The best gifts for embroiderers depend on whether they already stitch. Someone who wants to learn needs the whole setup in one box, so they can open it and start. Someone who has stitched for years owns the basics and will get more use out of a tool that makes the work easier.
The Embroidery Stitch Book is our own kit, so it’s our pick for beginners. We don’t sell any of the tools we suggest for experienced stitchers; craft stores and online shops carry them.
Gifts for someone who wants to learn embroidery
For beginner embroiderers, look for a complete kit, with the hoop, floss, needles and scissors inside and the designs already printed on the fabric. Getting a design onto fabric is one of the first things beginners get stuck on, and a printed design skips that step.
Check how the kit teaches, too. Stitches are easier to learn by watching a needle move than from a diagram, so a video for each stitch saves a lot of guesswork. Small projects help as well. A beginner who finishes a little flower in an evening wants to start the next one, while a big design in fifteen colors can sit half done for months.
If they’d rather learn with other people, a class at a local needlework shop is another good gift. Add a kit, so they have something to keep stitching at home between lessons.
Our pick: the Embroidery Stitch Book
The LineaCraft Embroidery Stitch Book is a hand embroidery kit that closes like a small book. Inside the faux leather hardcover, 10 removable linen pages sit on loose-leaf rings. They’re printed with 33 stitches and 22 mini projects (flowers, fruit and little baskets), and the stitches go from easy to advanced. Each stitch has a step-by-step video that opens from a QR code in the instruction booklet. Pockets in the cover hold the hoop, 24 colors of floss, 16 needles, a needle threader, a seam ripper and scissors, so there’s nothing else to buy. If you haven’t seen one, our guide explains how a stitch book works.
As a gift, the cover looks like a present before you wrap it. The kit is made for adults and teens, and it suits anyone who has said they’d like a hobby away from screens. It’s a weaker choice for someone who wants to start with a large piece to frame, since all 22 projects are small.
Embroidery gifts for teens
Teens need the same kind of kit as adult beginners. Small projects suit them well, and they can follow the stitch videos on their own phone while the stitching itself happens away from the screen. Our Stitch Book is made for adults and teens and has 22 mini projects. For a younger child, look for a kit made for their age, with a blunt needle and a bigger design.
Gifts for embroiderers who already stitch
Someone who already embroiders owns a hoop and floss, and probably has opinions about both. A tool is a safer gift than a pattern, because you don’t have to guess their taste.
A good light
Embroidery is close work, and a living room lamp often isn’t bright enough for small stitches or dark fabric in the evening. A bright lamp on an adjustable arm, or a light that hangs around the neck, puts the light right on the hoop. Some lamps have a magnifier built in, which helps with the smallest stitches.
Embroidery scissors
A small pair with sharp, fine points cuts floss close to the fabric. Stork-shaped scissors are the classic design. Many stitchers keep one pair only for floss, since cutting paper dulls the blades.
A needle minder
A needle minder is a pair of magnets, one on the front of the fabric and one behind it. It holds the needle while they stop to check the pattern, so the needle doesn’t end up in the sofa. They come in all kinds of designs, which makes them an easy small gift.
A hoop stand
A stand holds the hoop, so both hands are free: one works above the fabric and one below. It’s most useful for big pieces and long evenings of stitching.
Floss storage
Floss tangles once the paper bands come off. Floss bobbins (small cards to wind each color on) and a box with compartments keep a growing collection in order. If they write the color number on each bobbin, it’s easy to buy the same shade again.
Fabric, hoops and patterns
Every project needs fabric, so a few pieces of linen or cotton in plain colors will get used. Hoops in a few sizes make sense too, because a finished piece can hang on the wall in its hoop and stitchers keep needing new ones. If you know a designer whose work they like, buy one of their patterns.
Transfer supplies for their own designs
If they like to stitch their own drawings, give them a way to get the design onto fabric: a pen whose lines wash out with water, or printable water-soluble stabilizer sheets they stick on the fabric, stitch through and rinse away.
Christmas gifts for embroiderers
Christmas is a good excuse for a craft night. Give each guest a kit and stitch together over the holidays. The mini projects in the Stitch Book are small, so the first evening ends with something finished.
For the stitcher who has everything, pick something small from the tools above. A needle minder or a pair of stork scissors fits in a stocking.
Questions about embroidery gifts
What do you get someone who wants to learn embroidery?
A complete beginner kit, with the designs printed on the fabric, the hoop, floss, needles and scissors included, and a video for each stitch. That way they can start the day they open it.
What are good Christmas gifts for embroiderers?
For a beginner, a complete kit. For someone who already stitches, a tool they’ll use often, such as a good lamp, embroidery scissors, a needle minder or a hoop stand.
Is an embroidery kit a good gift for a teenager?
Yes, if it has small projects and clear instructions. Our Stitch Book is made for adults and teens and has a video for every stitch.
Is the Stitch Book a good gift for someone who already embroiders?
It’s our pick for beginners. The stitches go from easy to advanced, so someone who stitches now and then may still find new ones. For an experienced stitcher, a tool they’ll use on every project is the safer choice.
What if they use an embroidery machine?
Then pick gifts made for machine embroidery. It uses its own thread, stabilizers and hoops that fit the machine, so ask which machine they have before you buy supplies.