Tapestry used to require a lot of skills and craftsmanship, as you needed to be able to map out a chart with the stitches and colors to create a pattern. Nowadays, there are a lot of tapestry needlepoint kits with pre-printed templates and all of the required tools that you will need to make beautiful artwork for your home.
One plus side of the tapestry needlepoint craft is that, regardless of your skill level, you can still make beautiful colorful artworks. If you have a printed pattern on your canvas, crafting a tapestry only takes a bit of patience and consistent tension when you create your stitches.
So, what are the best tapestry needlepoint kits? The best tapestry needlepoint kits will be appropriate for your skill level and offer clear instructions. The final product should be high-quality, long-lasting, vibrant, and durable. It should also come with all the necessary tools needed to create a cohesive tapestry.
If you’ve been wanting to get into needlepoint, cross-stitching, or embroidery for a long time but were never sure where to start, a needlepoint kit is just the thing for you! Read on to learn about our top picks available on the market today.
Needlepoint Tapestry
Tapestry needlepoint is a craft with a rich history – it has been used to make wall decorations, rugs, and home decor pieces for centuries.
Needlepoint is very similar to embroidery or cross-stitching, except you will work with a stiff, loosely woven canvas and use yarn and a tapestry needle to cover the entire canvas with colorful patterns.
Depending on the stitch and thread count in the canvas, the tapestry can have a varying level of detail. This means if you are a beginner, you can work with a looser mesh canvas, which will result in bigger stitches and simpler patterns.
On the other hand, if you are an intermediate or an expert, you can work with a tighter canvas, which will result in finer details for your work. Tapestry needlepoint is a little bit different than cross-stitching. Tapestry needlepoint usually uses a woven or plastic mesh canvas with defined squares (holes).
The stitch you will use in tapestry needlepoint is called a tent stitch (which looks like a diagonal line from one square to another on the canvas), and is usually created with DK yarn that is thick enough to cover the mesh underneath.
Cross-stitching is usually worked with loosely woven fabric like linen, and the stitches are usually worked with fine threads. Cross-stitching creates stitches that look like an “x” on the fabric.
7 Best Tapestry Needlepoint Kits to Buy
As you can probably tell, cross-stitching is a bit more complicated than tapestry needlepoint. If you want something that’s simple and easy to learn yet allows you to create beautiful handcrafted artworks, tapestry needlepoint is definitely the right craft for you.
Whether you are a complete beginner or an expert in this area, you can find some benefits in buying a tapestry needlepoint kit. In this article, we will show you some of the most beautiful tapestry needlepoint kits you can find on the market today.
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dimensions Needlepoint Kit - Winter Sky Cabin | Intermediate, 11" x 14", cotton thread |
| 2. | London Needlepoint Kit Throw Pillow | Beginner, acrylic yarn, cotton canvas |
| 3. | Alex Craft Simply Needlepoint Flower | Beginner/child, plastic canvas, blunt needle |
| 4. | Design Works Crafts Needlepoint Kit - Butterflies | Beginner, acrylic yarn, 5" x 7" |
| 5. | Dimensions Needlepoint Kit - Sunflower & Ladybug | Intermediate, 5" x 5", cotton thread |
| 6. | Audemars Needlepoint Kit - New York | Intermediate, 9.8" x 13.8", thread |
| 7. | Alice Peterson Stitch & Zip Needlepoint Purse | Intermediate, 7" x 4.75", cotton floss |
1. Dimensions Needlepoint Kit – Winter Sky Cabin
This kit produces a gorgeous 11″ x 14″ piece that’s sure to be a conversation piece in your home.
Keep in mind that it is meant for intermediate to skilled needlepoint artists, and will present a satisfying challenge to those who are ready to take it on.
This kit comes with cotton thread and easy instructions for a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The canvas is printed with color blocking to assist you as you create your masterpiece. This means you won’t have white gaps in between your thread.
With painting-like quality, vibrant colors, and fine details, this tapestry is perfect for framing or for sewing onto a pillow or quilt. It also makes a wonderful gift not only for the winter holidays but all year long!
2. London Needlepoint Kit Throw Pillow
This needlepoint kit comes with everything you need to turn this 16″ by 16″ canvas into an amazing decor piece for your home.
Even if you have never experimented with tapestry needlepoint before, this kit is still easy enough to help you craft beautiful and functional artwork.
The kit comes with a cotton canvas, which has the pattern pre-printed on the material, so the only thing you need to do is match the color thread with the color on the canvas.
The count is 8 holes per inch, which means you can easily see the stitches and guide the tapestry needle to create your stitches.
With this set, you can use a cross-stitch or a half stitch to create the pattern – but the half stitch is definitely easier for beginners. The pattern is detailed enough to create an intricate artwork but still simple enough that even a complete novice can understand and follow along.
This particular design is a scene of London, with the signature telephone booth and red buses, but there are more patterns from this company with an array of colors to suit your tastes and home decor.
Although the design only uses a few dominant colors, it still allows you to show off your skills by following the pre-printed pattern to create the finer details.
The kit comes with a tapestry needle and acrylic yarn in all of the colors you will need to craft the artwork. The yarn is pre-cut into 32″ pieces, so you don’t have to do much preparation before stitching. If you are unsure of how to create the stitches, the kit also comes with detailed instructions to help you get started.
We love that the canvas is cotton, which requires a bit of care when you sew, but it is a soft and highly breathable material that will make an amazing pillowcase. When you are done crafting your masterful artwork, you can have a beautiful yet functional throw pillow that will be a great conversation piece in your home.
3. Alex Craft Simply Needlepoint Flower
If you are a complete beginner who has never worked with tapestry needlepoint before, we definitely recommend practicing with a plastic mesh canvas. The plastic material is stiff, which makes the canvas easier to hold and see your stitches.
That’s if you are a beginner; this needlepoint kit is perfect for you to understand the basics. It comes with a blunt needle, so if you want to teach your children about the art of needlepoint stitching, this would be perfect for that purpose.
This kit comes with a 6.5″ by 6.5″ plastic canvas with a pre-printed flower pattern on it, as well as some instructions to help you understand where your stitches should be and how you can create new stitches.
After you have the basics down, it’s only a matter of using the right color of yarn to match with the pattern on the plastic canvas.
This pattern is very simple to read and follow. You can clearly see the individual squares on the canvas, which makes it easy to see the pattern and create new stitches for the tapestry.
As we mentioned, this kit includes a kid-friendly plastic blunt needle as well as 8 colors of acrylic yarn that is pre-cut for your convenience. After you are done creating your tapestry, you can use the included plastic frame (7″ by 7″) to display your artwork proudly around your home.
This tapestry needlepoint kit is a great introduction to this art because of the friendly material as well as the simple pattern. You can use this kit to practice your skills before moving on to more sophisticated artworks.
4. Design Works Crafts Needlepoint Kit Butterflies
This needlepoint kit is another option for beginners if you are looking for a quick, fun, and easy way to learn about needlepoint stitching.
The 5″ by 7″ canvas is just big enough to make the practice worthwhile, and the 12-count composition (12 squares per inch) allows you to clearly see the stitches and the pattern printed on the canvas.
A needlepoint kit like this is great for beginners because it allows you to easily see the pattern and practice creating stitches and creating an even tension among your stitches.
It doesn’t take long to create a finished piece, and you will have something hand-made to proudly display in your home or even give away as a gift.
Because this needlepoint kit is designed for beginners, the level of detail is minimal – you will have to work some outlines and some smaller details, but it shouldn’t take too much work to create a finished product.
The kit comes with pre-cut acrylic yarn in all of the colors that you will need to craft this piece. If you are a beginner, this is a good needlepoint kit for practicing and leveling up your skills before working on bigger projects.
5. Dimensions Needlepoint Kit – Sunflower and Ladybug
This sunflower and ladybug piece is another beautiful needlepoint artwork that you can create yourself and proudly display in your home.
The kit comes with a 14-count (14 squares for each inch) mesh canvas with a pre-printed pattern, which allows you to create a lot of intricate details with your craft.
If you look closely at the pattern, you will see that each flower petal is crafted with multiple colors and many stitches. Even the shading and the tiny little ladybug are carefully designed.
The 14-count composition of the mesh canvas allows you to add those details to create amazing artwork for your home.
The artwork measures 5″ by 5″, which is just enough to create a beautiful artwork without taking too much of your time. The mesh canvas is stiff enough so that you will be able to easily hold and see the pre-printed pattern and recreate it with your stitches.
This kit comes with everything you will need to accomplish this mission, including the patterned mesh canvas, the tapestry needle, pre-cut cotton thread in the colors you will need, as well as easy-to-follow instructions.
Normally, if you want to create a tapestry with such fine details, you will need to create a pattern chart and follow it closely, which can be quite painful. This kit already takes care of the boring parts for you, so you can just get to work.
Because of the stitch count per inch, this artwork will require more skills and patience, so beginners need to carefully consider it before picking up this needlepoint kit. However, the result can be quite rewarding – you will have a beautiful artwork to display in your home or even sew into a pillow or a handbag.
6. Audemars Needlepoint Kit New York
At first glance, this artwork looks quite stunning, and it looks nothing like a handcrafted creation.
When you investigate the artwork closely, you will see that it is created with hundreds of fine little stitches to create the shapes and colors that you see here.
“New York” is quite a big artwork – 9.8″ by 13.8″ – that will require some time commitment to accomplish.
The 14-count mesh canvas allows you to craft quite a detailed artwork, completed with shading and highlights, which adds depth and elevates the piece to a whole new level.
This kit uses cotton thread rather than yarn or wool threads, which can give you an impression of lightness thanks to the thread’s fine weight and subtlety. Of course, all of the threads are pre-cut and come in all of the colors you will need to create this work of art.
Keep in mind that because of the level of detail in this artwork, you will need to have some needlepoint skills to get the desired results. If you are a beginner, it will take a lot of patience to complete an artwork such as this one, but the result will be very rewarding.
7. Alice Peterson Stitch & Zip Needlepoint Purse
If you want to invest some time into crafting a beautiful and useful piece that you will reach for every single day, this needlepoint purse can help you do just that.
The kit comes with a preassembled cosmetic case, so you don’t have to worry about sewing or any finishing.
You will only need to follow the pre-printed pattern on the canvas (which is already sewn into one side of the purse) to create your own needlepoint purse.
This purse can hold plenty of items like makeup or loose change, so you will have something functional to carry with you after stitching the needlepoint canvas.
The purse measures 7″ by 4.75″, with a 14-count canvas on one side for needlepoint stitching. With an abstract pattern pre-printed on the canvas, it is quite easy to craft a needlepoint artwork that allows you to show off your skills. Thanks to the compact size of the purse, you can have a finished, usable product in just a few hours.
The included thread in this kit is cotton floss rather than DK yarn. Cotton thread is quite lightweight and smooth, allowing you to create fine details with your stitches. The surface of the needlepoint artwork will be smooth and soft, nicely complementing the size of the purse.
Because the purse is a 3-D shape rather than a flat canvas, it will be a bit difficult for you to see the wrong side of the canvas to work the stitches. Therefore, we would recommend this needlepoint kit for those who already have some experience with the craft and can comfortably work the stitches on a canvas like this one.
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