How to Punch Needle for Beginners Guide

8 min readNov 30, 2022

Punch needle is an innovative embroidery technique that every crafter loves to do because it’s very easy to get started. Once you learn the technique, you can quickly make all sorts of projects, such as pillows, rugs, and hangings. So If you want to start making a punch needle, then In the section below, you will see a complete guide to learning how to make a punch needle and all the necessary information you have to know about it.

What is a punch needle tool?

A punch needle tool is a high needle with a beveled point, a hollow stem, and a large eye. Yarn is threaded via a hollow stem and inserted through the eye. The needlepoint is punched via a woven foundation fabric, creating yarn loops. Various punch needle tools come in different thicknesses and lengths. Also, some tools have a flexible depth gauge to control the yarn loop length.

What is punch needle embroidery?

Punch needle is a mode of needlework closely associated with rug hooking. Punch needle goes by some names, including punch needle embroidery, needle punching, and punch needle rug hooking. To start making, you can use a hollow needle tool to punch the wool yarn loops through holes in a woven foundation cloth.

How to use a punch needle

To get started on a punch needle project, stretch a woven foundation piece on a no-slip embroidery hoop or a gripper strip frame and then transfer your pattern to the foundation cloth.
After that, thread the punch needle tool along with the yarn. Working from the wrong side or back side, use the punch needle tool to create a stitches series in the fabric. Every stitch creates yarn loops that are held in place through the tension in the foundation fabric.
Once your design is completed, remove the cloth from the frame, trim the yarn’s remaining ends, and straighten any stray loops. Complete the edges or back as desired.

How does a punch needle work

The form’s punch needle tool is a series of regular yarn loops. Whenever you insert the holes in the foundation fabric, it drives down a yarn length. The woven foundation fabric grips the loops in place while you start making the next stitch. As you fill in the needle design, the tension of loops is packed together and keeps everything safely in place.
Generally, punch needle crafts are worked from the wrong or back side of the fabric. For this reason, the patterns are printed in reverse. The back side of the finished project looks more like embroidery, while the right side or front side has loops that look more like a hooked rug.
However, the looped side is commonly called the right side, and some crafters recommend displaying the back side of their work as the front side — it’s a thing of choice!

Several types of punch needle

Various unique types of needlework fit under the umbrella of a punch needle. The main punch needle types are miniature punch needle embroidery, punch needle rug hooking, and Japanese Bunka embroidery. Nowadays, the two main tools of punch needles that will be definitely available on the market are:

Punch needle embroidery: this first type uses a gauge needle tool in order to punch embroidery floss and fine threads through a woven fabric (weaver’s cloth). This fabric is also sometimes called a “Russian miniature needle” and lgolockoy.
Punch needle rug hooking: this type of punch needle uses a larger gauge tool to punch bulky wool yarns via a loosely woven fabric called monks cloth, which is almost similar to rug hooking.

Punch needle tools and supplies

The punch needle tools come in unique sizes to contain different types of fibers and weights. When shopping, select a punch needle tool that is easy to use and control.

Punch needle tools have two main parts: a large size with rug yarn and a small size with embroidery floss.

Rug yarn: For most projects of punch needle-like rugs and pillows, you have to use this wool rug yarn because it is sturdier than other types of fibers, securing your project will last for years to come. For wall hanging projects, you can use bulky weight craft yarn and also be able to experiment with thinner yarn through multiple strands at once.
Foundation fabric: There are different vanities of woven fabrics for your foundation fabric, including primitive linen, monk’s cloth, rug wrap, and burlap. For most projects, monks’ cloth is much smoother yet sturdy enough to hold the yarn. It’s the best foundation fabric for bags, pillows, stuffed toys, and other items that need a little flex.
Embroidery hoop or frame: A hoop or frame holds the foundation cloth tight while you punch the design. Some types of hoops work well for punch needles, including a Gripper strip frame, Q-snap PVC frame, No-slip embroidery hoop, and DIY carpet track frame. The gripper strip frames are a good option to work with but are the most costly option. You might be tempted to use a regular embroidery frame, but they don’t grip a tight enough tension over time. Use no-slip options to set yourself up for success.
Starter kits: If you would rather buy everything you need at once, punch needle kits will offer you all the supplies in one simple package.

How to thread a punch needle

A few punch needle tools, like oxford needles, are easy to thread through the hand because they come with open slots in the stem. In order to thread these types of open needles with these easy steps:

Firstly, insert the yarn via the eye of the needle, from back to front.
While gripping the yarn end with one hand, you have to place the yarn into the slot in the punch needle handle.
While holding on to the needle tool handle with one hand, pull on the yarn at the tool’s end. As you pull, the yarn has to pop into the slot in the stem.

Other forms of needle tools want the use of a thin wire threading tool to put the yarn. Here are the steps you must follow to start threading.

Insert the wire thread up by the hollow stem from the limited tip to the end of the handle. Then, catch the yarn end and pull it down via the stem.
After that, put the wire threaded through the needle eye from the front side to the bank side. Catch the end of the yarn and drag it via the needle eye.

Transfer the design pattern

If you wish to use a premade pattern, you will have to transfer the design to the monk’s fabric before stretching it on the frame. There are some ways to transfer the printed pattern onto monks’ clothes.

Simple Tracing: You can directly transfer the designs onto the fabric by using a light source like a lightbox or windows. Put the printed paper behind the monk’s cloth and then golf both to a lightbox or a bright window. Now, you have to be able to see the printed paper pattern line through your monk’s cloth. After that, trace the lines onto the monk’s cloth with the help of a permanent marker.
Iron-on Transfer: You can transfer the needle pattern with an iron-on transfer pen.

To do this, firstly, lay the pattern right side up and wrap it with a teaching paper sheet. Use the masking tape to protect the layers and the iron-on pen from copying your design onto the paper tracing.
Then, throw the tissue paper over and ink side down onto the monk’s fiber. Use masking tape to protect it at the side of the corner.
Following the package guidance, iron the design onto the monk’s fiber. Press with high heat on a firm, and if there are missed spots, you can go over the design with a marker.

The basic techniques of punch needle design

Hold the punch needle tool like a pen or pencil, with the open slot pointing in the way you are working. Push the tool’s sharp tip straight down by the hole in the monk’s fabric. Pull the short yarn tail; to the right side of the work.
Insert the tool until the handle touches the monk’s fiber. After that, take the tool back up until the tooltip is even with the top surface of the fabric. After doing f that, you have made the first stitch.
To make the next stitch, you need to move the tip of the tool along the fabric surface. Don’t raise the tool too high off the monk’s fiber. Now, begin your project by working on the outlines (6 stitches per inch). Then, fill in the shapes with longer stitches.
Now, change the direction, and rotate your needle down. You can try rotating the hoop if it is more comfortable for you. After that, you will see a flat stitches line on the wrong side of the work and a yarn loop row on the right side.
To change the colors of the yarn, rethread your needle with unique yarn colors. Insert the tools as before, dragging the yarn tail to the loop side of your work.
Pull on the yarn to undo your work if you make any mistakes. Use a blunt edge or your nail for scratching the fabric. After that, rethread the needle tool and punch the section.
Finishing your work. When you finish punching in your design, cut the yarn and tug the tail to the front (right) side of the work. Also, turn the frame over so the looped side faces you.
Clean up the lines by pushing the yarn loops back into the right side. Use a chopstick or the empty needle tool to push yarn loops.

Instructions to make a punch needle frame

You can make your DIY punch needle frame from carpet tack strips and a wooden canvas stretcher. To make the frame, you need to attach the carpet tack strips to the wooden frame with nails.
The wooden canvas stretcher bars are accessible from various craft and artist supply stores. And you can buy carpet tack strips from home improvement stores.
In order to use the frame, stretch the monk’s fiber over the tacks. The tacks will grip the fabric tight while you work. You might wish to cover the tacks with a thick towel to protect yourself while you work.

The ideas of the punch needle project

While punch needles might have emerged as a method to make wool rugs, the modern artist of punch needles is using this craft technique to make a variety of projects.

Wall art
Pillow covers
Bags
Stuffed animals
Clothing and patches
Christmas ornaments

Several ways to finish punch needle projects

Wall hangings: Maybe people love to frame their completed punch needle projects in a wooden embroidery hook. You can hem a completed project and hang it like a tapestry.
Pillow: You can sew a finished project of punch needle into a functional and beautiful throw pillow.
Rug: You can also turn a punch needle project into a completed rug. Fold the monk’s fiber toward the back so that the raw corners are confined. To secure the back of the rug, you can whipstitch the monk’s fiber cloth.

Final Verdict

Nowadays, the punch needle is one of the most beautiful crafts and the latest craze in the craft world, and it can be used to bring fun texture to your DIY home decor projects. So if you want to start making the punch needle project, you have to learn all the basic things to get started. In The sections mentioned above, you will find the information you need to know to start making punch needle art.

Source:https://hariguide.com/how-to-punch-needle-for-beginners-guide/