

These needles are ideal for thicker threads, such as wool, for crewel embroidery, and can also be used for ribbon embroidery. They’re a bit thicker than embroidery needles, so naturally, they may make larger holes in your fabric depending on the size you choose. I prefer to use embroidery needles when embroidering with cotton floss, but chenille sizes 22-18 work just as well!

Standard Sizes: 13-26 (largest to smallest)

Beading Needle

Beading needles are long and thin with a small eye and a sharp end. Use them for sewing beads and sequins onto fabric. The eye of the needle is small enough for a seed bead to fit over it, and the longer length makes it easier to thread multiple beads onto the needle at once.

Standard Sizes: 10 – 15 (largest to smallest)

Milliners Needles

Milliners’ needles, also referred to as straw needles, have a small, short eye that is the same width as the shaft of the needle. They are great to use when you are making embroidery stitches that involve wrapping or looping the thread around the needle (such as French knots, colonial knots, and bullion knots).

You can certainly use a regular embroidery needle for these stitches. Still, the design of milliners’ needles makes everything easier: the eye glides through the thread more easily, and the longer shaft allows you more room to wrap the thread around the needle.

When I first learned about milliners, I thought they looked very similar to a sharps sewing needle. The eyes of both needles look identical; the main difference is that the milliners are usually slightly longer.

Standard Sizes: 1 – 11 (largest to smallest) 15, 18 (the 2 largest sizes)

Are embroidery needles different from sewing needles?

Yes, there is a difference between embroidery and hand-sewing needles. Embroidery needles have a larger, oval-shaped eye and are sometimes longer than sewing needles. Both kinds of needles are sharp at the tip, but the embroidery needle’s design accommodates more strands of thread than a regular sewing needle can.

Sharps and betweens needles aren’t for hand embroidery, but I’ve included them because you’ll most likely come across them at the craft store. You can commonly find them in multipurpose sewing needle packs, and when I first started embroidering, I mistakenly purchased these a few times!

Sharps and Between Needles

Sharps and betweens are among the most commonly used needles for general-purpose hand sewing and quilting.

Sharps are medium-length needles with a small, round eye. These needles are hand-sewing needles.

A between-needle is shorter, with a small eye and a sharp tip. These are helpful for hand quilting.

What Size Needle Should I Use?

Needles come in a range of sizes. A number reflects the different sizes. A general rule of thumb (that applies to chenille, tapestry, and embroidery needle sizes) is that the larger the number, the smaller the needle is, and the smaller the number, the larger the needle is. This rule does not apply to all needles, but for hand embroidery, it makes things less confusing to me!

Smaller needles will fit fewer strands of thread, while larger needles will fit more.

The more you embroider, the more you’ll get a feel for which needles you prefer for different amounts of floss. While you’re learning, John James Sewing has a helpful needle guide, and this post includes a needle size chart.

How Do I Know What Size Embroidery Needle to Use?

As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to choose a needle that is thick enough to make a hole in the fabric that the thread can easily pass through and has an eye large enough for you to thread the needle. Choosing a needle that is too thin will make it hard to pull the thread through the fabric. Selecting a needle that is too large can leave visible holes in the fabric’s weave and make it harder to work on more intricate designs.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Sizes 9-10: Finer threads or when working with 1-2 strands of embroidery floss
• Sizes 3-8: Medium-weight threads or when working with 3-6 strands of embroidery floss

What is the difference between Crewel and Embroidery?

The only difference between the two is the thread that you use! Crewel embroidery traditionally uses thicker wool yarn than cotton embroidery floss. The stitches you use for crewel embroidery are the same as in modern surface embroidery.

Crewel designs that were popular long ago included floral motifs, fruits, birds, and other animals. Crewel embroidery generally appears more 3-dimensional and puffy due to the thickness of the yarn.

You can learn more about the history of crewel embroidery here.

What are the three types of embroidery needles?

Embroidery, Chenille, and Tapestry needles are all considered needles you can embroider with!

What is the best needle for hand embroidery? What type of embroidery needles are used for most standard embroidery stitches?

John James, Tulip, and DMC carry good-quality needles that are smooth, durable, and rust-resistant.

The size of embroidery needles you use depends on how many strands of floss you are embroidering with. You can’t go wrong with a variety pack. You’ll use anywhere from 1 to all six strands of thread at a time. DMC has packs of sizes 3-9, which should be sufficient.

Size 3 needles are suitable for use with all six strands of floss, and the smaller sizes (up to size 9) are ideal for embroidering with 1-2 strands of thread.

What are needles usually made of? Are there hypoallergenic options?

Many of the most popular brands of hand embroidery needles contain nickel. If you have allergies, don’t worry: there are other options out there. Check out The Needle Lady, which offers stainless steel options.

I hope this guide to embroidery needles helped you find the correct needle for your next project! This article is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the different types, so if you’re looking to read more, Sew Guide has a very informative post about 16 types of hand sewing and embroidery needles. You may also enjoy this post that shares some needle storage ideas. Happy Stitching!