The best needlepoint kit depends upon your situation: how much you want to spend, your previous needlepoint experience, and the type of design you like. In this blog post we break these elements down so that you know where to go to find your best needlepoint kit.
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Affordable Needlepoint Kits
Needlepoint can be expensive, so needlepoint kits in general are a cheaper option than hand-painted canvases and threads. Simply by choosing a needlepoint kit over a hand-painted canvas you are saving a lot of money.
For example, this Christmas Truck needlepoint ornament kit by Poppy Monk is less than half the price of similar hand-painted needlepoint ornaments.
And, it comes with gorgeous silk threads and decorative stitch options!
Amazon has several low-cost needlepoint kit options. For example, needlepoint kits by Stitch & Zip are great choices because they turn into finished products once you have stitched them.
This cosmetic purse is an example of a needlepoint kit with cotton threads that is affordable and useful.
Stitch Ups offer other self-finishing options like these cutie-pie needlepoint Christmas ornaments (available in several styles)...
The best needlepoint kit for a beginner might be a plastic canvas kit. These are larger mesh (easier to see) and very easy to hold. This plastic canvas coaster needlepoint kit is the perfect affordable starter kit.
The Best Needlepoint Kits For Beginners
If you are just starting out with needlepoint, look for a few things in a great kit:
Not too much detail or hard-to-see color changes.
Start with something simple while you get the hang of a few needlepoint stitches.
Something like this Stacked Birds needlepoint kit is colorful, which makes it fun and interesting, but the stitched areas are a good size. This kit also has wool yarns which are super-easy to stitch with and great for beginners.
Or this delightful cat buddies design which is a simple yet modern design. If a needlepoint kit has only two or three colors, and large design areas, it is probably great for a beginner.
A larger mesh size
This is especially important if you have eyesight issues (aging, anyone?) or you like to stitch at night—a good needlepoint light is a must, by the way.
By larger mesh size we mean anything larger than 18 holes to the inch. Therefore, you are looking for a needlepoint kit that has a 8, 10, 12, 13, or 14 count canvas. The "count" refers to the number of holes per inch. The smaller the count number, the larger the mesh holes, and the easier it is to see and stitch!
This Botanical Leaf is a mid-century modern design on 14 count canvas. The decorative stitches are optional, and it has wool yarns for a wonderful stitching experience.
Designs that have lighter colors are also easier to see. So, avoid black, navy, and other dark colors, unless these are only small areas on your canvas (in which case, stitch them in daylight).
This Monstera Leaf needlepoint pillow kit is a good option on 8 holes to the inch needlepoint canvas. The yarn is acrylic which is why it is so affordable.
Thread that is easy to use.
The type of thread matters when searching for your best needlepoint kit. The easiest threads to use, and the most beautiful, will be natural fibers such as wool, silk, and cotton.
Poppy Monk needlepoint has several kits that use wool yarns and we find this fiber the easiest to stitch with because it is very "forgiving", it holds its loft and shape, and it makes a professional-looking tapestry.
Silk is another great option, and it tends to be found in smaller needlepoint kits and smaller mesh sizes, like 18 holes to the inch. Silk adds a lovely luster to the finished product, it is strong, and very easy to use.
Cotton often comes "plied" as cotton floss, and it is these plies, or strands that make up the fiber, that can make it not as popular. Sometimes the strands don't sit smoothly on the canvas. We would not discount cotton or cotton floss, but we like other fibers more for ease of stitching and overall look of the finished product.
Cheaper needlepoint kits will contain floss (it may be cotton or it may a cotton-lookalike) or acrylic wool, so keep this in mind when making your needlepoint kit selection—if the kit is more expensive it will almost certainly be because of the quality of the fibers included.
Find A Design You Love
You are going to be spending several relaxing and enjoyable hours with your needlework project, so finding a design you love is really important. Buy from a trusted source and make sure you can return the unstitched kit in its original condition if you are not happy with it.
There are so many needlepoint kits on the market today—more than ever before, so there is plenty of choice. At Poppy Monk we specialize in small needlepoint kits with high quality silk or wool threads. We love color and modern design. So, if that's your jam, and you love free shipping, free returns, and great customer service, then please take a look at our collection. Hopefully, you will find your best needlepoint kit right here.
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