My mom asked me to pick up some embroidery thread for her the next time I was in Hobby Lobby, so the other day I made a trip to grab the requested colors. I was actually a little shocked at how inexpensive embroidery thread was (only 40 cents per skein) and started brainstorming all the different ways you could use the stuff right there in the aisle of Hobby Lobby.
When I got home, Pinterest confirmed my suspicion that there had to be a million different uses for embroidery thread, so today I wanted to share my top 10 (click on the photo to link to the project on Pinterest).
1. Create Colorful Earrings
A paperclip, an earring hook, and your favorite hue, and you’ve got a set of practically free accessories for your next party.
2. Make Your Own Wrapped Necklaces
Did you ever make one of these wrapped necklaces when you were younger? It’s such a simple process. I remember using the same technique on a rope belt when I was in middle school (a rope belt? yeah, I was the cool kid).
3. Knot a Bracelet for Your BFF
No embroidery thread round-up would be complete without including friendship bracelets in the mix! I think I spent a whole summer trying out every design in this book – I highly recommend it for the pre-teens in your life.
4. Wrap a Vase
Got an old vase or bottle that doesn’t suit your new style? Make it into a fun accent piece by wrapping it in embroidery thread.
5. Create Word Art
I love the idea of using a piece of wood with some strategically-placed nails to create word art for the home.
6. Hang Your Very Own Solar System
Using balloons, glue and water, and lots of embroidery thread, you could create this awesome solar system for (or with) your kids.
7. Wrap Up A Holiday Wreath
They’re going to be here before we know it – the holidays. If December is too long to wait to create this wrapped wreath, why not try one out in black and orange for Halloween, or make a pencil-inspired one for back to school?
8. Decorate Brown Paper Packages
Here’s another use that doesn’t depend on the holidays. The next time you need a creative wrapping solution, grab a brown paper bag or piece of printer paper and let the embroidery thread be the star.
9. Add Pizzaz with Decorative Stitching
Still on my to-do list is adding accent stitching to the pouf I sewed for our Pouf-A-Long party. You could play around with all kinds of stitches to give your poufs (or pillows) a shot of interest and color.
10. Create Frame-able Art
Of course you could always use embroidery thread for its typical purpose. Embroidery patterns have come a long way since the stitched scenes our mothers and grandmothers created. You could tackle something simple, like this button art…
Or something a bit more intricate like this gorgeous ABC sampler. (This piece will make it into our nursery someday, mark my words!)
If you do decide to tackle an embroidery project like this one, you might need a refresher on some of the stitching techniques. Thanks again to Pinterest, here’s a link to instructions on every stitch you (n)ever needed.
Finally, if you’re going to be tackling one of these fun projects, you might need a cute way to store your embroidery thread. How about old-fashioned clothespins…
Or a more modern and adorable approach?
So what do you think about using embroidery thread? Does it still have an old-fashioned stigma to you, or would you try one of these projects yourself?
Happy crafting and DIYing and have a great weekend, everybody!
