Which Beginner's Bundle should I choose for the perfect gift?

Introduction

Christmas is coming, and you know what that means! It’s a great time to show your loved ones how much they mean to you.

What better way to say I love you to that special someone than providing them with the perfect excuse for some me-time?

If you haven’t heard of this expression, 'me-time' is valuable time that you spend on yourself. The idea is that you spend this time doing something purely for yourself that fills your cup and leaves you feeling fulfilled and happy. It's time away from all your daily responsibilities and worries so that you can relax and feel present. Overall, it's bliss! 

As we’ve discovered from a survey of our Maker’s Academy members, the number 1 reason they keep crafting is for the mental health benefits. As busy people, it is crucial for your well-being that you do something for yourself every so often.

But so often, we hear people saying they don't have the time or don't feel justified in spending time or money on themselves. So hey, why not take away that excuse, and hand them their me time on a platter with one of our beginner's bundles?

All of our Maker’s Academy’s beginner's bundles are super enjoyable and valuable ways of getting that me-time your loved one craves.

But which beginner's bundle best suits their unique personality?

Embroidery Beginner's Bundle

Embroidery is a more traditional and well known form of crafting, with so many wonderful benefits. I love embroidery because it creates very intricate creations with stunning detail. I like to think of this craft as being like watercolour, but with threads!

My patterns and tutorials also have quite a modern take on this craft, which makes it even more enjoyable (and less daunting!) for our makers.

Our Embroidery Beginner's Bundle is great for someone who likes a bit more guidance and enjoys following instructions. Embroidery does require a certain amount of precision so that the stitches come together nicely. So this craft is great for a person who likes to be quite precise and enjoys following a pattern. 

Embroidery is definitely a slow craft, and each pattern takes a matter of hours to complete (usually 4 - 10 hours for one of my beginner patterns). So I really feel that embroidery suits a patient person. 

But the great thing is - these embroidery projects are so easy to pick up and put down. Yes! So people can quite easily work on an embroidery project in the short bursts of me-time they have... before life interrupts again.

So, if your giftee is a busy mama who is new to crafting or a detail-oriented boss babe, then our Embroidery Beginner's Bundle will be fantastic for them!

Punch Needle Beginner's Bundle

If you’ve never heard of the craft punch needle before, you wouldn’t be alone! A little bit of backstory: punch needle is a modern craft that has roots in traditional rug-making. This craft involves punching little loops of wool on a fabric background, to create a beautifully textured piece of art.

A great comparison I like to make is that punch needle designs are akin to chunky oil paintings (whereas embroidery is more akin to softly detailed watercolour paintings).

I have fallen in love with this craft, and it’s not hard to see why! 

Some words I would use to describe this craft are free, forgiving, robust, and bold. So our Punch Needle Beginner's Bundle  suits eager crafters who enjoy more abstract and impressionist designs. 

Like modern embroidery, punch needle projects are easy to pick up and put down. So people can work on them in short bursts of time.

For example, when the toddler has gone down for a nap, woo-hoo!

Punch needle patterns, like Desert Sun, are relatively quick to complete (4 - 7 hours on average for beginner designs).

So if your giftee is more of a free-flowing person, who is not a perfectionist and likes to see progress right away, then our Punch Needle Beginner's Bundle is perfect for them! 

Woven Wall Hangings Beginner's Bundle

You might be wondering what a Woven Wall Hanging is, in the context of our bundles?

Well, you can think of it as a beautiful woven piece of art, that is made in a lap-sized loom. This means the weaving technique is much more hands-on and simple, compared with the more commercial looms and woven tapestries that may have sprung to mind.

And while this craft also has its roots in a wonderfully traditional art form, we make it modern, approachable, and fun!

Our Woven Wall Hangings Beginner's Bundle is perfect for people that are naturally creative, quite confident, and love to walk their own path. 

If your giftee is someone who is keen to try new things, appreciates the beauty in life, and doesn’t like to be shackled, then woven wall hangings are the perfect craft for them! This bundle suits someone who is not a perfectionist and wants to get creative in their own right (once they've learnt the ropes, as such). 

It takes a similar amount of time as punch needle, to make beginner weavings, such as Marshmallow Dreams (4 - 8 hours for a beginner creation). This can be compared to modern embroidery, which is a bit more of a slow craft.

However, weaving is not quite as easy to pick up and point down (compared to embroidery and punch needle).  So I think it suits someone who likes to dive wholeheartedly into a project and work on it for longer chunks of time.

Finished woven wall hangings look bold and beautiful on your wall and bring a lovely boho vibe to your home decor. If your giftee loves the super popular boho style that's all over magazines and Pinterest these days, then they’re sure to love the Woven Wall Hangings Beginner's Bundle!

Conclusion

So there you have it, a deep dive into our three beginner's bundle kits and which personality type each of them is best suited to. 

What's your best bet if you're still not sure?

If you're still looking at this article like a deer in the headlights, then I would suggest you stick with our Embroidery Beginner's Bundle. This bundle is our most popular one, and many people are already familiar with embroidery (or cross stitch), so it's a great beginner bundle to choose if you are not sure which one they'd prefer.

What about as a gift for kids?

If you are thinking of buying one of these beginner's bundles as a present for your child/teenager, then I would say that our bundles aren't tailored for this age group.

However, I have seen lots of Maker’s Academy members guide their children to make gorgeous modern embroidery, punch needle, and weaving creations. It's so wonderful to see! So, if someone is willing to supervise and guide their child through the course, then it could still be a great option as a gift.

I hope you found this article very useful when deciding which beginner bundle to gift to your loved one. But, as I've said, you can't go wrong with any of these bundles, as all of them are fantastic and will provide your giftee with some well-deserved me-time. 

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy my other article, 

Learn Modern Embroidery for Beginners with this FREE Pattern.

So, which beginner bundle will you gift your loved one?