Beginner Embroidery Kits to Inspire Your North American Travels
Updated: Oct 19, 2020
You’ve booked your family vacation a little closer to home this year -- congrats! What to do with all this excitement? Whether before, during, or after our trip, our family loves to develop relationships with the places we visit, and one way we do this is through embroidery and crafts. Embroidery can be taken on the road - keeping young minds occupied and happy during the long hours between destinations.
Embroidery starter kits are beginner-friendly, starting you off with just a few different simple stitches such as a cross stitch, a lazy daisy, a back stitch, or a French knot. A quick search on YouTube will give you a wealth of 2-minute video tutorials on any new stitch you might encounter.
I can’t wait to see Alexi’s completed work on this cute flower kit! Our family is doing an Old West road trip through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana this summer, so we have been having fun with a few American flora and fauna embroidery kits.
Want to give it a try? We’ve compiled a list of North American travel-inspired kits for you and your kiddos. Just click on the pictures of the kits below to grab a few for your family!* Whether you’re headed to the beach, the mountains, the desert ... or just want to be reminded of fond travel memories of years past, you’re sure to enjoy these kits. If you choose any of them, please share your pics on instagram or facebook with #tranquiltravel, and let us know what your inspiration destination is. We’d love to see!
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
North America: Connecting to Nature & Native Culture
It's road trip season. If you're anything like my husband Mike and me, you like to keep the iPads and electronics off-limits at the beginning of your days on the road. As the miles pass by, the kids begin to get grumpy, and we hold out as long as we can before the iPads are handed out to maintain our sanity. We arm ourselves with little road trip goodies, like dollar store coloring kits, activity pages related to our destinations, knitting supplies, and more. Embroidery starter kits are perfect for long days on the road. And it's not just an escape from boredom -- kids and adults get to explore rich North American culture and natural surroundings through the below kits. We hope you enjoy this lovely travel-friendly hobby as much as we do!
Since we are headed to cowboy country next week, I’ve just finished this cow skull and I love it! It calls for a outline stitch for the big flowers in the center, but I opted to do a rose stitch instead.
This deer was super fun to do. That cute face gazed back at me, coming alive as I worked! We are surrounded by these lovely, gentle beasts here in the American Midwest, and they are at home all over the U.S. and Canada.
This summer, we will be passing by and through several Native reservations in South Dakota and Wyoming. We are hoping to catch some good cultural events -- until then, the girls are fighting over who gets to work on this adorable tipi!
I am such a sucker for bear designs. The mighty California Grizzly is, after all, the centerpiece of my native state's flag! Grizzlies are all but extinct in California now, but you can encounter them in Alaska, western Canada, and the American Northwest.
Audrey is loving working on this adorable little guy, dressed in all his Native finery! Don't you just want to pinch his cute little cheeks?
Heading to the American Southwest? New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Southern California, Utah .... this whole region is dotted with an array of cactus varieties. Check out these adorable kits to help feed your cactus love!
Look at this adorable little Teardrop camper! Very easy stitch kit for a beginner, and it looks like it would be very satisfying to complete. Grab the s'mores supplies -- it's time to go camping!
Beach Trip: From Sea to Shining Sea
It's summertime! Time to cool off in the waters of Florida, the Jersey Shore, Hawai'i, or the Carolinas. Pull out the swimsuits, slather on the sunscreen, and grab one of these adorable kits to linger over under a big colorful beach umbrella.
I mean, what little girl doesn't love dolphins? We live in the Midwest now, but we used to love to watch them play in the surf off our home beach in Malibu, California. This kit has very simple stitches -- great for young fingers and minds.
Heading to Florida or the Yucatán region of Mexico? Here's hoping you get a chance to encounter flamingos in the wild! Did you know you can find flamingos even farther afield? They live in South America, the Galapagos Islands, India, and the Middle East, too.
This one feels like retro California to me -- lazy days on a San Diego beach in a rainbow tube top and a Farrah Fawcett feathered hairdo. Where's my piña colada?
Is Hawai'i calling? Swim with the "honu" (Hawaiian for sea turtle) in the waves off of Black Rock in Kaanapali, Maui. But don't get too close! They are a protected species in the islands. This sea turtle cross stitch is perfect for the younger learner. You don't have to switch back and forth between several different stitches. Just one simple "x" stitch all the way through.
Do you love to be out on the water? My hubby Mike grew up deep sea fishing off the coast of South Carolina with his grandpa. I loved getting out on catamarans in Hawai'i, sailing with the salty wind on the way back to the shore. And growing up in Southern California, we'd take boat trips to the Channel Islands, chased by dolphins playing in our wake. Such great memories! I love this adorable sailboat design -- just look at those beautiful waves!
Another great one for the younger learner. What a cute twinkling cartoon eye! These are all very simple straight stitches, with a back stitch and some leaf stitches mixed in. All very easy stitches for the embroidery novice.
Another great one for your Hawai'i vacation. Be sure to visit Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, even if there isn't an active lava flow to view. You'll also learn the history and culture of the people and places of Hawai‘i's past -- a definite bucket list item when on the Big Island.
Take it on the road!
Embroidery really is a great travel-friendly hobby to embrace. Keep it organized on the road with this fantastic project bag by Luxja. Grab everyone's favorite kits, throw it in the car, and head out. Easy peasy!
Let us know what you think as you and the kids begin to try your hands at embroidery. The girls and I truly have enjoyed learning this fun craft, and can't wait to take it on the road with us.
Just another Tranquil Travel tip, from our family to yours!
