Serve Me Up a Scoop of Punch Needle Cuteness

Have you heard? Punch needle embroidery is one of the fastest growing craft trends in the country. Once you learn how you will see why. It’s really zen and incredibly easy, even for beginners. The best part. It’s fluffy. I mean who does not like a fluffy craft?

Perhaps you are wondering: “Jennifer, why did you opt for a punch needle ice cream cone patch?”.

Make Mine a Double Scoop of Stencil1 Ice Cream

Well my friend Ed Roth of Stencil1 has a new line of cute stencils for sale at Target including you guessed it – ice cream cones. Ed also happens to be today’s guest on my podcast Creative Queso where we are chatting all about things like how to work with large companies, building partnerships with brands and how did he get those ice cream stencils onto the shelves at Target. Talk about a dream come true for any creative entrepreneur. Be sure to check out the episode on iTunes PLUS we are running a giveaway on Instagram so that you can win your own set. Those stencils lend themselves perfectly to punch needle. Just you wait, I’ll show you how.

Stencil1 and I go back a long crafty way. Check out…

Punch Needle Rug Hooking – That’s a Mouth Full!

Not only Ed and his fabulous new stencils I am also fresh off my trip from Craftcation in Ventura California where I was lucky enough to get into a fabulous punch needle embroidery class. Instructor Christie Beniston of PUNCH! Rug Hooking got us all started with her rad punch needle kits that I highly recommend. I already had one that I brought with me!

So now that you know exactly why I chose to do an ice cream punch needle patch, let’s do this thing already!

Supplies

Stencil1 Ice Cream Stencils
Monk’s Cloth
Punch Needle
Kid Made Modern Yarn (they were a Creative Queso Podcast too!)
No-Slip Embroidery Hoop
Pen/Pencil
Embroidery Floss/Needle
Scissors

Step 1 – Transfer the Ice Cream Stencil Design Onto Fabric

Use a pencil to trace the stencil onto your monk’s cloth. It will all get covered up once you start punching so no need to worry about it showing. Designs like stencils make perfect patterns for punch needle projects.

Punch Needle Tip: When I took my punch needle embroidery class the teacher warned us to ONLY use monk’s cloth and after a failed attempt on needlepoint fabric I realized she was right!

Step 2 – Stretch Fabric In Non-Slip Embroidery Hoop

Pull that sucker tight! Like you could bounce a quarter off of it tight. This will make your life easier when you actually start to do the punch needle action.

Punch Needle Tip: I thought better of trying to show the details of the ice cream cone on round two when I switched to monk’s cloth. Punch needles come in different sizes so I could have done it with a contrasting color, but we all know how I like fast and easy crafts.

Step 3 – How to Punch Needle

Load the punch needle with yarn. There is a hole at the tip of the needle, thread the end of the yarn through this hole and run the yarn still on the cake, ball or skein through the channel in the needle.

Start by punching the outline of your design first and then fill in. You can tell this monk’s cloth has holes. One hole at a time punch the needle in until the end touches the fabric, pull out just enough to get the size loop you want and move to the next hole.

Repeat until your design is filled in. I of course went rogue and just punched all over the place. When you cut off your thread just tuck and trim those ends. This side is actually NOT the side that will be showing. The underside of the embroidery hoop will be your finished punch needle ice cream cone patch.

Punch Needle Tip: Want more details on how to do punch needle embroidery? Check out these links…

Punch Rug Hooking Workshops for those in the San Diego area.
Quick Valentine’s Day Punch Needle with The Crafty Lumberjacks (Be sure listen to their Creative Queso Podcast Episode)

Step 4 – Double Up Yarn For Double the Flavor and Fun

But wait if punch needle embroidery is so fun with one string of yarn, wouldn’t it be even more fun with two? Made perfect sense to me. Thread a second color through the needle.

Step 5 – Cut Out Your Ice Cream Punch Needle Patch

I told you those Stencil1 stencils worked well for punch needle embroidery projects! Cut the excess fabric away, without freeing your loops. Sure, there is technically hemming that could be done but that would involve an iron. Um, no. I instead decided to do a two for one special and embroider the patch to my denim jacket and hem at the same time.

Step 6 – Embroidery Your New DIY Patch to Your Jacket

Funny, one of my jackets already has a punch needle backing from a vintage pillow, the ice cream cone fit right in. I went around the edges with pink floss on the ice cream and tan floss in the cone. Stitching the edges and then also randomly going through the center, I could have also added fusible web or fabric glue. No need for perfect stitches, you can’t see it through the fluff!

Serve Me Up a Scoop of Punch Needle Cuteness

I love the latest addition to my denim jacket. That back is getting fuzzier and fluffier by the day! The punch needle embroidered ice cream cone patch looks great with all my other accessories. I can’t speak to the washability of anything, but I can testify to the extreme cuteness!

Have you tried to punch needle yet? It might be my new favorite craft. For this week at least!

Don’t forget to look for these ice cream stencils from Stencil1 at a Target near you! Also, be sure to enter to win a set on Ed’s Instagram page AND mine!