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How to Keep Embroidery Floss from Tangling?

by William Sanders

There is nothing more frustrating than finding a knot in your embroidery floss mid-work! The pain of untangling a knot, cutting off the floss, or, worst-case scenario, starting from scratch is the worst.

If you find yourself in this situation too often, don't worry, you are not the only one. Many of us struggle when it comes to keeping out flosses and threads tidy and organized.

Getting one or two knots while working with embroidery floss is common and inevitable. But, there are ways to keep your floss in order or prevent tangling at all. A few easy steps could save you from getting frustrated with knots.

How to Keep Embroidery Floss from Tangling?
How to Keep Embroidery Floss from Tangling?

How to Keep Embroidery Floss from Tangling?

Here are the ways you can keep your embroidery floss organized:

Spools

We have all seen this thing at our grandma's house. Spools are used to store almost any type of thread. It has been used since the old times and is a foolproof way to keep your floss untangled.

You can get spools in different sizes. Usually, we see them in a cylindrical form, but nowadays, you can get flat wooden ones too. These ones are shaped like cards.

Spools
Spools

The floss usually comes with a sticker or wrapper holding it together; the first step is to take that off. Then, you have to hold the thread straight and find its ending. Once you do that, all that is left is to start wrapping it around the spool.

It is better if you get another person to hold the floss for you, while you start unraveling it, as doing it alone might cause tangling. You can then store your spools separately, and there is no chance of your floss getting tangled.

Floss Holders

These are quite handy as well! You can now get holders that are made of plastic, specially designed to store embroidery floss.

Floss Holders
Floss Holders

These are available in different shapes and colors. Some holders have hooks on both ends to help store the floss. Others have holes in which you can slide your floss.

These are usually available in craft stores, but you can get a wider variety online on amazon or ebay. If you work with embroidery floss quite regularly, it's a good idea to have these on hand.

Hanger

If you don't have a spool or a floss holder, you can try this method. All you need is a spare hanger. For this method, you take the embroidery floss out from its wrapper and unwrap it to make the threads straight. Then you take one end of the floss and tie it neatly around the hanger.

You can store as many flosses as the hanger fits. It's a good idea to always store your flosses according to the color.

This method could be unsuccessful if the threads touch too often. You also have to make sure you are not storing the hanger in a windy area. If not taken care of properly, the ends of the thread could get tangled.

Beeswax

Now, this is a very old trick! In many areas, beeswax or coconut oil was used to keep embroidery threads from getting tangled together. The oil caused the flosses to become slippery, and thus, it became easy just to pull it out when they got tangled.

Baby powder was also used sometimes as a substitute. This method is recommended only if you have no other options left. This is because the oil or beeswax can sometimes hamper the quality of your work.

For example, if you use beeswax on a black embroidery thread, the wax will leave a residue, and the look of the finished product will not be that nice.

Again, if you want a nice fluffy finish on your work, using oil will be a bad idea as it makes the thread sleek and prevents it from becoming feathery.

Working With Small Batches


Whenever you are working with embroidery floss or any kind of thread, it's a good idea to work in small batches. This is something that you should always keep in mind.

Avoid taking large or longer pieces of thread as it becomes hard to manage. The thread will move around and inevitably get twisted up together.

It is always recommended that you take small pieces of thread. Take only, how much is needed and no more than that. This will make your work mess-free.

You don't want to get caught up in the frustrating act of untangling your floss in the middle of your embroidery.

Conclusion on Embroidery Floss

No matter what brand or quality of floss you use, tangling is bound to happen. Taking the necessary steps to keep your floss untangled will save you loads of valuable time. It is always better to take the necessary steps to prevent tangling earlier than to face the nightmare of unraveling.


About William Sanders

William Sanders was born and raised in California. After receiving his Master’s degree in information science from San Diego State University, he started working as a city councilor. In his spare time, William enjoys playing best-selling MMORPG games such as World of Warcraft and Fnal Fantasy, where he often takes on the role of guild leader with hundreds of players collaborating for success under his leadership. William is also a regular contributor to some popular magazines such as San Jose Mercury News, Gleanster Research, and Palmgear.

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