My favorite hand embroidery supplies, tools, and materials
Choosing high-quality hand embroidery supplies can make your embroidery process smooth and enjoyable. On the other hand – poor-quality tools and materials will lead to frustration and disappointment.
Hand embroidery art is laborious and time-consuming, so don’t waste time working with questionable materials.
Disclaimer: To cover the cost of creating free embroidery patterns and video tutorials for this blog, I do sometimes link to products. Please assume these links are affiliate links. If you choose to buy through my links then THANK YOU – it will make it possible for me to keep doing this.
My favorite hand embroidery supplies
Embroidery Fabrics
The general recommendation for embroidery fabrics is a medium-weight natural fabric with a tight weave (high thread count). It will do well for any surface embroidery project. More about the fabrics for embroidery in “An in-depth guide to hand embroidery fabrics.“
My top 3 choices:
Embroidery Threads
Embroidery floss and threads are an essential group of hand embroidery materials. And the choices here are almost infinite. More about embroidery threads: “An in-depth guide to hand embroidery threads, floss, and other types of yarn you can use to embroider.“
My top 3 choices:
Embroidery Needles
You probably already found out that not all the needles are the same. They vary in size and shape and serve different purposes. So, which ones should be on our list and why? More on that in “Hand embroidery needles and all you need to know to choose the right one.“
My top 3 choices:
Embroidery Hoops and Frames
An embroidery hoop is one of the main items on the embroidery supplies list. You may change the fabric and the threads from project to project. But the embroidery hoop, if chosen right, will stay, and you will use it repeatedly. More about this embroidery tool in “Embroidery hoops. Types, sizes, and how to choose the best hoop for hand embroidery“.
My top 3 choices:
Scissors and Cutting Tools
Often, embroidery scissors get the least attention, but they are still significant for the smooth hand embroidery process. Besides that, how cute are these scissors and snips? More about this tool in “Types Of Scissors, Snippers, And Shears You Should Have In Your Craft Drawer As An Embroiderer. “
My top 3 choices:
Marking Tools
You can choose from various tools and materials to transfer an embroidery pattern to the fabric. Some are specialized and made for embroidery purposes, and some are simple tools we use daily at home. More about these tools and methods in the article “How to transfer embroidery pattern to the fabric.“
My top 3 choices:
Stabilizers and Interfacings
There are a couple of stabilizer types for embroidery – tear away, cut away, or heat away. These are materials that provide temporary support to fabrics during the embroidery process. I have “The Ultimate Guide to Water Soluble Stabilizers for Hand Embroidery” if you care to learn more about this embroidery supply.
My top 3 choices:
Tools for creative mending and repair
For various mending projects, you will need different supplies. You will need darning needles, wool yarn, or a knitwear brush to fix a wool sweater. Sewing notions and fabric scraps are the materials for patching clothes, and so on.
You will find a long list of my favorite tools and materials for mending in the article “Mending tools and materials. What you need to get started with visible mending“.
My top 3 choices:
Lighting and Magnification
Good lighting helps reduce eye strain and fatigue, especially during long embroidery sessions. Lighting is vital for maintaining good eye health and ensuring comfort while working. Proper lighting is essential for accurately distinguishing between colors, and it reduces the risk of accidents, such as pricking your finger with a needle. Besides that, the bright light source is essential for some pattern transfer techniques. More about that in the article “How to transfer hand embroidery patterns – simple and inexpensive Lightbox method.”
My top 3 choices:
Storage and Organization
You need to organize your stash to make the best use of your embroidery supplies. Read this article for some ideas and inspiration – “How to Organize Embroidery Floss and Thread: Practical Solutions for Busy Creatives.”
My top 3 choices:
Books to learn hand embroidery
You can learn hand embroidery by following YouTube tutorials or an Online course. But reading a paperback book is just another level of experience and a different way of learning. I wrote an entire article about hand embroidery books – “Best hand embroidery books: For reference, inspiration and skill-building” if you wish to dive deeper.
My top 3 choices:
Hand embroidery accessories
These cute tools are a nice-to-have addition to the above list of essential tools and materials you will need for hand embroidery. Indeed, they are not the must-have hand embroidery supplies but may make your heart happy.
My top 3 choices:
Best places to buy hand embroidery supplies
- Your local craft shop. I’m a big advocate for supporting small local businesses. If you have an independent haberdashery shop near you, check out their offering first.
- Local online shops. Save on local shipping and support independent local businesses. Check out Snuggly Monkey in the US, Beyond Measure in the UK, Hand Embroidery Supplies in Australia, La Mercerissima in Italy or Ka Siulai in Lithuania.
- Etsy creative market is full of small independent sellers that offer a vast choice of hand embroidery supplies, tools, and materials.
- Amazon has a broad offering of embroidery tools and materials. I like this marketplace for getting my embroidery books.
More about hand embroidery tools and materials:
- My favorite hand embroidery supplies, tools, and materials
- Hand embroidery needles
- Embroidery hoops
- Embroidery floss and threads
- Guide to hand embroidery fabrics
- Scissors for hand embroidery
- Water soluble stabilizers
- Carbon paper for pattern transfer
- Mending tools and materials
- Mini embroidery hoops
- Best hand embroidery books
- Embroidery materials for beginners
