A phone lying face down beside a cup of tea and two photographs of needlepoint in progress, one of Lauren McCarter stitching a small canvas

A Needlepoint Gift for Someone Who Wants to Scroll Less

By Lauren McCarter

If you're looking for screen-free gifts for adults this Christmas, a first needlepoint kit is a lovely one, especially for someone who has said they'd like to spend less time on their phone. It gives their hands something calm to do in the moments they'd usually scroll, it's simple to start because the design is already painted on the canvas, and at the end they have something to keep. If you're not sure which kit they'd like, a gift card lets them choose.

Stitching is what I started reaching for instead of my phone, so this is a gift I can talk about from experience. Here's why I think it makes a good Christmas present, how to choose a first kit, and what to give if you'd rather they picked.

A hobby to replace scrolling

On maternity leave I kept reaching for my phone during naps and quiet moments at home. Some of what came up on my scroll as a new mum wasn't helping my mood. Needlepoint gave me something else to reach for.

A few rows felt like a small piece of progress. I could put it down whenever I needed to and pick it up again later, and I couldn't stitch and scroll at the same time.

That's what I'd want to give someone who's trying to scroll less: something ready to pick up in those same spare moments, on the couch after dinner or on a long flight. I got some stitching done on the flights home from Orlando in April.

Why needlepoint is a lovely screen-free gift for adults

  • You don't have to call yourself crafty. The design is painted onto the canvas, so you stitch each colour where it's painted, a bit like stitch-by-numbers. You only need one basic stitch to begin.
  • It's a small project with an ending. Our kits finish as a keyring, a framed piece for a shelf or a passport cover, so the stitching becomes something they use or display. When I started, a big part of the joy was making something we could keep.
  • It suits the slower days. For a lot of us, the summer days between Christmas and New Year are slower, which makes them a nice time to start something new.

What I'd give someone who has never stitched

When a friend wanted to try needlepoint, I made her a simple canvas with her family's initials, for a little pillow: 13 mesh, only two colours, a nice, simple project. I was looking forward to a weekend away stitching with a possible new needlepoint fan, and hoping to convert her.

If you're giving someone a new hobby, that's what I'd look for in the box: something small, a few clear colours, and the finish included, so they can open it and start.

How to choose their first kit

All our kits have a hand-painted canvas on 13 mesh, Silk & Ivory threads, a needle, and the keyring, frame or cover that finishes it at home without sewing. Choose by what they'd enjoy at the end:

  • A first try: the Initial Keyring Needlepoint Kit (A$69.95) is a 3 x 3 cm canvas with their own letter, A to Z. To me, a keyring is the easiest finish, and their stitching goes wherever their keys do. Our guide to finishing a needlepoint keyring shows each step.
  • Something for a shelf: a framed cameo kit (A$139.95), such as the Strawberry Cameo, comes with its frame in pink or green, so the finished piece is ready to display.
  • A traveller: our needlepoint passport kits (A$149.95 to A$159.95) finish as a Saffiano leather passport cover, and the Ticking Stripe and Basketweave kits include a hand-painted monogram.

They'll also need a small pair of sharp scissors, which aren't in the kits. You'll find every kit we have in stock in kits ready to stitch, and our guide to choosing a first needlepoint kit goes into more detail.

Not sure which kit? Give a gift card

If you don't know their favourite colours, or whether they'd rather a keyring or something to frame, a gift card lets them choose. Our gift cards come in A$50, A$80, A$100, A$150 and A$200, and can be spent on anything in our shop, including shipping. As a rough guide:

  • A$50 buys a few skeins of Silk & Ivory with postage, for someone who already stitches. We have over 100 colours at A$11.95 a skein.
  • A$80 covers an Initial Keyring kit with postage.
  • A$100 covers an Initial Keyring kit with postage, plus a skein of Silk & Ivory for a coloured background behind their letter.
  • A$150 covers one of our framed cameo kits with postage.
  • A$200 covers a passport kit, with room for extra threads.
Strawberry Cameo needlepoint kit with its hand-painted canvas, green frame and Silk & Ivory threads
Our Strawberry Cameo kit with its green frame. An A$150 gift card covers one, with postage.

You can have the card emailed straight to them on the date you choose, such as Christmas Day, or keep it to print or forward yourself. Australian shipping is a flat A$10, and free on orders from A$150. Our gift cards page has the details.

Making it a Christmas gift they'll use

  • Stitch together. If you already stitch, start a project of your own alongside them over the holidays.
  • Point them to the basics. Our step-by-step guide to how to needlepoint covers starting a thread, the first stitch and ending a thread.
  • Say why in the card. If they've told you they'd like to scroll less, you could mention it. If they haven't, it's simply a new hobby to try.
  • Leave it where the phone usually sits. A kit on the arm of the couch or the bedside table is easier to reach for than one in a cupboard. Every time I reorganise my threads I promise myself this is the system I'll stick to, and then the projects pile up again, so that's the only organising tip I'll give.

Quick answers

What's a good screen-free gift for an adult?

Anything that gives their hands something to do away from a screen, like a puzzle, a good book or a craft. If they'd like to make something they can keep, a first needlepoint kit fits: the design is painted on the canvas, you only need one basic stitch to begin, and our kits finish as a keyring, a framed piece or a passport cover.

Do you need to be crafty to start needlepoint?

No. On a painted canvas you stitch each colour where it's painted, a bit like stitch-by-numbers. Our step-by-step guide to how to needlepoint covers the basics.

Is needlepoint relaxing?

For me it is. On maternity leave it gave me something calm to do with my hands instead of scrolling, and a few rows felt like progress. Everyone's different, so a small first project is a gentle way to find out.

What comes in a Matilda needlepoint kit?

Each kit has a hand-painted canvas on 13 mesh, Silk & Ivory threads (50% silk, 50% merino), a size 20 tapestry needle and the keyring, frame or Saffiano leather cover that finishes it. The framed and passport kits also come with a project bag. You'll need your own small, sharp scissors.

Can I send a gift card straight to them?

Yes. You can have it emailed to them on the date you choose, or send it to yourself to print or forward. Our gift cards come in A$50, A$80, A$100, A$150 and A$200 and can be spent on anything in our shop, including shipping.

Happy stitching,
Lauren x

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