How to use plastic canvas

Plastic canvas are sturdy, so you don’t need an embroidery hoop to work with it. You can use a variety of materials for stitching: yarn, ribbons, embroidery floss, cords, or even beads. Plastic canvas come in different grid sizes. For small details, it’s better to use a small cells. For larger designs, a bigger mesh works best. The mesh size also determines the thickness of the thread you’ll need.

Choose your thread thickness so it fully covers the canvas without leaving gaps. Once you’ve picked the main color for your design, you can also match the color of the canvas to it.

You can use almost any embroidery technique on plastic canvas: cross stitch, tapestry stitch, slanted stitches, and more.

Tapestry stitch. Stitches in a row are made vertically or horizontally, either top to bottom or bottom to top, and they can vary in size. They are worked as if wrapping around the canvas. On the back side, the pattern repeats with small slants when moving to the next stitch. Stitch height may vary.

Examples of tapestry stitch patterns.

Continental stitch. This is the basic stitch used in most plastic canvas patterns.

Work rows from left to right. Bring the needle to the front at the lower left corner of the row, then slant the stitch to the back. Next, bring the needle up again just below, and continue across to the right.

Examples of continental stitch patterns.

Slanted tapestry stitch.

This is a variation of the continental stitch and can be made in any size or at different angles.

Examples of slanted stitch designs.

By combining several stitch types, you can create beautiful patterns and textures.

Overcast stitch. This finishing stitch is used to cover the raw edge of your project. At the corners, it’s best to make three stitches to turn smoothly and fully cover the canvas. This stitch can also be used to join pieces together — place two pieces with wrong sides facing each other and stitch along the edge.

 Cross stitch also looks beautiful on plastic canvas.

For this stitch, a finer mesh works best. You can use any gridded cross-stitch pattern, and even cut the canvas into different shapes and silhouettes to stitch on.

Working with plastic canvas is a time-consuming process, but it’s fun, creative, and rewarding.

If you’ve never tried plastic canvas embroidery, this might become your next favorite craft project. It’s versatile, relaxing, and lets you create everything from small ornaments to big home decor pieces. Give it a try - you’ll be amazed at what you can make!