How I Put Together A Beginner Needlepoint Kit for $30*

Hi, friends! As you know, I’ve been very into needlepointing over the last year. I have also been trying to recruit my friends into picking up needlepointing which brings you this blog post. I put together a beginner-friendly needlepoint kit for a friend on a budget (in the hopes to alleviate any pressure). Here’s how I did it!
First things first, I decided to paint a canvas instead of purchasing a handpainted canvas since the labor is the biggest factor in relatively high cost of needlepoint canvases. I’ve been wanting to design and paint my own canvases so this part was actually quite fun for me.
To take on one new challenge at a time, I decided to purchase as chart to a paint vs coming up with my own design. My friend is a Swifie so this “I Cry a Lot but I am So Productive” chart from Chronically Online was the perfect choice. The design is simple enough with just a few colors so I think it is very approachable.
Next up, you need a canvas to paint on. I bought a few sets of four 8″ x 8″ Zweigart canvases from Etsy. I did order both 18-Mesh and 13-Mesh to have on hand but used 13-Mesh canvas for my friend since it’s more beginner friendly. (The intersections on 13-Mesh are bigger than the ones on 18-Mesh.) Lots of local needlepoint stores (LNS) and needlepoint designers with online store also sell a black canvas online which usually come with a needle too.
If you’re like me and have commitment issues, I recommend starting with acrylic paint pens to paint needlepoint canvases. I got a set of 60 colors from Amazon and have been happy with them. The pens are dual-ended and I find the brush tip very easy to “paint” with.
The very first needlepoint canvas I stitched came with stretcher bars and a few other accessories which helped the overall experience be more enjoyable so I wanted to do the same for my friend. It does come down to preference, but I personally always stitch on stretcher bars I got a few 8″ stretcher bars from KC Needlepoint. You can find them at any needlepoint or craft store and even Amazon. Don’t forget to get thumb tacks!
Needle minder is another accessory that is technically not a necessity but it is to me! I love the assurance that my needle is not floating in space or lost completely…. and there are so many cute needle minders! I got a few from Etsy recently and picked this “How to Stop Overthinking” Needle Minder for my friend (not pictured because it is arriving tomorrow and I’m gifting everything to my friend later today). Same goes for needle threaders—some people don’t use it at all but it’s a must for me (though I occasionally lick if I find myself without one…)!
What may be a real necessity is scissors. Regular scissors (i.e. from the stationary section) are likely too big for needlepointing purposes so you want to get a type of embroidery scissors. I got a pack of super snips from Amazon recently, and while these are not the most precise scissors (the blades are on the shorter end), I reach for these often and they are TSA-approved too!
Fibers are another aspect of needlepointing you can majorly save on! You can easily find “DMC 6 Strand Embroidery Floss” in person at Michael’s or Joann Fabrics. It’s under a dollar each and comes in ALL of the colors. You’re technically supposed to strand it before use for best results but I never strand and use all 6 strands for both 18-Mesh and 13-Mesh, and everything has turned out fine!
Last but not least is a project bag to contain it all! You can honestly use a Ziploc bag which was my originally plan until Target came out with these Paper Size zip pouches. This 2-pack is priced at only $3 so this felt like putting on a nice little bow at the end.
Having said all that, here’s a breakdown of how much I paid for everything. Note I already had some things on hand so I didn’t factor that into the $30 price since I was calculating how much it costed me to put this beginner project together. Hope this encourages you to pick up needlepointing!
WHAT I BOUGHT | HOW MUCH I PAID |
Needlepoint Chart | $4.00 (Chronically Online was doing a sale; regularly $5) / You can design your own for $0! |
Blank Canvas | $3.00 (I bought a set of four for $11.99) |
Acrylic Paint Pens | $30.00 (it’s currently on sale for $27!) / I did not factor this into the $30 total since it’s a one-time cost |
Stretcher Bars | $7.00 (looks like the KC Needlepoint’s price went up since I bought it but you can find these for cheaper at a lot of different places) |
Needle Threader | $1.50 |
Needle Minder | $9.00 |
Threads (DMC Floss) | $3.30 (66 cents/each) |
Scissors (Super Snips) | $2.00 |
Project Bag | $1.50 (the two-pack from Target is only $3!) |
Needle + Tacks | I had a few needles that came with canvases purchases since I don’t always use a new needle for new projects & I also had tacks already so I’m counting it as 0 thus the asterisk!! |
TOTAL | $31.30 |

