Needlepoint Finishing: What to Make and How to Finish It Yourself
By Lauren McCarter
Needlepoint finishing is the step that turns your stitched canvas into something you can use or display: a keyring, a framed picture, a passport cover, an ornament, a cushion or a Christmas stocking. Some finishes need no sewing at all and can be done at the kitchen table, while others are worth handing to a professional finisher.
It's the same step whether you call your stitching needlepoint or tapestry, and in the UK you'll often hear cushion finishing called making up.
Finishing isn't my favourite part. I battled a ruffle on one piece and stabbed my fingers far too often, but the finish was worth it. So if you'd rather skip the sewing, you're in good company. Our self-finishing keyrings, passport covers and framed kits all finish at home without it.
Which finish suits your project?
If you're wondering what to do with your needlepoint when it's done, start with the project and how much sewing you'd like to take on.
Swipe across to see all three columns.
| Project | Finish it yourself? | Usual route |
|---|---|---|
| Keyring | Yes, no sewing. Trim the canvas, peel the liner off the adhesive, press in and tuck the edges. | A self-finishing keyring |
| Passport cover | Yes, no sewing. Trim, peel, press and tuck under the leather lip. | A self-finishing cover sized for an 8 × 12 cm insert |
| Framed piece | Yes, when the frame comes in the kit. Trim and fit behind the mount. | The kit frame, or a framer for other sizes |
| Ornament | Possible, with some sewing, lacing or glue. Backing fabric, cording and stuffing. | Self-finish or a finisher |
| Cushion | Possible if you sew. Backing, zip, piping and an insert. | Usually a finisher (a making-up service in the UK) |
| Christmas stocking | Possible if you sew well. Backing, lining, often a cuff, and a hanging loop. | Usually a finisher, booked early |
Our self-finishing keyrings, passport covers and framed kits need no sewing. Cushions and stockings need sewn seams; ornaments can also be finished with lacing or glue.
How to finish needlepoint without sewing
Self-finishing needlepoint products come with the backing built in: an adhesive window or a frame that holds your stitched canvas, so the main tool you'll need is a pair of scissors.
Keyrings
A self-finishing keyring is a lovely project to start with because it needs no sewing.
Trim the bare canvas with scissors, leaving about 2 mm around the stitching. Score the protective liner covering the adhesive inside the keyring with the tip of your scissors, peel it away, then centre your needlepoint on the sticky surface and press it down firmly. Finally, lift the keyring flap and work your way around, pushing the canvas edges underneath.
The Initial Keyring Needlepoint Kit includes a hand-painted canvas with a 3 × 3 cm design, Silk & Ivory threads, a needle and the keyring in pink or blue. For more detail, see our step-by-step keyring guide.
Passport covers
You can finish our passport covers at home without sewing, and the steps are close to the keyring's. Trim close to the stitching, score and peel the adhesive liner in the cover's window, place and press the canvas, then tuck the edges under the leather lip.
Our Saffiano leather covers are designed to fit an 8 × 12 cm needlepoint insert. If you're using a canvas from another designer, check its finished size first. You may need to add an extra row or two of stitching around the edge for a good fit.
Our passport kits include the canvas, threads, needle and cover, and the Ticking Stripe and Basketweave designs come with a hand-painted monogram of your choice. If you already have a canvas, the self-finishing covers are sold on their own in five colours. Full steps: how to finish a needlepoint passport cover.
Framed pieces
Our framed kits include a frame for your stitched design. In the framing video in our guide to framing needlepoint, the back and mount come out, the stitched canvas is trimmed leaving a narrow margin, the protective film comes off the clear front, and the stitching goes in behind the scalloped mount.
Each cameo kit has a 9 × 14 cm canvas and a pink or green frame. Cameo canvases bought on their own don't include a frame, so plan on a framer or a frame of your own for those.
Finishes that usually need sewing (or a finisher)
Ornaments, cushions and stockings all need backing fabric and some construction. You can learn to do them yourself or send them to a professional finisher.
Ornaments
An ornament usually gets a fabric backing, a cord or trim around the edge, and a little stuffing or a board inside to give it shape. The pieces are joined with sewing, lacing or glue, depending on the shape and what you're comfortable with.
When I made an ornament for a new arrival, I found a vintage backing fabric that matched his initials, and then finished it upside down.
Cushions
A cushion needs a backing, usually a zip or envelope opening, often piping or cording, and an insert. If you don't sew, it's a finisher's job, and in the UK you'll see it offered as a making-up service.
Earlier this year I stitched an Easter bunny designed by Stitching with Stacey, planning for it to be my "first piece to bring out year after year as an Easter pillow".
Christmas stockings
A stocking involves several finishing steps: a backing, a lining, often a cuff, and a hanging loop, shaped around the stitched front. It usually goes to a finisher, and finishers get busy before Christmas, so book well ahead.
The first stocking I ever stitched was for my son. I ordered a big canvas and threads from the US because I couldn't find a kit here that matched what I had in mind. Our Christmas stockings guide covers planning and timing.
More needlepoint finishing ideas
Stitched canvases also become coasters, bookmarks, magnets, glasses or sunglasses cases, zip pouches, belts, luggage tags, pincushions, tray or box-lid inserts, and clutch or bag panels. Most of these need some sewing, lacing or glue, or a trip to a finisher, so it helps to know which one you're after before you choose a canvas.
Should you finish it yourself?
It comes down to the project, your sewing skills and how you feel about the fiddly part.
- Finishing it yourself: you can choose your fabrics and trims, and work at your own pace. Allow for any tools you need as well as materials. The trade-off is the learning curve, especially for anything with seams, piping or curves.
- Using a finisher: someone experienced constructs the piece, which is a relief on large or shaped projects. You pay for their time and skill, and work around their schedule.
Whichever you choose, decide on the finish before you start, or early on. A belt or keyring gets handled a lot, so it suits hard-wearing stitches and threads. A piece behind glass or acrylic can take more delicate ones.
Getting your needlepoint or tapestry ready to finish
- Ask your finisher about extra rows. Some suggest stitching a couple of extra rows around the design so nothing disappears into the seam. Others ask you not to add any, because extra rows can show on the finished piece. For a self-finishing kit, follow its sizing instructions.
- Block it before finishing. Stitching tends to pull the canvas out of square. My Howdy canvas was very warped by the time I finished stitching it, so it needed blocking. The usual method, as DMC describes it: dampen the canvas, gently stretch it back into shape, pin it to a board and leave it pinned until it's completely dry, which can take a few days. Before any water goes near it, check the thread care instructions and test each colour for colourfastness. Dry it flat, out of direct sun, and don't cut the canvas before blocking.
- Consider a binding stitch to finish the edge on sewn finishes that get a lot of use, such as belts and key fobs. Some finishers recommend it. Our self-finishing keyrings don't need one.
- Gather your supplies if you're finishing a sewn or laced piece yourself: small sharp scissors, backing fabric, cording or trim, fabric glue or a needle and sewing thread, stuffing or card for shape, and a blocking board with rust-proof pins.
- Leave the margin alone if the piece is going to a finisher. Don't trim it; they need the spare canvas to work with.
How to work with a needlepoint finisher
After that ruffle, I wrote that Holly at New Zealand Needlepoint would be doing my next finish. Holly runs a finishing service out of New Zealand, and she finished the gingerbread village ornaments I shared in April. Her work is impeccable. (Holly is a friend of mine: she slid into my DMs asking how long I'd been stitching, and we've been friends ever since.)
In April I rushed another finish before a needlepoint market and wished I'd left time to send it to Holly.
- Book early and ask for their cut-off dates. Finishers often publish Christmas deadlines months ahead, so check with yours before planning a piece for a particular Christmas.
- Ask whether they block. Not every finisher does, so check before you post your work.
- Send a clear brief for each piece: the finish you want, fabrics or colours, any trims, and photos or sketches if you have them. Some finishers ask for a separate form for each piece.
- Ask for a quote, payment terms and a timeframe before you commit.
- Post it tracked, flat or loosely rolled rather than folded, and sealed in a plastic zip bag to keep it clean and dry.
Professional needlepoint finishing takes time and skill, and it's priced that way. See why needlepoint is so expensive.
How to clean and care for finished needlepoint
- Dust gently with a soft brush, or vacuum on low suction through a piece of mesh.
- For stains, ask your finisher or the product maker for care advice before using water or trying to remove the stitching.
- If wet cleaning is suitable, test each thread colour with a damp white cloth or cotton bud first. Stop if any colour transfers, and blot rather than rub.
- Keep finished pieces out of direct sun, which fades dyes and weakens fibres.
- Moth and beetle larvae feed on wool and silk, so store pieces clean, flat or loosely rolled without hard folds, somewhere dry, and check on them now and then.
Quick answers
What does finishing mean in needlepoint?
Finishing is turning a stitched canvas into a finished object, such as a keyring, framed piece, passport cover, ornament, cushion or stocking. In the UK, cushion finishing is often called making up.
Can you finish needlepoint yourself?
Yes. Our self-finishing keyrings, passport covers and framed kits need no sewing. Ornaments need some sewing, lacing or glue, and cushions and stockings suit confident sewers or a professional finisher.
What's a good first needlepoint finish for a beginner?
A self-finishing keyring needs no sewing. Trim the bare canvas around the stitching, peel off the protective liner covering the adhesive, press the canvas in and tuck the edges under the flap.
Do I need to block needlepoint before finishing?
Usually, yes. Stitching tends to pull canvas out of square, so most guides, DMC's included, recommend blocking a finished piece before it's made up. Block it before any trimming, and if you're sending it to a finisher, ask whether they block, because not every finisher does.
How far ahead should I book a needlepoint finisher?
Check each finisher's cut-off dates as early as you can. Some publish Christmas deadlines months ahead, especially for stockings and ornaments.
What can you make with finished needlepoint?
Beyond keyrings, framed pieces, passport covers, ornaments, cushions and stockings, stitched canvases become coasters, bookmarks, glasses cases, zip pouches, belts, luggage tags and pincushions. Most of these need some sewing, lacing or glue, or a professional finisher.
Prices, stock and inclusions are on each product page. Orders ship direct from Melbourne to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. US stitchers can find Matilda designs through our US distributor, Oz Needle & Thread, in shops across the US including Le Fil Studio in Los Angeles and KC Needlepoint.
Happy stitching,
Lauren x