
You might think embroidery hoops are just one of the tools your grandmother used for her embroidery work. But hoops are an eco-friendly way to show off various types of crafts, art, and even vintage scarves.
You can easily find vintage hoops from eBay or on Etsy. You don’t even need to know how to sew or embroider. All you need is some imagination and you can have stylish hoop art to decorate your walls or to give as gifts. But if you really wanted to learn how to embroider, Martha Stewart has a nice crash course, “How To: Embroidery.”
Here are five ways you can use hoops to display your art, crafts and vintage fabrics.
1. Eco-Felt
Use recycled felt to make simple and colorful gifts. You can use buttons to embellish them or express certain sentiments with minimal stitching. You can even glue the buttons on if you don’t want to sew.
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2. Holiday Art
Betz White created these hoop art creations for various holidays. How cute are these ideas for Halloween? Again, embroidery thread and needle are not necessary. And how cuddly is Hoopie the Snowman? All she used was a felted wool sweater, buttons, and a couple of hoops.
[Images used with permission from Betz White]
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3. Doilies
Mayamade has an even simpler idea of displaying vintage doilies on hoops as wall art. Vintage lace would work beautifully too.
[Image used with permission from Mayamade]
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4. Clock
LAMDesigns makes clocks with all kinds of buttons using hoops. She has different sizes and different color schemes in her shop. How clever and functional are these?
[Image used with permission from LAMDesigns]
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5. Vintage Scarf
Display your favorite vintage scarf on a hoop. Changing the display is a cinch and no wall level is necessary.
What would you like to display on hoops?
[Image used with permission from Rikkianne Van Kirk]
















Karen! This is so timely. I’m about to come into a set of big embroidery hoops tonight from a friend who’s destashing. The plan is to screen print some of my designs onto vintage fabric and display them in the hoops. I can’t wait to get started!
Hoops make great instant frames. I love how they are so easy change them up! Can’t wait to see them when you are done with your displays!