Easy Seasonal Decorating with Embroidery Hoops

At our new house there’s a corner right behind the front door that I wanted to make my seasonal display wall. I have a small roll top desk with all of the little trinkets that I’ve found, or make, over the years. I’m excited to add new items each season! One of the easiest ways I’ve always decorated for seasons is by adding coordinating fabric to embroidery hoops. You need very basic sewing skills if you want to re-use them each year!

Here are 3 ways to use seasonal fabric and embroidery hoops for decorating. 

#1. Choose fabric with a busy, repeating design. This type of fabric should have a smaller print to make sure you can see a lot of the design in any size hoop. 

#2. Sew together coordination fabrics. With this type of design I like to use a pattern in seasonal colors mixed with a print. You can make a patchwork design, or simply use strips of fabric like I did here. 

#3. Choose fabric with one large focal point. Fabrics that have a larger design in the middle of smaller prints work well too if you make that the center of the hoop. You can bring the hoop you want to use with you to the fabric store to make sure it fits inside. 

Once you have the fabrics you want, place the hoop where you want it and tighten the hoop. Gently pull the fabric tight and trim around the edge. 

Leave at least 1-1.5 inches of fabric around the edge then loosely stitch that fabric and pull the thread tight to gather the fabric edge and knot shut. I like to use embroidery floss for a strong hold, but regular sewing thread will work as well. 

Once the season is over, you can cut the thread and re-use for next year. If you want these last even longer, you can apply light interfacing the back of your fabrics.  

For option #2, I used a straight stitch for the different pieces. When you pull the fabric tight, be mindful of the stitches pulling and showing the thread on the other side. To avoid this, you can use a decorative stitch to tighten the seams on the right side of the fabric. 

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