Introduction: DIY Needlecraft Hoop

A quick and easy way to re-use plastic containers for small needlecraft projects.

Supplies
*Clean, dry, plastic container of appropriate diameter (smaller is stronger).
*Sharp Utility knife
*Good scissors

Step 1: The Cuts

use utility knife to cut along the inside of the lid
*top-down for safety and accuracy
*leave about 1/2 an inch for stability


use scissors to cut off the rim of the container, slightly less than half an inch.
*scissors instead of utility knife here, avoid accidental slices to the fingers


Step 2: Using the Hoop

lay lid piece (hoop) top-down on a flat surface

place fabric, right-side-down onto hoop in desired position

lay container piece (spring) over fabric, pull fabric taught. this is where a buddy comes in handy!

use fingers to press spring securely into hoop.

***do not snip the spring! it seems like a better idea than forcing the in-tact spring into the fabric-filled hoop, but it eliminates all possibility of retaining good tension and will try its best to wreck your day!*****

begin your needlecraft! *use a sharp sharp needle so as to not battle the tension of your fabric. the hoops you buy in the stores or inherit from grandma are far more sturdy! this is a quick fix for embellishing small bits of fabric and should be taken just as seriously ;)

Step 3: Stitching Sample!

okay, so I haven't cross stitched anything in a good long while.. but here's a sample of stitching!

the hoop held strong all through my thread tugging and needle poking :)