Come and See Arlene’s Crafts at the Twilight Markets This Saturday!

 We’re heading to the Twilight Markets in Toowoomba this Saturday, and we’d love you to come and visit Arlene’s Crafts! 🧵✨

We’ll be bringing along a colourful selection of our Stitched Shapes, including lots of individual designs and our Choose Your Own Sets, as well as ABC stitching products, weaving products, threads and accessories.

With Christmas getting closer, we’ll also have some of our Christmas range on display, with plenty of ideas for something a little different for Christmas gifts and stocking fillers. 🎄🎁

If you’ve been following our new Stitched Shapes range online, this is a great opportunity to see them in person, feel them, choose your favourite shapes and colours, and have a chat with us about how they work.

Twilight Markets – This Saturday
📍 Indoor Bowls Club
10 Annand St, Toowoomba

Come along, say hello and have a look at what we’ve been creating!

Arlene’s Crafts
Stitch, Create & Have Fun!

🎉 Our New Arlene’s Crafts Online Shop Is Live!

 I’m very excited to share some big news — the new Arlene’s Crafts online shop is officially live! 🎉

You can now browse the Arlene’s Crafts range all in one place, including Stitched Shapes, ABC Stitching Name Sets, embroidery kits and tutorials, stitching accessories, our Christmas Wreath Advent Calendar and more.

The new shop also makes it much easier to choose your shapes, colours, letters and sets, then order directly online.

🛍️ Visit the new Arlene’s Crafts online shop

Stitch • Create • Have Fun

Thank you for following along as Arlene’s Crafts continues to grow. I hope you enjoy having a look around the new shop! 💚

New Animal Stitched Shapes Have Arrived! 🐾

 🐾 Meet the newest members of the Arlene’s Crafts Stitched Shapes family — the Animals!

I’m excited to introduce our new Animal Stitched Shapes, now available in Choose Your Own Sets of 3 and 4.

Children can choose their favourite animals, select from 10 available colours, and create a combination that’s completely their own.

Stitched Shapes are designed to make learning to stitch simple and fun. The evenly spaced holes can be used for basic threading and lacing, or children can begin experimenting with different embroidery stitches as their confidence grows.

And because they're reusable, when the stitching is finished, simply remove the thread and start again with another colour or stitch!

What’s included?

Each Animal kit includes:

🐾 Your chosen Animal Stitched Shapes
🧵 Thread
🪡 Stitching needle/s
📖 Easy-to-follow instructions

They’re a lovely activity for creative play, homeschool, classrooms, daycare and learning to stitch at home, while also helping children practise fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Choose Your Own Animal Set

You can now choose between:

🐾 Choose Your Own 3 Animal Stitched Shapes

🐾 Choose Your Own 4 Animal Stitched Shapes

With the different animals and colours available, there are lots of combinations to create.

Which animals would you choose for your set?

🧵 Stitch • Create • Have Fun!

Arlene
Arlene’s Crafts

The Goldwork Beetle is Back – A Classic Arlene’s Crafts Tutorial Refreshed for 2026

The Goldwork Beetle Embroidery Tutorial is back in the Arlene’s Crafts Etsy shop, with a fresh new look for 2026. 🪲✨

This is a project with quite a history for me. I began creating my stumpwork and goldwork beetles many years ago, and the Goldwork Beetle has remained one of those special designs that I still love returning to.

The tutorial takes you through creating your own dimensional embroidered beetle using beautiful Goldwork techniques, metallic threads, beads and layered embroidery.

Inside the digital tutorial you'll find detailed step-by-step instructions, photographs to guide you through the different stages, helpful tips and stitch information.

Already have your own Goldwork supplies?
You can purchase the tutorial as a digital download and start creating your beetle with your own materials.

Need the specialist materials as well?
I also have Goldwork Beetle materials kits available separately in my Etsy shop, including an option with a 4-inch embroidery hoop.

It's lovely to bring one of my classic Arlene's Crafts projects back into the spotlight — refreshed and ready for a new generation of stitchers.

A Creative Countdown to Christmas – Stitch Your Own Advent Wreath

For Christmas 2026, I wanted to create an Advent calendar that was about more than simply opening a surprise each morning.

The Arlene’s Crafts My Christmas Wreath – 25-Day Stitch & Create Advent Calendar gives you a Christmas project that gradually comes together throughout December.

Starting on Day 1, you'll have your wreath frame, sparkling threads and needles ready to begin. Then you'll open your numbered Advent packages throughout December, stitch the pieces you discover and add them to your Christmas creation.

And you can make it your way. Your stitched ornaments don't have to stay on the wreath — they can also be hung on your Christmas tree.

It's a lovely screen-free activity and something you can enjoy creating rather than another Advent calendar filled with disposable surprises.

🎄 Christmas 2026 PRE-ORDER
Early Bird: $69.95 until 30 September 2026
Regular price: $79.95
Only 20 calendars available
Dispatch begins: 1 November 2026

Once all 20 have been reserved, pre-orders will close.

25 Days of Christmas Creativity – Stitch, Create & Watch Your Wreath Grow!

 Christmas is even more exciting when you get to create something along the way! 🎄🧵

With the Arlene’s Crafts My Christmas Wreath – 25-Day Stitch & Create Advent Calendar, you’ll open a numbered parcel each day and stitch the pieces inside. As December goes by, your Christmas wreath gradually comes together.

It’s 25 days of Christmas creativity — stitching, creating and enjoying a hands-on activity during the countdown to Christmas.

🎁 Christmas 2026 PRE-ORDER
✨ Early Bird Price: $69.95 until 30 September 2026
🎄 Only 20 available
📦 Orders start dispatching from 1 November 2026

Perfect for anyone who loves Christmas crafting — and a lovely screen-free activity to enjoy throughout December.

Pre-order your Christmas Wreath Advent Calendar from Arlene’s Crafts on Etsy.

It’s Here! My Christmas Wreath 25-Day Stitch & Create Advent Calendar

 🎄 PRE-ORDERS ARE NOW OPEN! 🎄

I’m very excited to officially launch the Arlene’s Crafts My Christmas Wreath – 25-Day Stitch & Create Advent Calendar for Christmas 2026!

This is an Advent calendar with a difference.

Instead of chocolates or throw-away surprises, each day brings another part of a Christmas stitching project, giving you a creative and hands-on way to count down to Christmas.

🎁 EARLY BIRD PRE-ORDER PRICE – $69.95
Regular price $79.95

Early Bird pricing ends 30 September 2026.

🎄 Only 20 Advent Calendars are available for Christmas 2026.

👉 PRE-ORDER YOUR ADVENT CALENDAR ON ETSY

How does it work?

Your Advent Calendar contains 25 numbered surprises to open throughout December.

On Day 1, you'll get your Christmas project started with your wreath frame, three spools of sparkling thread and needles.

Then, as December progresses, open your numbered Advent packages and discover pieces to stitch and create.

Stitch each piece your way and gradually watch your Christmas wreath come together.

By Christmas, you'll have created something special that you can bring out and enjoy again.

Make it your way!

One of my favourite things about this Advent Calendar is that you don't have to make yours exactly like mine.

Experiment with your stitching, colours and patterns and make each piece your own.

And your stitched ornaments don't have to stay on the wreath!

Add them to your Advent wreath or hang them on your Christmas tree.

It's your Christmas creation.

A little screen-free time at Christmas

December can be an incredibly busy month, and this Advent Calendar offers something a little different — a reason to sit down, pick up a needle and thread and spend some time creating.

It's a fun, hands-on and screen-free activity that can be enjoyed throughout the Christmas countdown.

Christmas 2026 Pre-Orders

This year I'm producing a small batch of only 20 Advent Calendars.

🎁 Early Bird Price: $69.95
🎄 Regular Price: $79.95
📅 Early Bird ends: 30 September 2026
📦 Pre-orders start dispatching: 1 November 2026

Once all 20 calendars have been reserved, pre-orders will close.

👉 PRE-ORDER YOUR MY CHRISTMAS WREATH ADVENT CALENDAR ON ETSY

I can't wait to see how everyone stitches and creates their wreaths this December!

Happy stitching,

Arlene
Arlene’s Crafts 🧵🎄