You’re all done stitching, and now you’re wondering what to do with your finished embroidery project!
The most common way, of course, is to keep the embroidery in the hoop and finish the back of the hoop with fabric or felt. But there are even better, more creative ways to display finished embroidery projects that I wanted to share in this post.
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!
What To Do With Embroidery When You’re Done Stitching
Frame It
You can frame your embroidery in a traditional frame using a sticky mounting board. This gives your embroidery a more polished look than an unfinished embroidery hoop will, and it’s super easy to do yourself! I like to collect vintage frames that I find at thrift stores to use. It really adds a unique look.
Check out this tutorial on how to frame embroidery.
Display In An Embroidery Frame
Turn any boring embroidery hoop into a framed work of art in minutes. If you don’t have enough fabric leftover to frame the embroidery in a square or rectangle frame, these display frames come in handy!
Stitch Life Studio and Modern Hoopla both make wood embroidery frames in a variety of fun designs that you can attach directly to the embroidery hoop.
Make A Banner
This method requires quite a bit of fabric, but if you have enough fabric leftover, you can sew your embroidery into a banner to hang and display.
Check out this tutorial on how to make a pennant banner and this video on how to make a banner like the one pictured above.
Stretch Over Canvas
If you’re not into framing your embroidery and you also don’t want to leave it in a hoop, you can purchase stretched canvas from most craft stores that you can secure the fabric onto using a heavy duty stapler.
Leaving it frameless makes for a neat, modern looking piece of art.
Check out this post by needlenthread for some ideas!
Use a Display Stand
An easy way to elevate any piece of art is to put it on display on a table top or shelf using a cute, wood embroidery stand.
Make A Patch
A great way to make a finished embroidery more functional is to make it into a patch that you can sew onto clothing. Trim the extra fabric into a circle or square. Depending on what kind of fabric you used, you’ll want to make sure to prevent any fraying from occurring. You can finish the edges with fabric fray glue or with a blanket stitch.
Turn It Into A Quilt
If you’re like me, you probably trimmed the fabric around the hoop so it doesn’t get in the way. The good news is you probably still have enough to make your embroidery into a quilt square! Patchwork and applique quilts are so fun; why not add your embroidery to one? You can check out this post that goes over some tips to properly add you embroidery to a quilt in this post by Diary Of A Quilter.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy this post all about how to keep the back of your embroidery looking nice.
Mason Jar Cover
I see these cute little mason jar covers all over Pinterest and I’m obsessed. They make any glass jar super cottagecore, and these covers are very easy to make.
All you have to do is cut out your fabric in a circle (make sure you leave enough room for the fabric to drape over the lid) and make a blanket stitch around the edge to prevent the fabric from fraying.
It’s really amazing what you can do with embroidery. I hope some of these ideas inspired you and helped you figure out what to do with your finished embroidery pieces!
Amanda is a hand embroidery artist and teacher. With over 15 years of experience in the craft industry and embroidery, she owns and runs Crewel Ghoul, sharing tutorials and patterns to help inspire fellow crafters to get inspired and creative. In addition to running this website, she teaches on Skillshare and Youtube.
