What Punch Needle Is And What It Isn't

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First of all, punch needle IS super cool and it ISN'T your grandma's hobby. Well, maybe it was... or still is... The point is it can be enjoyed by all ages, including the younger generations. That's actually where it's making its comeback, with some of the other previously known "Grandma hobbies" like embroidery, cross stitch, needle felting, etc. 

I love, love, LOVE that these are "in" at the moment. I think getting back to some of these crafting skills is so important for our creativity, sense of fulfillment, self-care, and mental health. And truthfully, it makes me feel cool because I was into old lady hobbies way before they started to become popular. But enough about me, let's talk about punch needle!

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What is punch needle?

Punch needle is a type of embroidery that uses a special needle to feed the loose end of your yarn or floss into the fabric each time you push the needle through, creating a connected stitch. The "front" side of the stitch is a flat, traditional-looking stitch, but the "back" side of the stitch is looped. 

Needle punching is really fun because you can alternate between the front and back stitches and the length of your loops to create different textures within your piece. The learning curve for this type of fiber art is nearly non-existent and the start-up costs are fairly inexpensive compared to other crafting hobbies.

I could give you a TON of reasons why you should pick up punch needle (actually, I've already listed my top 11 here) but the thing I love the most is the ease with which you can pick up and pause a project. It makes it a great new hobby for busy gals who can't guarantee longer stretches of uninterrupted craft time. 

What is the difference between punch needle and embroidery?

The difference is all in the needle. Punch needle uses a special hollow needle with a beveled tip and is much bigger in size, while traditional embroidery uses a thin needle with an eye through which you thread your floss. 

A punch needle is designed to push through the fabric and create a looped stitch on the "back side" when you pull the needle up from the same hole you just punched it through. A traditional needle used for embroidery must be pushed into the fabric and then pulled through at another point, requiring changing the direction of the needle and pulling the needle and thread in and out of the fabric with each stitch.

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What is the difference between punch needle and cross stitch?

Because cross stitch is just a more specific type of embroidery, called counted-thread embroidery, the answer to this question is pretty much the same as the last: the difference between punch needle and cross stitch mostly comes down to the needle. Cross stitch generally uses a stitch in the form of an "x" to create a uniform appearance, hence the name cross stitch. So, there is also definitely a different look and feel between the finished pieces as well.

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What is the difference between punch needle and rug hooking?

Rug hooking uses an entirely different tool, not a needle but a latched hook, and pulls the yarn up instead of pushing it down through the fabric like we see with punch needle. This method uses shorter pieces of yarn which end up in a sort of looped knot after being pulled through. The "fabric" or backing used in rug hooking is generally much stiffer because it has to hold up under the traffic of numerous pairs of feet!

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What can you make with punch needle?

All of the things!!! Ok, maybe not anything and everything... but a lot of things! From mug coasters to wall hangings, and rugs to pillows, there are so many creative possibilities. The best part is that you can take almost any pattern and easily resize it to fit your project needs. 

And here is where I remind you, I have a lot of awesome patterns available in my Etsy shop. But if you're looking for something simple (and FREE) to get you started practicing punch needle, I've included a few basic patterns below, just for you! 

For more free punch needle patterns, check out these other posts:

Free Valentine's Day Punch Needle Patterns

Free Easter Punch Needle Patterns

I hope you found this article helpful. And if you did, there's plenty more where that came from on my Instagram and Pinterest pages. I'd love to connect with you there, so please give me a follow and a shout!