Beyond the Box – other places to find Needlepoint Embellishments

Recently I was frustrated with finding a bead for a piece. I could find the color I wanted but only in too small a size. I was in my local bead store recently and found exacly what I was looking for.

If you don’t find what you want in a needlepoint shop, think outside the box. Try a bead store for beads (especially larger sizes), a fabric store or interesting buttons, the hardware store for rubber gaskets to become the base for rings, a hobby or dollhouse store for minature items to add to your needlepoint.

Items like these add a wonderful third dimension to your work.

I thought I would give you some ideas by linking to an item and then talking about how I might use it.

Large Beads: These large yellow beads are going to be the centers of my poinsettias. They are the right size and scale and will mass together in a natural way.

Rubber Gaskets: Last week, I saw a great 12 Days of Christmas which had 3-D golden rings. They were made using rubber gaskets from the hardware store and covering them with Buttonhole Stitch in gold thread. Fantastic and so realistic!

Miniatures: One of the best needlepoints I’ve ever seen was a Southwest garden with miniature baskets, pots, plates and plants on it. While I don’t think I’ll ever duplicate it, At a dollhouse store you will find the right scale and wonderful quality for many items. It could be as simple as a bow on a needlepoint package, or as complex as the tackle box next to a fishermen But there are so may other cool ideas — what about putting a miniature pot on a needlepoint of a stove or a real pillow on a chair, or a clock in the background of a room. It doesn’t even need to be painted on the canvas.

Now I’m going to go dream some!