Embroidery Hoop Sun Catcher: Display Pretty Garden Blooms

Dress up a window or door in your home with an embroidery hoop sun catcher. Made from just an embroidery hoop, wax paper and pressed flowers, it’s a no-skills required project.

I love that this embroidery hoop sun catcher uses an embroidery hoop in an unexpected way. Because embroidery hoops are more than just needlecraft tools. With a little help, they can make a statement in their own right. From mobiles to light fixtures to picture frames, you can complete crafty projects galore with these versatile circular devices.

So, I’m excited to share just one of those embroidery hoop projects: How to make an embroidery hoop sun catcher.

Making an embroidery hoop sun catcher is simple, sweet and inexpensive. You can save farmer’s market flowers or summer blooms from your garden to enjoy all year, and you’ll have something pretty to hang in your window to catch the light. Here’s how to make your own embroidery hoop sun catcher.

Step 1:  Press your flowers

You need something pretty to go inside your embroidery hoop sun catcher, right? What better than the delicate petals of some pretty flowers?

This part of the project is a little more time-intensive, but only because you have to wait a couple of weeks for your blooms to dry. It’s really hard not to peek, I know, but if you don’t give your flowers ample time to dry out they’ll turn brown and wilt. Pressing them dries them out so they last…pretty much forever.

Drying flowers is easy, especially using this pressing method. Simply take a variety of flowers and their leaves and lay them flat between the pages of a few books. You’ll need to line the pages of the book with tissue paper before pressing your blooms to prevent the flowers from sticking. (I found this out the hard way.)

You won’t be able to fit as many flowers in a book as you think. It gets thick fast. So, it’s completely fine to use multiple books. Once you’ve finished placing your flowers in your books, slide the books back on the shelf, so they’re squeezed between other books. You’ll need the pressure in order to flatten your flowers. After about two weeks, they’ll be dried out and ready to go.

It’s really fun to open the books at the end of the two weeks and find your perfectly preserved flowers. It makes all of the waiting worth it. I promise!

Step 2: Assemble your embroidery hoop sun catcher

Now, you’re ready to assemble your embroidery hoop sun catcher. First, disassemble your embroidery hoop. Then, tear off a piece of wax paper that’s slightly larger than your embroidery hoop. Place the flexible portion of the embroidery hoop (the one with the screw) on top of the sheet of wax paper.

Now, for the fun part. Arrange your blooms on top of the wax paper and in the middle of your hoop in a pretty pattern. At this point, I found that it’s a good idea to add a few very small dollops of glue to the wax paper to secure the flowers.

Step 3: Put it all together

Once you have your flowers arranged how you like, tear off another sheet of wax paper and place it on top of your hoop. Then, take the other portion of your embroidery hoop (the one without the screw) and press it down snug in the middle of the other part of the hoop, just like you would with fabric.

Secure the hoop by turning the screw until it’s tight. Then, trim off the excess wax paper, and you’re done!

This embroidery hoop sun catcher project was featured in the Summer 2015 issue of VintageKC magazine. See it and a bunch of other super fun embroidery hoop projects from other Kansas City bloggers here.

Want to try more easy crafty projects? Here are some craft ideas.

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