Printable Punch Needle Patterns

I have been loving punch needle lately so I thought I would share 10 free printable punch needle patterns that you can print and try yourself! Punch needle is such a fun craft and anyone can do it, you don’t need any special skills or experience. Just a couple supplies and these free patterns and you are ready to get started with punch needle.

Printable Punch Needle Patterns

Whether you are new to punch needle or have been enjoying this craft for a while – then you know that one of the first steps is picking out a punch needle pattern. You can draw patterns by hand onto your monks cloth, but let’s be honest – not everyone has those skills 😉

My favorite way to transfer punch needle patterns onto my cloth is by printing the pattern and using a marker to transfer the design to my cloth.

There are some really beautiful paid punch needle patterns(like the ones in my shop!), but today I am sharing 10 free patterns for you!

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How Do You Get A Pattern On A Punch Needle?

So you’ve got your monks cloth, embroidery hoop and punch needle and now it’s time to transfer your free punch needle pattern onto the cloth. This is very simple and can be done in two different ways. The detailed instructions are below.

Transfer Punch Needle Pattern With Sunlight

You can use the light of the sun to transfer your free pattern onto the monks cloth. This is a very simple way because everyone has sunlight.

tape your pattern to a nice bright window
tape your monks cloth on top of the pattern on the same window
use a water soluble marker to trace the punch needle pattern onto the monks cloth

Transfer Punch Needle Pattern With Tracing Light

Another option is to use a tracing light if you have one.

place your printed pattern onto the tracing light
lay monks cloth over top of the pattern
trace the punch needle pattern with a water soluble marker onto the fabric

That’s it! Told you it was simple!

Can You Use Embroidery Pattern For Punch Needle?

Yes you can. There will be some changes you will need to make, but I do quite a lot of embroidery stitches in my punch needle projects. The “traditional” way to do punch needle is to have the loopy side being the “right” side, but I like to switch things up. It’s an art – get creative! There are no rules in punch needle 😉

Is Punch Needle Faster Than Embroidery?

Yes it is much faster than traditional embroidery. It is way more versatile too! I love how you can add so much character to a piece by changing the yarn weight and materials – even switch the stitch heights to create even more interest.

Punch Needle For Beginners

Punch needle is very easy to learn. I love that you can easily grab a punch needle kit and have your first piece of art done in just a couple of hours. There are a lot of stitches and techniques you can learn as you advance your punch needle skills, but to begin, we are just doing some simple stitches and trust me when I say, anyone can do it.

If you need a beginner’s guide to punch needle, check out my other blog post here.

I love how the finished result looks like you spent days to finish. I love the details and the texture the punch needle embroidery offers.

What Is Punch Needle Embroidery?

Punch needle is a fiber art that uses a wooden or plastic needle with a hole through the middle. By threading the yarn through the length of the needle, you can punch holes through your cloth and the tension in the cloth holds the yarn in place.

The result is a gorgeous piece of art with so much texture and beauty. The patterns and colors are endless. From abstract punch needle designs to potted plants and geometric patterns, everyone can find a design to fit their home aesthetic.

Tools For Punch Needle Embroidery

The list of tools you need to begin is pretty short. You will need an embroidery hoop to hold your monk’s cloth, a punching tool, something to thread your tool with and some yarn. You can freehand your designs of course, but a pattern is also really helpful. I have beautiful patterns in my Etsy shop if you are looking for one!

Again, you can find a complete punch needle kit in my Etsy shop if you don’t want to source your own.

You can find all the supplies linked here

embroidery hoop
punch needle
monk’s cloth
backing cloth
yarn
scissors
pattern (optional)
hot glue or fabric glue

Foundation Fabric – Monk’s Cloth

So you’ve seen me mention it a few times now and you are probably wondering what on earth it is! Monk’s cloth is a 100% cotton fabric and the weave makes small holes through the fabric, perfect for punch needling!

Monk’s cloth is my favorite foundation fabric for punching embroidery and if you buy a punch needle kit from my Etsy shop, your kit will come with it.

Embroidery Hoops

In order for the project to hold, you will need the monk’s cloth to be stretched tightly. The best way to do this is with an embroidery hoop. These hoops come in all sizes. The top has a screw that you can adjust to get a nice tight fit, then you can stretch your fabric around the embroidery hoop to make sure your cloth is nice and taught.

I prefer to use wooden embroidery hoops, although there are plastic ones if you prefer that.

Punching Tool

There are a several different types of punching tools to choose from. For beginners, I recommend one like this. It is an adjustable tool with 4 different sizes. It can fit bulkier yarns but also does well with more average weight yarns.

Another option is the Lavor punch needle. This one is much smaller and comes with multiple sized needles for punching with different weight yarns. I like this one for smaller projects with more detail. You cannot fit bulkier yarns in this tool so be aware of that.

The last option is the oxford punch needle. This punching tool is the most expensive out of all of them. One of the advantages of this tool is that the handle is made of wood and you thread it by sliding it down the opening on the side so you don’t have to use a wire to thread your needle every time you change colors.