Finishing the Hoop
Lay your project face-down on your work surface. Find a clean, flat area where you can finish up your embroidery project. Flip your project over, so the actual embroidery is face-down while the back of the wooden embroidery hoop is face-up.
Sew a loose running stitch along the outside of the hoop. Thread a needle with a 1 to 2 ft (0.30 to 0.61 m) length of embroidery thread. Focusing on the excess fabric, weave the thread in and out of the fabric to create a line of loose stitches going around the outside of the hoop. At the beginning and end of this stitched loop, you’ll have 2 extra “tails” thread dangling from the bottom of your embroidery project. This stitching should look like a big circle. You don’t need to do any fancy stitching for this—very simple stitches will suffice.
Cut the extra fabric off the wooden hoop so there’s only ⁄2 in (1.3 cm) left. Snip off the excess fabric from around your hoop, leaving about ⁄2 in (1.3 cm) margin of fabric outside of your stitching. Toss out any of the leftover fabric that you’ve trimmed away from the hoop.
Tug on the loose thread tails to pull the stitched fabric into the hoop. Grab both sections of leftover thread that are sticking out along the bottom of the hoop. Pull on them firmly, which will cause the leftover fabric to tighten and be pulled into the hoop itself. Continue tugging on these threads until the fabric cannot tighten anymore. The fabric will look ruffled once it’s pulled into the hoop.
Tie the loose threads together in a single knot to secure the fabric. Knot the leftover tails that you just used to pull in the extra fabric. Once they’re tied, leave them in the center of the embroidery hoop.
Trace and cut out a circular piece of fabric to cover the back. Place a piece of wool or felt on top of your embroidery hoop. Trace along the circular edge with a fabric marker, then cut out the circle. You’ll be using this to “back” your embroidery hoop, so it’ll be ready to go on display.
Glue the trimmed fabric down so it stays in place. Place a few dots of hot glue beneath the fabric ruffles, so they stay put behind the embroidery hoop. Wait several seconds for the glue to dry before you move your hoop around anywhere.
Secure the felt circle to the back with glue. Drizzle a ring of hot glue along the perimeter of your fabric circle. Lightly press this felt onto the back of the hoop, which will cover the leftover fabric. Give the glue several seconds to dry completely before you display the hoop. You can also stitch this circle to the back of your hoop, but this may take a bit more time.
Hanging Wall Displays
Attach a hanging loop near the screw on top of the hoop. Drape a loop of string along the top screw of your embroidery hoop. Hang this loop over any type of nail or wall hook, so you can display your embroidery wherever you’d like. To hide the screw and hanging loop, glue a nice bow to the top of your hoop as an extra decoration.
Try using mounting blocks for a nail-free solution. Grab a pack of mounting blocks, or small squares with a sticky adhesive that go directly on your wall. Stick 2 mounting blocks on top of one another to create a really thick “hook,” then drape the top of the hoop over the mounting block. This will work best if your hoop doesn’t have a fabric backing on it.
Hang up your embroidery hoop in a custom frame. Search online for specialty frames designed specifically for embroidery hoops, or other related products. Arrange and secure your hoop in this frame before placing it on the wall. These types of frames are pretty inexpensive. You can find them on different crafting websites, like Etsy.
Display your embroidery hoops in a group on a gallery wall. If you create a lot of embroidery designs, it might be worth displaying them in a group together! Look for an area in your home where you have a lot of open wall space, and display your hoops there! You don’t need a special design or pattern in mind as you hang them up—all of your hoops together will create a really fresh, eclectic look.
Creative Display Options
Prop your hoop on a shelf as a simple decoration. Embroidery hoops have a lot of structure on their own, and don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to be put on display. Look for any open areas on a bookshelf, hutch, or mantel, and see if you can prop your hoop up there. For instance, you can prop up an embroidery hoop on a piece of furniture in your dining room as a simple decoration.
Drape the hoop over a doorknob. Attach a hanging loop or other type of sting to the top screw on your embroidery hoop. Place this hoop over your doorknob, so you can keep it on display in a subtle, creative way.
Place your hoop on a small craft easel as a cute display option. Visit your local craft store and pick up a tiny, decorative wooden easel. Keep this easel on a shelf, or another piece of furniture where it can be displayed prominently.
Display your small hoops as Christmas tree ornaments. If you made an embroidery design on a small hoop, think about repurposing it as a Christmas ornament! Attach an ornament hanger to the top screw along your embroidery hoop, then dangle it from a tree branch. You can always cater your future embroidery designs to a holiday theme if you plan on doing this.
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