Wrapping your embroidery hoop is a simple and easy way to make the embroidery process smoother. It is an optional thing you can do when you are prepping to start an embroidery and has many benefits.
It helps to :
- protect and cushion delicate fabrics to prevent any damage from happening
- add extra tension to the inner and outer rings which helps to keep the fabric tight, preventing fabric slippage
- add extra friction and texture in between the inner and outer ring, which ultimately grips the fabric better
“Binding” embroidery hoops is another term that refers to wrapping the inner ring with some sort of fabric or binding tape, so I’ll be using these two words interchangeably in the post.
Materials Needed
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- Embroidery hoop – I recommend beechwood hoops as these are high quality and durable.
- Bias tape, cotton twill, or binding ribbon
- Needle and thread
What do you use to wrap an embroidery hoop?
There are several materials you can use to bind an embroidery hoop. Seam binding, twill tape, or ribbon are popular materials to use. Whichever fabric you end up choosing should not be too thick and it also should be even throughout. If the tape is layered or thicker in one area, it may not work as well.
I highly suggest going to the craft or fabric store as opposed to ordering something online at least for the first time. There are many different types of binding and bias tapes, which makes it hard to find the right one. It will be easier to physically see and select the tape you are going to use so you are sure you get one that will be suitable for embroidery hoops!
In this tutorial, I used rayon seam binding ribbon that I happened to find at an antique store. It’s a bit thinner than some of the other options out there but it still does the trick.
Binding Embroidery Hoops
First, you’ll want to loosen the screw of the hoop and separate the inner and outer rings. You’ll be wrapping the fabric or ribbon around the inner ring, so you can set the outer ring aside for the time being.
Begin wrapping the fabric at a slight diagonal around the hoop. The wraps should slightly overlap one another and not have too many wrinkles or irregularities. Go slowly to be sure you are wrapping it evenly.
After you have wrapped the entire way around, I like to temporarily secure the ends with a small piece of tape.
Then, secure the ends of the fabric together with a few stitches and secure with a knot.
You may be tempted to just use tape and skip the stitches, but tape will eventually wear out. Once you’ve bound an embroidery hoop, you can keep it for years to come and repeatedly use it for different projects. Save yourself the time it would take to redo it and secure it more permanently!
Now you’re ready use your bound embroidery hoop! You’ll want to loosen the screw on the outer ring until it firmly fits over the fabric and inner ring.
Pull the fabric so it is tight like a drum and evenly stretched across the hoop.
Enjoy!
