Salvaged Crewel Embroidery

February 8, 2022 by Denise - 60 Comments

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HOW TO SALVAGE THRIFT STORE CREWEL EMBROIDERY FOR STAGING AND STYLING YOUR PAINTED FURNITURE …AND HOME!

I can’t wait to hear if today’s T2T project is a YAY or NAY for you! I’m a huge fan of needlework and I think this is such an AMAZING idea for staging painted furniture OR your home decor. This Salvaged Crewel Embroidery is super easy to do and can bring back to life an otherwise dated keepsake!

It’s also Trash To Treasure day. I’m joining four of my blogging besties and sharing their salvaged makeovers as well. Be sure to check them out below — but first, a little backstory…

I fell in love with needlework the first time I saw my mum embroidering. Over the years I’ve grown to appreciate the art of stitching more and more. My mum taught me how to embroider and knit by the time I was 9 and I taught myself how to cross stitch and crochet in high school. I miss this art form. I wish I had more time to indulge in stitching projects. So what’s the next best thing? Salvaging them!

Here’s the thrift store crewel embroidery I started with. I often see needlework art in thrift stores and garage sales selling for a few dollars. This one below, my Mum bought years ago — probably to go with our brown and orange decor. 😉 Judging from the colors and design, it’s most likely from the ’70s.

Along with 70’s decor, these colors have made a comeback so check out the new look! Super cute, right?!

Macrame, crochet, embroidery, and cross-stitch are back in a big way (I’ve included a few of my fave IG accounts below!) so this is a fabulous way to salvage needle art that someone poured their hearts into — not to mention HOURS of work!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.

SOURCE LIST

Thrift Store Crewel Embroidery – SALVAGED
Embroidery Hoops (various sizes)
Embroidery Scissor
Staple Remover
Dawn Dish Soap

SALVAGED CREWEL EMBROIDERY

Here’s how it all came together…

REMOVE BACKING

I started by removing the embroidered piece off the warped cardboard backing. This was easy enough to do using an inexpensive staple remover.

WASH

To freshen it up, I hand-washed this vintage embroidery in lukewarm water and Dawn.

I was gentle with it and rinsed well with lukewarm water.

HANG DRY OR USE A DELICATE CYCLE

I used the delicate cycle in my dryer to get most of the moisture and wrinkles out. Then I hung it to air dry.

CREATE NEW DESIGN

To create ‘new’ art, I made sure the florals and design were offset — not centered in the circles of the embroidery hoops. Offsetting the design gives it a much more modern look and creates more interest. I found these embroidery hoops at my local thrift store for .99 cents but you can buy them online here as well.

FRAME W EMBROIDERY HOOPS

Once I was happy with the layout, I inserted the fabric in the hoop and stretched it out taut.

CUT AROUND HOOPS AND EXCESS FABRIC

Then I cut around the edges of each hoop using my embroidery scissors. Regular scissors will work just fine I just wanted to bust out these cuties! hehe

Once all three embroidery hoops were cut, I removed the excess fabric for a clean look.

Here’s what I was left with… a new triple-framed crewel embroidery art set!

HANG AND DISPLAY

I like finding inexpensive ways to create unique staging and styling for my furniture makeovers. This is not only unique but holds some sentimental value as well. I’m so happy we didn’t throw it out because this cute set will look perfect for styling my mid-century-modern retro furniture. Here I styled it with these cactus side tables.

And here’s a close-up so we can appreciate all the love and time that went into this crewel embroidery art!

What do you think? Would you try this?

I’ve been following a few needlework embroidery boards on IG here, here and here. I just love how this art has evolved over the years yet remains exactly the same! Needlework projects take hours. Hours of love and dedication. Much respect to all these creators.

AND NOW FOR SOME FURNITURE FIXER-UPPER FUN!

You’re going to LOVE what my creative team of Trash To Treasure ladies do! Below are their BEFORE photos. Visit the links underneath to see the amazing AFTERS and learn how they did it! I’m heading over to take a peek as well! x

1. PRODIGAL PIECES

2. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER

3. GIRL IN THE GARAGE

4. ARTSY CHICKS RULE

5. SALVAGED INSPIRATIONS (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)

Here’s another look at this before and after. I hope it has inspired you and given you some new ideas for your old needlework and embroidery projects. Such a great way to style your furniture or your home!

DO YOU HAVE ANY OLDER EMBROIDERY PROJECTS YOU COULD TRY THIS ON? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS ON HOW TO SALVAGE VINTAGE EMBROIDERY PROJECTS? FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂

Happy furniture painting friends!

Denise x

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