NeedleWorkMonday - Giving Your Project a Professional Finished Look!
Hello everyone! Welcome to another Fabulous #NeedleWorkMonday! In my post last week I shared a crocheted hat that I completed. I mentioned how I like my customers to look at the inside and think it’s just as professional as the outside. @shanibeer mentioned to me that she wanted her ends to be sealed on her work and that she was considering giving this hot glue gun method a try. If you’re wanting your ends to be sealed and want a clean finished look on your projects, continue reading as I will explain how I achieved the finished look in this post.
Above you see the before and after of inside the hat. First you’ll want to cut all of your ends to a decent size so your project is easier to work with...
Then you’ll take one end at a time and cut them as low as possible so they won’t be as noticeable once finished...
You’ll now need your hot glue gun. We’ll pretend that I’m gluing one of the hat ends so you can see the amount I dab on. I couldn’t get a picture of the actual ends being glued because the glue would dry up by the time I snap the picture lol!
You want to dab on a very small amount at the tip of the end, just enough to seal it down. If you dab too much you might leave a white residue from the dried glue and that will not look professional. I have done this many of times which means I’ve had a lot of practice. I suggest practicing on some scrap pieces before doing this to a real project...
Immediately before the glue dries press the end down to the inside of project. Whether I have an “inside” or not I always use this method for all of my ends. For example on scarves. Even though you can see both sides of the scarf I glue the ends discretely so it will have a professional look. I just don’t feel right giving someone an item where you can see all of these little ends sticking up. It’s like this, if I were to buy a garment from the clothing store and I see all of these threads or fabric ends hanging out from it, I wouldn’t want to buy it as it wouldn’t look professional. I treat needlework the same way. I try to finish Imy projects for my customers the way I would want to receive them.
I hope I could give you some good advice and tips on how to finish your work so that it has a clean look!
Have you ever tried this method? What other methods do you use when finishing a project! Please share below! 😃
Logo/Banner created by @rigaronib!
Wow, talk about attention to detail!
Great idea! I know how those ends like to work their way out. For me, cotton really likes to create those tails.
Thank you!! Ends are my pet peeve and can be so cumbersome. I had to find a way to keep them out of the scene lol!
What a wonderful idea! Being a seamstress, I always stressed the importance of a clean finished edge project. Never would have thought about using a glue gun for the tiny threads in a needlework project. Thank you @crosheille, you're a genius
Thanks so much for stopping by and reading how I finish my work. I love a clean look! I’m not sure how it would work for thinner threads but I love how it works for yarns. Let me know if you ever give it a shot for your needle projects!
I need to try this on my Dr. Who scarves--so many ends with all the color changes!
If you do please let me know if it worked for you. I realize everyone might not like this method but I’d thought I’d share how I finish my work. 😉
I try to sew my threads into the crocheted/knitted fabric as well as I can. I hate sewing by hand so I often take finished projects with me to my knitting group because one of them likes to sew and can do it quickly and invisible ;)
That’s great that you have someone to help you with sewing them in! Once I get better with sewing that may be another method I use :)
@crosheille I liked to have never remembered the name of this hashtag.. omg .. okay I am doing a post for the first time on #needleworkmonday and will mention you in the post.. I had to go through tons of comments to find you again.. lol
Where there is a will there is a way. Thanks for showing this in case I ever need the technique with gluing.
Hey @rebeccabe! I am so glad you found it! I thought about you an hour ago and told myself I need to tag you when I get back on here...looks like you’ve got it now. I’ll check out your post soon! 😃 Yay!!!
My pleasure, thank you for viewing and supporting! 😊
So fun.. I love this!
Me too! I have upped and commented on your post as @needleworkmonday! 😉
So glad to have you join us!
thanks a lot!
When I read the glue gun in the picture, and seeing the difference between before and after, I was like wow, you can do that with a glue gun too? Cool! And the photo, I kinda read it the James Bond style hahaha. It felt really cool.
Honestly, I have not tried this method. I usually just tuck each end into the stitches and I usually leave a long end to tuck deep in between all the stitches and try stretching to make sure it doesn't "stick" out. The glue gun method sounds pretty cool but I wonder what happens when you wash the hat? Will the glue come off? Thanks for sharing this method @crosheille :)
Haaa! Thanks for appreciating my photo method @marblely!!! 😄
Yes I have tried the tuck under method before with a blanket but I just get afraid they will eventually come out. 😱 I have washed my hats and scarves several time and the glue does not come off. However after so many washes parts of the yarn that was glued down might start to get loose. Other than that the ends seem to stay in place for the most part. Even if parts of the ends do come loose I look at it as if they would be just sitting there anyway if I didn’t glue them. This has only happened to my hats I have had for several years. That hot glue is some pretty strong stuff!!!
I would say test it out on a practice piece to see if this method would work for you. It might not be for everyone but it is what I prefer over others (at least until I come across another one I like lol).
I had the same washing question :-D I am always afraid, that my handmade clothes desintegrate while washing...
I smiled when I read your comment, @neumannsalva :D
Your lovely cardigans wouldn't disintegrate at all, but I totally suggest shaping them before putting them to dry flat rather than hanging them so they don't stretch.
I find that sometimes things also get a bit creased so that's why I really shape them before they are left to dry :D
... I actually made such big messes (ha ha...) while using glue guns I lost a few rosettes, but towards the end I did learn that sometimes you can just peel the glue off when dry...
Actually, I believe that when you knit/crochet a tension square you should also wash it to see how it will react. I used to do that when doing machine knitting ...
@cryptocariad I have peeled hot glue off of other craft projects before but unfortunately it’s a bit more tricky with yarns. Once it’s on the yarn it’s hard to come off without making a mess. Sometimes I have to cut around the dried residue to clean up. I’ve learned how to do this without messing up my project. So pretty much once it’s on the yarn it’s there to stay.
ahem - ah yes... theoretically I know, that I should wash my swatches.... practically I am proud that i swatch at all :-DD While only crocheting it was not necessary, as my tension was easy to calculate for me, but with knitting this changed.
And I have such bad experiences with washing and blocking. Two times I have ruined a garment... Sometimes I am too afraid to wear my knitted sweaters, as I fear to sweat all over them and this will lead to: washing :-DDDD
Oh, dear ! That must have been so disheartening, @neumannsalva... I also suffer with tension swatches. I haven't done a machine knitting swatch for ages (I actually forgot how so I need to look it up again), but you have to wait ideally overnight before you actually measure it so the knitting relaxes!
Lol!! I have never had any of my handmade items disintegrate at all. However I agree with @cryptocariad about shaping them before washing.
Please see my comment I posted for @marblely...it will answer your question! 😉
Yes it did! Thank you :-D And your post is so special!!! I will borrow a glue gun from a friend and try this out as I really despise sewing in the ends and simultaneously are afraid that the ends will come back out - a dilemma :-D
But not only is your method amazing, I love your photo style. It is so clean and professional: loooove <3
It's wow! Hiding popping out yarns is the painful last step for me to finish a project. And I also have the same question regarding to washing. Mostly I hand wash knitted stuff (I have the same worry as @neumannsalva has) so it won't be a problem.
Yes it is a painful last step, especially if you have hundreds of ends. Please see my response below about the washing, thanks. 😉
You wrote my comment almost word for word except James Bond :))))) I do the same thing as you. and I wanted to ask the same question. so the answer to you from Cynthia is the answer to me :)
I never knew that was an option WOW what a difference it made looks so good
😄 I guess quite a few didn’t know! It’s something I tried one day because I had a glue gun on hand and I’ve been hooked ever since. Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m glad you like the outcome :D
Never heard of doing this before, @crosheille... I've got
painfulexperience using a glue gun when making fabric rosettes :DHaa oh yes @cryptocariad I know the pain you are speaking of. I have done this so many times that I think my thumbs are numb to the hot glue if I accidentally touch it straight on lol. I wanted to emphasis the practice aspect of this. 😅
I just adapted it and have been doing somevery since because I can’t stand my ends sticking out.
Wow~ It's so perfect both of inside&outside! I need practice and practice. T_T