Unicorn Hoop Art

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Who doesn't love a glittery unicorn, y'all? This sweet little Unicorn Hoop Art project is perfect for kids and adults, alike. It combines a bit of embroidery (only one simple stitch) with fabric paint and a stencil. And of course, bonus points for using glittery fabric paint on your unicorn.

Where are my unicorn lovers out there? This sweet little project is so fun to put together...especially with the combination of fabric paint and embroidery. You can totally do one or the other...but combining the two really makes your unicorn POP! I also used an adhesive stencil to make the painting really simple. See how this glittery unicorn hoop art came together below.

Unicorn Hoop Art

Don't let the idea of a glittery unicorn mess keep you from this one...the nature of this fabric paint keeps everything fairly tidy and easy to manage. I promise you won't have glitter in every nook and cranny when your unicorn hoop art project is complete. And if you pop back by this Friday, I'm sharing free printable unicorn gift tags that coordinate perfectly with this hoop art. 

I also put together a video to show how simple this Unicorn Hoop Art is (but there are also instructions below the video, too):

Let's Make Some Unicorn Hoop Art!

Supplies for Unicorn Hoop Art

• glittery fabric paint (I used Fabric Creations Fantasy Glitter Fabric Paint, which can be found on Amazon.)
• adhesive unicorn stencil (I used the one from Fabric Creations that you can grab at Walmart or a craft store.)
• fabric stencil brushes (I used Fabric Creations Stencil Brushes, available at Walmart or Amazon.)
• 4" embroidery hoops
• fabric of your choice (I really love the contrast of the black fabric when used with the glitter paint!)
• You will also need embroidery floss and an embroidery needle, if you do the backstitch portion of this unicorn hoop art.

These Fabric Creations Fantasy Glitter paints are so much fun to work with. There are so many fun colors. I also enjoyed seeing how the colors work against different colord background fabrics. I want to glitter all the things, now. 

Creating Your Unicorn Hoop Art 

An adhesive stencil is the way to go with fabric paint...no bleed! I customized mine a bit using painter's tape to block off certain parts of the stencil. I loaded my hoop with fabric, applied the stencil (I just eye-balled it) and the project was ready to start.

I did a simple pouncing with my fabric stencil brush. This takes a bit longer than regular paint strokes, but it's the way to stencil without a paint mess and bleeding. And, I'm very sparing with my paint, too. But, I did two coats to get a good amount of coverage on my unicorn.

I let the unicorn hoops dry for 24 hours before starting the stitching. The stitching covers any imperfections from your fabric paint and really makes your unicorn POP!

Embroidering Your Unicorn Hoop Art

I only did a backstitch around the entire perimeter of the unicorn's features. I referred back to my stencil to make sure I stitched all of the outlines. Not sure how to backstitch? It's one of the simplest stitches and you can definitely tackle it...even if you've never done a bit of embroidery.

My Go-To Backstitch Tutorials:

• My friend, Bev, over at Flamingo Toes, has a great backstitch tutorial on her embroidery page. 
• Cutesy Crafts has a wonderful stitch sampler guide for anyone new to embroidery. It includes the backstitch, too.

Be sure to use the entire amount of embroidery floss for your backstitch (don't split your threads for this one). For this particular hoop, we want the embroidery thick so it shows really nicely as an outline around the unicorn.

Finishing Your Unicorn Hoop Art:

I have several go-to tutorials to finish a hoop off. Below are a couple of my favorites.

• Stitched Modern has a great tutorial for flawlessly finishing a hoop with felt. 
• This tutorial from Wandering Threads Embroidery uses a simple running stitch and felt to finish off a hoop.

Other Fun Hoop Art Projects:

• My 4" Apple Hoops are also a great beginner embroidery project.
• Love coffee? If you're ready to tackle a bit more embroidery, try my free pattern for Coffee Hoop Art.
• I absolutely love these summertime hoops from Fynes Designs.

I've already given a few of these away as gifts...everyone seems to LOVE a glitter unicorn!

I also created coordinating unicorn gift tags that pair perfectly with the unicorn hoop art. You can grab these free printables here (great for all kinds of unicorn gifting and fun!).

Neglect your chores like me and don't miss a thing:

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