Creative Ways To Repurpose Embroidery Hoops Around Your Home & Garden

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Embroidery hoops are an important tool for anyone who loves sewing. But they can feel useless otherwise. Or, so you believe. In actuality, there are plenty of creative uses for the rings you inherited from your grandma or got at a steal from a garage sale. So, instead of chucking them out, try giving them a new lease on life. To illustrate, turn them into circular drying racks to preserve your garden-fresh herbs — you won't have to spend any money on fancy implements or rely on electricity. Or simply use them for various home decor DIYs that you'll feel proud to have on display.

Another creative way to upcycle them is to turn them into a blank canvas or frame personalized Christmas ornaments. They also make great memo boards. You can even create sturdy baskets out of these unassuming wooden rings. If you're feeling a little inspired and want to repurpose embroidery hoops around your home and garden, here are 13 ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

If you follow the helpful tips for growing a thriving herb garden, you'll soon be looking at drying options to preserve your bountiful harvest. So, DIY a herb drying rack using an embroidery hoop and some sturdy twine or string. Loop it over the circular base in an X format and tie off its ends. Then, rinse your harvested herbs to get rid of the soil and debris. Dry them prior to removing the leaves from a stem's ends. Tie a few strands together (of the same variety to avoid confusion later) and attach them to the hoop with clothespins. Mount your circular drying rack in a cool, dark, and dry area to keep light and moisture from dulling the flavors of your herbs or inviting mold.

Don't want to stifle your wedding dress in a stuffy box? Turn it into gorgeous wall decor to let it live on in your home with this creative repurposing idea. Grab a few embroidery hoops, depending on how elaborate you want the decoration to be, and map them to your blank wall. This will help you visualize the end result before you cut off pieces from your beloved dress. Tuck in different areas, like the veil, train, and detailed front, for an interesting display. Add decorative elements like pearls, stones, or dried flowers to elevate your wall decor.

In case you don't have a wedding dress to turn into wall decor, use leftover pieces of cloth (or clothing!) instead. You just have to pick ones that complement your wall and go well together. Once you're sure, tuck them inside your embroidery hoops and cut off the extra. Glue them together for a connected display or position them slightly away from each other to give each piece its due spotlight. If you have a bold piece of cloth and want to turn it into your decor's focal point, place it in the center (in a slightly larger hoop) with the others surrounding it. 

Want to build a low cost wall trellis for your climbing plants indoors? Simply interconnect a few embroidery hoops using floral wire, like Luzen Flexible Floral Wire. Experiment with the size of the hoops to ensure your wall trellis looks pretty. You can even conduct a dry run before you wrap wire around them to finalize their placement. Once done, mount it near your climbing plants to support their growth. Remember, you'll still have to use floral tape or clips to keep the stems flat against your walls.

DIY a basket on a budget with wooden embroidery hoops and clothespins. In case you don't have enough pins, get a pack of Dollar Tree Crafter's Square Wooden Clothespins. Glue some leftover fabric over paperboard or cardboard to form a sturdy base for your basket. When it's dry, affix it to a hoop and cut off the excess. Pull apart the two wooden pieces of a clothespin and attach them to the hoop and each other. Your basket is ready for use. Add decorative details like colorful twine or jute rope for a rustic chic appearance. Moreover, braid some twine to give your basket complementary handles.

To make a fancy stand for your indoor potted plants, pull apart a few wooden clothespins and glue the ends together to create a small base. Glue two large embroidery hoops in a vertical position and tie them with some jute to keep them in place. Don't forget to measure your plant's height and pot's diameter to pick the right size hoops. Now, stick a smaller hoop horizontally on the base between the larger ones for your plants. Hang it up to maximize the available vertical space. Place your pots in the dedicated space and put a saucer underneath to catch water runoff.

Do you want to DIY low-cost ornaments for your Christmas tree? You just need small embroidery hoops, like PEASUG's 3 Inch Bamboo Hoops, and some holiday-themed fabrics. If you don't have any handy, look at old flannel pajamas or sweaters at your local thrift store. Cut them to size and affix them in the hoops. To decorate them, use heat transfer vinyl or get out your Cricut machine and bring a beautiful SVG (scalable vector graphic) file to life. Alternatively, draw and color elaborate holiday scenes or sew them.

Jazz up your sad-looking walls with a beautiful artificial flower arrangement. Grab a pack of paper straws, like GDMINLO's Biodegradable Craft Paper Straws, and an embroidery hoop. Arrange the straws per your preference and glue them to the hoop. Paint it or keep it as is if you want a neutral palette. Buy some high-quality silk or cotton blooms to make your artificial flowers look real and put them in the straws. Hang the piece up, but avoid areas with high humidity, or the paper straws will lose their firmness within a few days. The wooden hoop will also absorb moisture and warp over time.

Why throw away your mesh produce bags when you can use them to craft a striking wreath for your interiors and exteriors? All you have to do is pull a bag through an embroidery hoop and get rid of the excess. Ensure it's taut or your arrangement will sag and look untidy. After your mesh grid is ready, loop in dried flowers to craft alluring arrangements for a year-round display. Alternatively, use season- or occasion-appropriate florals and fillers to ensure they go well with the rest of your decor.

Creating the perfect gallery wall can feel like a lot of work. So, instead of spending days on crafting one or scratching the idea, create a cute memo board with an embroidery hoop. Add some cloth to serve as your picture's background and layer a few matching ribbons on top. Otherwise, use some jute or colorful twine for a rugged look. Employ mini wooden clothespins to display your prized memories without much hassle. The best part, though? You can hang it anywhere in the house as long as you have a nail or hook nearby.

When you run out of canvas boards to paint, fashion one in a jiffy using an embroidery hoop. Pull a clean and blank cloth taut. Hot glue the excess (shouldn't be too much or you'll have difficulty sticking it) to its back to achieve a stretched look. Although you can begin painting it now, prime it with a suitable medium to ensure your oil or acrylic paints don't bleed through. Liquitex White Gesso Surface Prep Medium is a good option. This will also ensure your homemade canvas feels smooth under your paint brush.

Woven tapestries will uplift your walls and lend them a charming (or rugged) personality. Repurpose an old embroidery hoop as your base and gather a variety of threads to turn your imagination into reality. You can also play around with varied colors and yarn thickness to craft a visually appealing piece. However, remember that this can be a time and effort-consuming task, especially if you're a beginner-level DIYer. So, pick the hoop size and tapestry design according to your comfort and skill level.

Looking for an adorable sun catcher for your garden? DIY one within a few minutes using an embroidery hoop, a roll of sticky back plastic (such as Chell Clear Contact Paper), and a few pressed florals. Cut the plastic to size and fix it within a hoop. Then, remove the covering and stick pressed flowers, stems, and leaves prior to hanging your sun catcher. If you don't have pressed florets handy, gather some stalks, grass blades, seedheads, or blooms from your garden, nestle them in clear paper, and press them between heavy books to preserve them.