How to Do a Punch Needle Kit
A punch needle kit is the shortcut into the craft. Somebody else has matched the needle to the fabric, stretched the canvas and drawn the design. Your job is the enjoyable bit. Here is how to get from sealed box to finished canvas.
What is in the box
Our single punch needle kits contain:
- A canvas with a printed, numbered pattern, already stretched on a pine wood frame.
- A punch needle pen with a light plastic handle.
- A wire threader.
- Pre-wound threads on numbered bobbins.
- A color guide with instructions.
- Hangers: hooks, screws and wall hooks.
A mini set has four small canvases, each on its own frame, with one needle and one threader to share and four sets of hangers.
The only thing to add is a small pair of scissors. No hoop needed, because the frame is doing that job already.
Step 1: Read the canvas
The design is printed on the canvas as outlined shapes, and each shape has a number. Each number matches a bobbin of thread. The color guide shows the full list. If you have ever done paint by numbers, this is the same idea with thread instead of paint and no brushes to wash.
Step 2: Thread the first color
Pick a number, find its bobbin and thread the needle with the wire threader. If you have not done this before, how to thread a punch needle shows it in four steps.
Step 3: Punch the shape
You punch on the printed side of the canvas, and that same side is the one you will hang. Hold the needle like a pen with the open side of the tip facing the way you are going. Push straight down until the handle stops, lift just clear of the surface, slide a few millimeters and punch again.
Go around the edge of the shape first, then fill the inside in rows. The full technique is in how to punch needle, step by step.
Step 4: Work through the numbers
There is no required order. Two approaches work well:
- Color by color. Punch every area with the same number before changing thread. Fewer rethreads.
- Area by area. Finish one part of the picture at a time. More rethreads, but you get to watch a face or a flower appear, which is hard to resist.
Many people start with the largest shapes to get comfortable, then move on to the small ones once the rhythm has settled in.
Step 5: Tidy up and hang
When every number is covered, look for gaps where canvas shows through and add a few loops. Snip any thread tails level with the surface. Then use the hangers from the kit. The canvas is on its frame already, so there is no framing shop in your future.
Choosing a size
Single kits come in five frame sizes, from 8 × 12 in to 24 × 32 in. A smaller canvas is less to punch and sits happily on your lap. A larger one takes more sittings and fills more wall. Mini sets come in two sizes, 6 × 8 in or 8 × 12 in per canvas.
Choosing a design
Every kit has a difficulty label. Easy means big shapes and few color changes. Medium adds more shapes or shading. Detailed means many small areas and colors. For a first kit, the easy punch needle starter kits are a safe bet. Wondering whether you will manage? Read is punch needle easy. Spoiler: yes.
