When most people think of embroidery, they often picture a typical uniform shirt or custom memorabilia. But once you dive into the world of embroidery, you quickly realize you can embroider on virtually anything.
In fact, if you’ve ever wondered if you can embroider something, the answer will always be:
If you can hoop it, you can embroider it.
While the list can go on forever, we narrowed it down to 101 items.
Spoiler alert: Some of them may surprise you – especially #89 and #101
Sort through this list to gather some ideas for your next embroidery project, and click on the links to follow along with video tutorials.
Headwear
- Caps
- Sunhats and floppy hats
- Beanies and berets
- Visors
- Graduation caps
- Trucker hats (even the mesh sides!)
- Bucket hats
- Kippots (Yes – yamakas!) Click here to meet our customer in Florida who embroiders custom yamakas for basketball teams.
Pro tip: Multi-needle embroidery machines are compatible with commercial-grade accessories like cap attachments that allow you to embroider on the curved surface of caps. You can also embroider on other types of hats using machine embroidery clamps or the 8-in-1 Hoop Set.
Click here to see how it works.
Home
- Table runners
- Tablecloths
- Kitchen towels
- Rugs and mats
- Toilet paper
- Bathroom towels
- Coasters
- Curtains/Shower curtains
- Pillowcases
- Bed sheets
- Fleece blankets
Pro tip: Embroidery is usually found on home décor like tablecloths and blankets. You can embroider large areas with Ricoma’s Extended Table that increases the sewing field to 48 by 14 inches, the industry’s largest embroidery area.
Footwear
- Boots
- Canvas lace-ups (Converse)
- Canvas slip-ons (Vans)
- Ballerina flats
- Sandals
- Slippers
- Cleats
Pro tip: Unusually shaped goods are impossible to hoop with traditional hoops, but luckily, you can get a firm hold on thick shoes like cleats with the Robot Frame. You can also embroider boots with machine embroidery clamps like the Manual Robot Frame.
Apparel
- Polo shirts
- T-shirts and tank tops
- Uniform shirts (mechanic, military, and more)
- Pants
- Jeans
- Button-ups
- Sweaters, hoodies and cardigans
- Blouses
- Jackets
- Track suits
- Overalls
- Dresses
- Skirts
- Shorts
- Pajamas and night gowns
- Robes
- Pashminas
- Blazers
- Sports bras
- Underwear
Pro tip: Most apparel is flat and, therefore, could easily be embroidered with standard embroidery hoops. However, different fabrics require certain embroidery techniques and materials to achieve the best finished product. Click here to download a list of 50 popular fabrics and the best embroidery materials and practices for each.
Outerwear
- Bathing suits
- Pool towels
- Ponchos
- Rain coats
- Gloves and mittens
- Scarves
- Leg warmers
- Vests
- Ski jackets
- Coats
Pro tip: Embroidery on outerwear like raincoats can compromise the apparel’s function. You can cover the needle penetrations on water-repellent garments with a special iron-on stabilizer that seals the needle’s punctures.
Children’s apparel/accessories
Pro tip: Some baby clothing is too small to embroider on a traditional hoop. That’s where the 8-in-1 Hoop Set comes in. These versatile hoops are slim enough to embroider on sleeves, children’s apparel and more!
Click here to see how it works
Bags
- Tote bags
- Clutches
- Duffel bags
- Backpacks
- Makeup bags
- Suit cases
- Laptop, tablet and phone cases
- Golf bags
- Glasses cases
- Wine bags
- Lunch bags
- Coolers
Pro tip: Most bags are thick and, thus, difficult-to-hoop. Magnetic hoops like Mighty Hoops are designed with powerful magnets that instantly cling together to hoop even the toughest of fabrics.
Did you know? The Ricoma MT Series machine is designed to embroider on bulkier items mentioned above.
Click here to see the MT-Series embroidery machine in action.
Accessories
Pro tip: You can embroider accessories like leather belts with the Belt Hoop, a hoop specifically designed to hold belts firmly as the machine embroiders.
Miscellaneous
- Business cards
- Flags and banners
- Stuffed animals
- Tutus
- Car mats
- Wood (Seriously! Just ask our customer, Linda Russell. Don’t try this at home, folks!)
- Folding chairs
- Mats (Beach, yoga, pre-school)
- Book covers
Pro tip: You’ll often hear embroiderers say, “If you can get it flat, you can embroider that.” That’s because embroidering miscellaneous items is all about trial and error. That’s how Linda Russell managed to embroider on wood using her Ricoma MT-1501.
Pet
- Pet beds
- Pet clothing
- Leashes
Pro tip: Like children’s apparel, pet apparel is easier to embroider with the help of specialty accessories like the 8-in-1 Hoop Set.
Holiday/Special Occasion
- Stockings
- Masks
- Santa hats
- Cloaks
- Graduation gowns
- Birthday or holiday cards
Pro tip: The holidays are a great time for embroidering costumes, home decor and gifts. For more on holiday embroidery, check out our Halloween embroidery ideas or our 99 holiday embroidery ideas.
And there’s WAY more where that came from…
Quite frankly, we’re really just scratching the surface. For even more embroidery tips and tutorials, visit our YouTube channel.
If you’re interested in seeing how real embroiderers stitch these items and get even more embroidery ideas, join our Facebook group, Embroidery and Printing Business Help. In it, you’ll catch embroiderers posting all kind of projects from belts and leashes to sweaters and socks. You can even ask them how they did it, and they’ll be more than happy to help!
You can also schedule a free virtual demo to see the embroidery process from start to finish. During your personal session, you can get all of your embroidery questions answered and even ask an expert how you can embroider any one of these items. Click here to schedule your one-on-one virtual demo.
Want to see one of our machines in action?
Schedule a free virtual demo if you want to see any of our machines in action. In it, you can ask any questions you have about the industry and see exactly how to start and run an embroidery project in real time.
