Needlework sets
Quantity discount
EUR13,15 per piece for 2 units
Creativ Company Mini Craft Kit Embroidery
This embroidery kit proves that cheap doesn’t always mean bad
29.7.2026
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Stefanie Lechthaler
Ten francs was all I spent on a craft set that relaxes me, sparks my creativity and rewards me with a little bag. Too bad it has these black dots.
It’s been almost 10 years since I last had an embroidery needle in my hand. So I’m going to try and get back into it with this set from Creativ Company. Ten francs for a classic handicraft? I’m in. We’ll soon see if that’s a good deal.
I open the kit and am met with a colourful assortment: two metres of thread, two needles, a threader, a small embroidery kit and gel for glueing loose threads. «Not bad», I think to myself.
I turn the bag inside out and it quickly becomes clear why the price tag is so small. None of the hems have a neat finish and there’s a lot of loose, excess thread. At least the zip closes well.
In the instructions, I do find some information about the embroidery set, but contrary to my expectations, there’s nothing about basic stitches or other embroidery tips. Too bad – but it works just fine without any.
Preprinted dots on the toiletry bag show the silhouette of flowers. They make it easier for me to get started by guiding me from point to point. The instructions provide two ideas for how I could embroider the toiletry bag. The design is creative, but it’s not to my taste. At least these points give me a direction to follow and I’m also free to decide how to implement them.
I’ll start with the inside of the flower. To do this, I pull the yellow thread through the tips of both needles using the threader. I tie a knot at the end of the string. On my first try, I miss the black dot. And again, another two times. Then jackpot! The yarn glides through the fabric.
All you have to do is insert the needle at the first point and pull it out again at the next one. Then again. And again. And after just a few needle pricks, the first circle begins to form in the centre of the flower. It’s a little chaotic, but I can see it coming together. Next, I want to embroider the petals using salmon-coloured thread.
That’s when I experience my first mishap: the threader breaks.
Seriously? I suppose, you do get what you pay for.
I painstakingly mend it, but on the second try, the fine threads break again. You can forget using thick yarn. Luckily, I have an old threader in my sewing box. So I tie a knot at the end of the string and finish off the flowers with a classic backstitch, just as shown in the template.
15 stitches later and it’s beaming at me. My first flower. And I actually think the ruffled leaves are quite pretty. I’d love to be able to rub out the spots I didn’t manage following because they stand out next to the yarn. Unfortunately, you can’t.
For the last touch, I use dark green yarn to create a stem for the flower. Then I repeat the process for the two flowers to the left of it. You could stop there. But no, there are still unembroidered dots flitting around the stem of one of the flowers.
Why only here? I have no clue.
The idea? I can only guess that you’re supposed to create a wild, haphazard embroidery pattern around the flowers. At least, that’s how it looks on the template. I’m not a fan. So I embroider green thorns onto the flower instead.
Now the back side
At the back, the outlines of the sketched flowers remind me of pansies. It inspires me to create something of my own, something detailed. I’m still using the points as a guide, but this time I choose to fill in the areas completely. And even more importantly: I work in such a way that the black dots disappear behind the yarn.
My new approach requires not only more patience, but also more materials. The many stitches loosen the yarn so much that it breaks apart into its individual strands. This makes embroidery more difficult, and the areas blend together into a single surface.
And then it gets even worse: the second threader breaks. I’m losing it.
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With great difficulty, I thread the yarn back through the eye of the needle. It’s a setback, but I’m not letting it get me down – I’m even trying my hand at two new stitches. For the stem, I use –appropriately enough – a stem stitch, and I outline the base with a chain stitch.
The other side does take me significantly more time, but the result speaks for itself. Overall, I’m pretty happy with my little bag. If it were up to me, the piece would be finished by now. But there are still two spots where you can see the black dots. I need to come up with something.
It occurs to me that instead of the pre-printed dots, Creativ Company could include a stencil and a pen so users can draw their own designs. Then I could decide for myself just how wild I want to go with the design.
A sticky ending
The final step is to secure the ends of the yarn. I apply the included sticky base gel to the knots and loose threads. This secures them and prevents the embroidery from fraying over time. By the next day, the mixture has hardened and holds the yarn in place, even when I tug on it. Not bad.
Update from 30 July 2026: A reader pointed out a useful trick to me: you can intentionally pull the yarn apart and use the thinner strands to create more variation in stitch thickness.
In a nutshell
A cheap embroidery set for beginners
The embroidery set is ideal for anyone who’d like to start embroidery but don’t need detailed instructions on the basic stitches. Everything you need is included, except for a pair of scissors. Although the toiletry bag isn’t particularly well-made, the selection of thread is broad enough to turn it into something special. It’s a shame that the guide marks can’t be erased.
Yes, I may have criticised the bag, but for this price I can let a few marks slide. At the end of it all, I’m holding a cute little toiletry bag in my hands that I decorated myself. And even with the black dots printed on it, I can let my imagination run wild and sew the embroidery however I like.
Pro
- Comprehensive starter kit (yarn, needles, threader, toiletry bag, gel)
- Pre-printed markers make it easier to get started
- More affordable
- Plenty of creative freedom despite using a template
Contra
- Poor finish on the toiletry bag
- Instructions don’t explain basic stitches
- Preprinted markers can’t be removed
- Yarn disintegrates into individual strands with intensive embroidery
Header image: Stefanie Lechthaler
Painting the walls just before handing over the flat? Making your own kimchi? Soldering a broken raclette oven? There's nothing you can't do yourself. Well, perhaps sometimes, but I'll definitely give it a try.
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