Machine Embroidery Projects

Wondering what the heck you would possibly do with an embroidery machine? Oh so much!  There are so many machine embroidery projects that you can whip out right away, even if you are completely new to the craft.  Plus, the projects you make with your embroidery machine oftentimes make great gifts. In fact, most of the gifts I give come right off of my embroidery machine.

For this reason, I’ve organized some of my machine embroidery projects by recipient. My hope is that my ideas will provide inspiration when you need to come up with a gift right away! Or perhaps one of these projects will scratch the itch when you are looking for something fresh and fun to sell on your Etsy store or at a craft show.

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Dig on in.

Machine embroidery projects for almost everyone

For the home

My husband jokes that when he first met me, I only owned inflatable furniture.  But this is only partially true.  While I did have a few inflatable items, I did have a legitimate mattress and a few other “big girl” pieces of furniture.

I’ve come a long ways since my inflatable furniture days. This is due, in part to my embroidery machine.

monogrammed velvet cushion chair
I reupholstered this chair cushion and added a monogram using my embroidery machine.

There are tons of great machine embroidery projects that can be used to elevate your home decor.  Some of my favorites…

Special Occasions

An embroidery machine can be a real asset around holidays and other special events. There are a lot of darling projects to make that are just perfect for these special occasions.

in-the-hoop knife through head
I just love this silly in-the-hoop knife I made on my embroidery machine. It gave my son’s zombie Halloween costume the perfect extra touch. Weird, but effective!
Valentine’s Day
Easter
Mother’s Day
Graduation
Father’s Day
Weddings
Summer
Halloween
Christmas

Machine embroidery ideas for gifts

This sweet in-the-hoop banner is a fun project to make on an embroidery machine for a kid

I’ve made A LOT of gifts for on my embroidery machine, because there really is a machine embroidery project suitable for almost anyone.  Here are some great ideas organized by recipient

For anyone

For a pet

For babies / toddlers

For couples

For her

For him

Admittedly, it’s a bit harder to come up with machine embroidery projects for men than it is for women, but I’ve found a few winners. These are some of my best one’s that have gone over well with the men in my life.

For kids

Ah! So many things to make for little kids, where should I even begin?

For teens and tweens

Teens and tweens can be tricky.  Really – they are too cool for just about everything. So, you need to tread lightly when embroidering for these creatures.  I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.  Even the prickliest teen will love some of these projects you can make with your embroidery machine.

For couples

Need a little house warming or a unique host/hostess gift? Check out these projects you can make on your embroidery machine for couples.

With all these project ideas, you may assume that machine embroidery may force you into bankruptcy. But, this does not have to be the case. I believe that if you are really strategic about it, your embroidery machine can actually be a money saver!  You may love doing these projects so much, you may even use your embroidery machine to launch an embroidery business.