Embroidery looks complicated, but having a kit to guide you is an easy way to start—even if you’re a total beginner. That was me at one point, but then my best friend gifted me a beginner embroidery kit she started with, and it helped me learn a variety of stitches in no time.
My friend gifted me the Santune Embroidery Starter Kit, and after completing my first project, I was immediately hooked. I created beautiful floral patterns with that set, and the included supplies have remained staples in my craft collection ever since. Embroidery has become my new cozy hobby, and I can embroider T-shirts, jeans, tote bags, and more.
This kit includes everything you need to get started, and then some
The Santune Embroidery Starter Kit comes with one large embroidery hoop, three fabrics with pattern templates, six embroidery needles, mini scissors, one needle threader, instructional pamphlets, and three packs of string with colors for each design. I was given the Pothos Series design, but you can choose from 17 sets, each with three or four fabrics featuring unique designs.
To this day, I still use the needles, needle threader, and ring from this kit (hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!). The fabric is square, so I cut off the excess around the ring to use for mini embroidery projects with mini hoops to make keychains. It even comes with the exact string colors you need for these designs, which can be tricky and expensive to individually buy. Plus, I had leftover string in almost all of the colors, which came in handy for small portions of other projects.
When I was given this kit three years ago, it came with three hoops—that’s how I hung two on my bedroom wall. But I don’t love that you’ll need extra hoops or frames to display all three embroidery projects from this kit at the same time. Still, I think it’s a great deal for less than $20.
The instructions help, but YouTube tutorials made assembly much easier
Each of these designs comes with an instructional pamphlet and a QR code to videos for step-by-step instructions. In the pamphlet, there is a page with an image of the finished project, with each portion labeled with the stitch and the number of strands needed. This diagram and the pre-printed template are what make this kit (and most embroidery kits, for that matter) ideal for beginners. If I had started with a blank piece of fabric without an outlined design, it would’ve been more difficult to learn which type of stitch a leaf should be, versus a petal on a flower or pollen in the center.
The kit comes with instructional videos, which I didn’t realize at first. Instead, I searched on YouTube for how to do each stitch listed on the diagram page until I completed the project. I particularly loved the tutorial videos posted by Cutesy Crafts on YouTube. She has a video for every stitch I’ve needed to learn so far.
I’m convinced this helped me understand the foundational stitches better because I wasn’t blindly following the kit…but for all I know, I made it harder for myself. Regardless, I thought the labeled image made it easy to learn each stitch’s proper name, which helped me continue making embroidery projects after this kit. The pamphlet also includes small graphics for each stitch to show how to do so, but I think these are difficult to understand.
At first, I was a bit confused by some of the terms from the instructions, but new hobbies come with a learning curve. Just to help you out, when the diagram says something along the lines of “Satin Stitch (2 Strands),” it means to split the thread with your fingers and separate two thin pieces. This process is easier than it sounds, and this YouTube video does a great job of showing you how. Also, keep in mind that some videos and articles refer to it as string, thread, or floss (but the terms are interchangeable for the most part!).
The kit taught me skills that lead me to embroidering my own clothes
Since this kit gets you started with foundational stitches that are used to embroider letters, flowers, and most designs, you’ll be able to use these new skills to embroider anything your heart desires. I embroider small designs like butterflies and strawberries onto T-shirts and jeans sometimes, but I more often use my embroidery skills to create gifts for others.
Every year, I embroider my cousin's daughter a personalized birthday shirt. I love seeing how my designs have become more intricate by the year. For her birthday this year, embroidered fish and sea turtles for an under-the-sea theme. Once you learn how to do a stem stitch, it’s easy to embroider letters and create outlines of items (whether that be a butterfly, sea turtle, or flower).
Plus, you can switch up the medium you use as well. I’ve embroidered pieces of fabric onto clothing to create a patchwork style, and I recently learned how to embroider beaded designs. So far, I’ve created beaded cherries, flowers, and ladybugs. All of them get so many compliments when I wear them. I use 3mm glass beads to embellish tank tops, a beading needle, and a thin strand of string. The supplies are affordable on Amazon, and beaded tops are in style right now (so you’ll be saving money by creating your own beaded clothing rather than shopping for them!).
This kit is also a great gift, especially for those going through a tough time
I was gifted this kit after a surgery that rendered me home and bored for a few weeks, and it was the perfect gift for this time in my life (thanks, bestie!). The repetitive motions for each stitch type mean this craft doesn’t require too much brain power or physical effort, and you can essentially lie in bed all day while embroidering. It certainly cheered me up while recovering, and it helped me feel productive while being forced to rest.
Best of all, these kits are far from messy. You don’t need glue or paint, so you can easily do it in bed or on the couch. It’s also portable, so you can bring it with you to any doctor's appointments. Just be sure not to drop the needle and lose it on a chair or in your bed.
One online reviewer, who bought this kit for a friend on bedrest, wrote, “It gave my friend a creative, productive activity to enjoy during a tough season, and it helped her learn some embroidery basics with confidence. A lovely little set, especially for someone just getting started.”
There are tons of beginner kits online
If you’re not a fan of the 17 options Satune offers, don’t fret. There are tons of options online, some meant for practicing basic stitches and others for a bit more advanced work. You can even find ones with pre-printed templates for adorable cats or nature scenes. Ahead, check out a few more embroidery kit options. I may even buy another one myself!
More Embroidery Kits to Try
Isabella (she/her) covers commerce and product-related content in the home, lifestyle, fitness, technology and beauty. She graduated from Binghamton University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in English: Literature & Rhetoric. Before joining GH, she was an editorial assistant at Prevention, where she covered health topics and celebrity news.
