Gift idea
Gift for a crafter: what to give someone who loves to make things
For someone who loves crafts, give good tools they'll use every time, or a new project with everything ready to start. For embroidery, that means small sharp scissors, a wooden hoop, linen and floss. If they have a dog, a project made from their own dog's photo makes it personal, and it's a craft they can start the same day.
Tools crafters are glad to get
Crafters tend to own the basics already, in a slightly worn-out version. A better one of something they use every day is a gift they'll notice every time.
- Small, sharp embroidery scissors with narrow blades, about 1 to 2 inches long, for snipping close to the fabric. A good pair lasts for years.
- A needle minder, a little magnet that holds the needle on the fabric between stitches. (Magnets aren't for anyone with a pacemaker without a doctor's okay.)
- A wooden hoop with a brass screw, its inner ring bound with cotton twill tape.
- A mixed pack of crewel needles, such as sizes 3 to 9.
- A square of good linen, pre-washed and ready to stitch.
A starter set for hand embroidery
For someone who wants to try embroidery, put together the six things a first project needs. It's the same short list the Stitch Your Dog course uses:
A hand embroidery starter set
| Supply | What to get |
|---|---|
| Hoop | A 6-inch wooden hoop with a brass screw |
| Fabric | A 10-inch square of oatmeal linen, pre-washed |
| Floss | One skein of black six-strand floss |
| Needle | A crewel needle, size 7 to 9 |
| Transfer | Printable stick and stitch sheets |
| Scissors | Small, sharp embroidery snips |
Why each one is on the list is in what you need to start embroidery.
A project of their own dog
If the crafter in your life has a dog, the Stitch Your Dog course turns that dog's photo into a pattern with every stitch marked by a dot, and teaches the two stitches they need.
To be straight with you: there's no gift card or gift checkout for the course yet. It's set up for the person who will stitch: they join with their own email and upload their own dog's photo. So the simplest way to give it today is the starter set above, with a card telling them where to find the course and the free 3D Stitch Simulator, so they can try the stitches the same evening.
Or turn it around and stitch their dog for them. That's in a custom pet portrait you make yourself.
Match the gift to the crafter
Gift ideas by kind of crafter
| They... | Give them |
|---|---|
| Already embroider | A better version of a tool they use daily: scissors, a hoop, a needle minder |
| Knit, sew or quilt, but haven't embroidered | The starter set, and a project to start on |
| Love a challenge | A new stitch to master, like bullion knots or turkey work |
| Are short on time | A small project, like a 3-inch ornament |
Questions people ask
What do you get someone who loves crafts?
Something they'll use every time they sit down to make: really good small scissors, a better version of a tool they already use, or a new project with the supplies ready so they can start the day they open it.
Can I give the Stitch Your Dog course as a gift?
Not as a gift card yet. The course is set up for the person stitching: they join with their own email and upload their own dog's photo. You can give them the supplies and a card with the link.
What's a good gift for someone who embroiders?
Small sharp scissors with narrow blades, a wooden hoop with a brass screw, a needle minder or a square of good linen. Ask what they use most, and get them a better one.
Sources: Wandering Threads: 6 essential hand embroidery supplies · Needle 'n Thread: What's a needle minder? · Needle 'n Thread: Keeping it simple on hand embroidery needles