How to Finish the Back of Your Cross Stitch Hoop with Felt

Give your cross stitch piece a beautiful, professional finish! This easy method will help protect the back of your work and make your hoop ready for display or gifting.

✂️ What You’ll Need

✅ Your finished cross stitch project in a wooden or plastic embroidery hoop

✅ Scissors
✅ Needle
✅ Strong thread (sewing thread or embroidery floss or dental floss!)
✅ Felt sheet (any color you like)
✅ Fabric pen or chalk (optional, for tracing the felt circle)

🪡 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Place your project in the hoop

• Center your stitched design in the hoop so it looks just right.
  
• Tighten the hoop’s screw until the fabric is firm and smooth, but not stretched out of shape.
  

2. Trim the excess fabric

• Leave about 1/2 to 1 inch (1.5-2.5 cm) of Aida fabric sticking out beyond the hoop.
  
• Carefully trim around the hoop, following its shape.

3. Sew a running stitch around the edge

• Thread your needle with a long piece of thread or embroidery floss (double it up for strength if you'd like). I personally like to use dental floss for this job.
  
• Starting anywhere, sew a simple running stitch close to the edge of the trimmed fabric — go in and out about every 1/4 inch (6 mm).

4. Gather the fabric

• When you’ve stitched all the way around, gently pull the thread to gather the fabric towards the center of the hoop’s back.
  
• Tie a secure knot so the fabric stays neatly gathered.
  

5. Cut a felt circle

• Place the hoop on your felt sheet and trace around it.
  
• Cut just inside your trace line so the felt circle is slightly smaller than the hoop’s edge, this way it won’t stick out.
  

6. Attach the felt with blanket stitch

• Thread your needle with embroidery floss (use all 6 strands for a nice look).
  
• Place the felt circle over the gathered fabric.
  
• Start your blanket stitch at any point:
  

1. 1. Bring your needle up through the edge of the felt and the fabric underneath.
      
   2. Before pulling the stitch tight, pass the needle through the loop of the thread to create that neat blanket edge.
      
   3. Continue stitching all around, spacing your stitches evenly.

✅ That’s it!

You now have a clean, finished back that hides the gathered fabric and protects your stitches, perfect for hanging or gifting!

🌟 Why use this method?

✨ It gives your hoop a polished, professional look.
✨ The felt protects your stitches from dust and damage.
✨ The blanket stitch adds a lovely decorative touch.