I am so excited to share these embroidery hoop orbs. I am a sloppy crafter which means my craft projects will never trend on Pinterest. And, I am good with that. So when I was asked to join an embroidery hoop craft challenge I thought this was my chance to get my craft on.
But, first I Googled “embroidery hoops” to confirm they were what I thought they were.
I ordered a “lot” of embroidery hoops on eBay because I wasn’t sure what I was going to make or how many hoops I would need. Let’s just save I can make a dozen orbs.
I decided to make orbs because I liked the look of similar projects on Pinterest and orbs matched my decor style.
embroidery hoops
I knew I wanted to stain these. I took the lazy route and didn’t separate the hoops.
Do as I suggest, not as I d0.
Take a few minutes to detach the hoops, it made a huge difference in the time it takes to stain and the quality of the finished look. I used a foam brush and a small paintbrush to get around the metal fasteners. After I stained the embroidery hoops I decided it was harder to stain hoops than furniture.
I loved the difference the stain made to the embroidery hoops. The stain gave them an instant Pottery Barn like finish. This craft project was headed in the right direction.
The stained orbs looked great with our shelves on the opposite ends of our this updated fireplace.
I wanted an easy way to attach the hoops, but finally committed to the power drill to drill pilot holes and then attach a small screw at the top and bottom of the orb. The wood was soft enough that with a little muscle you could secure both ends with a tack.
I figured this out when my drill’s battery died mid-drill.
I love the finished look of the orb. The embroidery hoop’s stained wood finish added much-needed character to the shelves. I have a few more embroidery hoop orbs “in production.”
On a side note, I love the shadows created from the lighting above the orbs onto the white shelf.
Patti @ Garden Matter says
September 25, 2017 at 6:45 amHi Laura,
I love the idea of creating an orb from the embroidery hoops. The brown stain makes them look expensive and it fits it perfectly with your decor, but I also think it would work well in just about any home, modern, traditional, farmhouse and eclectic. So great working with you and the others and I look forward to seeing what you do in the future.
farmhouse40 says
September 25, 2017 at 10:28 amOh this is really a great idea. Love how the orb turned out. Very clever
Stacey says
September 25, 2017 at 12:54 pmLaura, I love this idea!
laura says
September 26, 2017 at 7:12 amThanks, Stacey!
Gartener says
September 25, 2017 at 8:16 pmI love the orbs you created, Laura! I have seen much pricier versions online, so it’s wonderful to see a project that’s so doable at home.
Heather says
September 26, 2017 at 5:19 amThese turned out awesome! I’m a sloppy crafter too. I can relate!
Karen says
September 27, 2017 at 7:56 amThese are fantastic, Laura! I love the dimension you created with them and they do make nice decor for your shelves (I love that neat shadowing too).
laura says
September 27, 2017 at 8:41 amThank you, Karen!They turned out so much better than I expected! laura
Miranda Wood says
October 2, 2017 at 6:35 pmThese look great and they do match in with your room very well. I may have to try these but I think I’ll take them apart first. Thanks for the tip on that. 🙂
Katherines Corner says
June 28, 2018 at 8:32 pmLove your orbs! Curious about the football in the glass case? xo
laura says
June 30, 2018 at 7:03 amHi Katherine! Oh that Denver Bronco football. I need to check signature! laura
Heather says
May 10, 2019 at 6:51 amAlways a fave!
laura says
May 10, 2019 at 8:13 pmjust a few more … xo laura