Thelife- Needlepoint projects can be time-consuming and expensive, so you need the right tools for a successful finished piece.
- Start by securing the needlepoint canvas in an American Dream Products Adjustable Oak Lap Frame for a timeless keepsake. Then, add four other must-have tools and supplies to your kit.
I discovered needlepoint while in college fine-arts class. The professor handed us a piece of needlepoint canvas, wool yarn, a blunt needle, and an instruction book of stitches and said, "Create." I soon discovered that needlepoint is much more than just medieval tapestries. With different yarns and stitches, you can "paint" any type of image you want. The mesh canvas backing makes the piece durable enough to be a rug, pillow, or tote bag, or delicate enough to be framed as art.
With that first piece, I made plenty of mistakes but was also hooked. It's not just your grandmother's needlepoint of delicate flowers in soft pinks and blues: Since needlepoint is worked by stitching in one direction, the canvas can become misshapen very quickly. My first attempts were not very good because I did not use a frame and because I tugged the threads too tightly, the piece turned from a square to a parallelogram. Even after blocking, I never got it completely square again.
That's when I learned about stitching frames and how they help keep the canvas from pulling and stretching. Through years of trial and error, I've refined my needlepoint supplies to the ones that are most functional and essential to my creations. (I have since created everything from Christmas stockings and pillows to upholstery and toys.) I do have other supplies that I pull out occasionally that are equally great such as a tote bag to hold work while on the go, a case for extra needles, and compression gloves to support sore hand muscles. I am always looking for the most effective, easiest to use, and the best value in products for myself and to recommend to others.
Here are the best needlepoint tools and supplies you can buy:
- Best needlepoint stitching frames: American Dream Products Adjustable Oak Lap Frame
- Best needlepoint thread organizer: D&D Floss Organizer
- Best needlepoint needle threader: DMC Aluminum Needle Threader
- Best needlepoint yarn snips: Fiskars Crafts Premier Ultra-Sharp Thread Snips
- Best needlepoint lighting and magnification: Brightech Lightview Pro XL Magnifying Glass
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.