A step-by-step tutorial for building a floor embroidery stand: the plan, marking the bars, drilling the holes, spacer dowels, wrapping the frame bars in fabric, M6 hardware, and assembling a structure you can rotate and adjust to work with both hands.
IntermediateFree
Translated
Things you will learn
The stand is made up of a floor base, side fittings, and a movable frame.
The plan allows 40 cm for the base and legs, but the author's compact version uses 30 cm.
For medium and large pieces, the author makes the frame's horizontal bars 55 cm long; for smaller embroidery, you can shorten them to 40-45 cm.
It's best to wrap the horizontal bars in fabric so the embroidery holds more securely.
The wing nuts aren't just for assembly — they also adjust the frame's angle, height, and how freely it turns.
What you'll get
The finished stand holds the base fabric on a rotating frame and frees up both hands for embroidering. According to the discussion on this material, this format makes it easy to reach both the front and back of the work, but it does need its own spot in the room.
Materials and tools
Materials
Wooden pieces for the base and legs, 4 pcs., 40x4x2 cm per the plan; the compact version can use 30 cm, with holes near the edges
Bars for the frame base, 2 pcs., 2x3 cm cross-section, 30 cm long; holes marked at 1.5 and 6 cm from the edge
Side adjuster strips, 2 pcs., 30 cm in the photo, three holes, with the middle mark at 15 cm
Horizontal frame bars, 2 pcs., the author's size is 55 cm; for smaller pieces, 40-45 cm works too
Wooden spacer dowels, several pcs., the photos show 2 cm and 3 cm heights; needed so the frame turns freely and the legs can be adjusted
Fabric for wrapping the horizontal bars, helps stretch the embroidery onto the frame more securely
M6 furniture bolts, 10 + 2 pcs., per the plan: M6 x 5 cm — 10 pcs., M6 x 7 cm — 2 pcs.
M6 wing nuts and flat washers, 12 + 12 pcs., for fastening and adjusting the movable joints
Tools
A saw or another tool for cutting the bars, needed to prepare pieces at 30, 40-45, or 55 cm
A drill with a bit, every main piece is marked and drilled first
A ruler, tape measure, and pencil, for marking 1.5 cm, 6 cm, 15 cm, and the overall length of each piece
A screwdriver or wrench, for driving in screws and assembling the bolted joints
Preparation
Decide on the size of your future pieces
If you're planning medium and large embroidery pieces, keep the author's frame at about 55 cm. If you don't need large pieces, the source allows shortening this to 40-45 cm.
Check the pieces against the plan
The plan shows the overall idea: the base, the legs, the adjuster strips, the axles, the spacers, the frame, and the stops. The author separately notes the compact swap of 40 cm down to 30 cm for the base and legs.
Drill before assembly
It's best to drill the holes on each separate piece first: once everything's assembled, it's much harder to hit the right spot and keep things symmetrical.
Marking and Parts
First, prepare the wooden pieces. The main task at this stage is not to mix up the frame pieces, the legs, and the side adjuster strips.
Study the stand's plan
The stand has a floor base, side fittings, and a movable frame. The plan helps you see where the base, legs, adjuster strips, axles, spacers, and stops go.
The plan shows the base, legs, adjusters, axles, spacers, and frame.
Don't copy the plan blindly
In the text, the author suggests a compact version: the base and legs can be 30 cm instead of 40 cm.
Mark the frame base bars
For the frame base, take two bars with a 2x3 cm cross-section and a length of 30 cm. In the photo, the holes are marked 1.5 cm from the edge and 6 cm from the edge.
Marking the frame base bars before assembly.
Prepare the four base and leg pieces
Make four identical wooden pieces. Drill holes on each side 1.5 cm from the edge, so you can later assemble the bottom support and the legs.
Holes on the base and leg pieces are made 1.5 cm from the edge.
Drill the side adjuster strips
Drill the side pieces of the stand in three places. The source photo shows a 30 cm strip, with the middle mark at 15 cm.
The middle hole on the side strip is marked at about 15 cm.
Cut the frame's horizontal bars
Cut two 55 cm pieces from the bar stock. The author considers this length enough for medium and large embroidery pieces; for smaller pieces, you can shorten it to 40-45 cm.
A 55 cm length suits medium and large embroidery pieces.
Add the screws and spacer dowels
Screw in the screws on the sides of the pieces and prepare spacer dowels of different heights. They're needed so the frame turns freely and so you can adjust the height of the legs.
The side screws are part of the frame's movable fastening.Spacers of different heights let the frame turn freely and the legs adjust.
Check the height of the spacers
The photo shows 2 cm and 3 cm spacer dowels. Don't swap in a random thickness until you've checked how the frame turns.
The Frame, Fabric, and Hardware
Before final assembly, prepare the frame and lay out the hardware. This makes it easy to check right away that you haven't forgotten the wing nuts, washers, or long bolts.
Wrap the horizontal bars in fabric
It's best to wrap the frame's horizontal bars in fabric right away. The author does this for a more secure stretch when embroidering on the frame.
Fabric on the bars helps hold the embroidery with a good stretch.The edge of the wrap sits at the end of the bar with the axle.
Lay out the bolts, washers, and wing nuts
For assembly, you'll need screws, nuts, and wing nuts. The plan calls for M6 x 5 cm and M6 x 7 cm furniture bolts, M6 wing nuts, and flat washers.
The long bolts are used in the adjustable joints.Wing nuts make it possible to fasten and loosen the movable joints.
Wing nuts keep adjustment easy
They make it easy to loosen and refasten the frame without taking the whole structure apart.
Assemble the frame and check that it rotates
Assemble the frame. With the side wing nuts loosened, the fabric-wrapped horizontal bars should turn easily around their axle.
Check that the frame turns freely before mounting it on the uprights.
Check before mounting on the uprights
If the frame turns stiffly on the table already, the problem won't go away once it's mounted on the stand.
Assembling the Floor Stand
Once the frame turns freely, move on to the uprights and the floor base. Assemble the joints so the wing nuts stay accessible for adjustment.
Assemble the lower and upper parts of the legs
First, assemble the floor and upper parts of the legs. Make sure the matching pieces stand symmetrically and don't tilt the future frame.
The uprights are assembled with the adjustment wing nuts left accessible.The legs are joined with the side pieces before the crossbar goes on.
Attach the crossbar
Join the floor base with a crossbar. This piece holds the side uprights together and gives the stand its stability.
The crossbar joins the side uprights and holds the base steady.
Hang the frame on the side fittings
Mount the frame on the side fittings and fasten it with the wing nuts. According to the discussion on this material, the advantage of a floor stand is that you can flip the frame over and set it at a comfortable angle.
The side fitting lets you change the frame's position.
Check the working position
The finished stand should hold the base fabric and free up both hands. Before your first embroidery session, check the stability, how the frame turns, and how easy it is to reach both the front and back of the work.
The assembled structure is ready for the base fabric to be stretched on.
The stand needs space
The discussion noted that the main downside of a floor stand is that it takes up part of the room.
Finish and variations
Finish
Before your first embroidery session
Check the stability of the floor base, how freely the frame turns with the wing nuts loosened, and how securely it holds once tightened. Only stretch the base fabric on after that.
Where to put it
If you don't have a permanent embroidery spot, plan a storage location ahead of time: the discussion called the stand convenient, but noted that it takes up part of the apartment.
Variations
The compact version
For smaller pieces, the author allows shortening the frame's horizontal bars to 40-45 cm. The base and legs can also be made at 30 cm instead of 40 cm.
The horizontal bars don't rotate around their axle even after loosening the hardware.
Likely cause
The side wing nuts are overtightened, the spacers were chosen poorly, or the joint was assembled at an angle.
How to fix it
Loosen the side wing nuts, check the spacer dowels and the symmetry of the fastening. With the wing nuts loose, the frame should normally turn easily.
The stand comes out too big
Problem
The finished structure takes up more space than your pieces need.
Likely cause
The plan's dimensions were used without the author's compact adjustment.
How to fix it
Use 30 cm instead of 40 cm for the base and legs. If you're not planning large pieces, you can make the frame's horizontal bars 40-45 cm instead of 55 cm.
The embroidery doesn't hold securely
Problem
The base fabric doesn't stay fastened well on the horizontal bars.
Likely cause
The bars were left bare, without a fabric wrap.
How to fix it
Wrap the horizontal bars in fabric, as in the original tutorial: the author directly ties this to a more secure stretch for the embroidery.
Embroidering with both hands doesn't come naturally right away
Problem
After using hand hoops or snap frames, working on a stand feels unfamiliar.
Likely cause
You need to get used to your hand positions and moving both at once.
How to fix it
According to the discussion on this material, getting used to it can take a few days. Start on a simple section without frequent color changes, and set the frame's angle before you begin.
It's awkward to check the back of the work
Problem
You need access to the back, but the frame is stuck in an inconvenient position.
Likely cause
The frame is fixed at one angle, or the side fittings are overtightened.
How to fix it
Loosen the wing nuts, turn the frame, and fasten it again. The discussion noted that a stationary stand is convenient specifically because you can flip the frame and set its angle.
?FAQ
Why build a floor stand specifically?
It frees up your hands and makes it comfortable to embroider with both of them. The source directly states that your working speed noticeably increases this way.
Can I shrink the dimensions from the plan?
Yes. The author suggests making the base and legs 30 cm instead of 40 cm, and, if you're not planning large pieces, shortening the frame's horizontal bars from 55 cm to 40-45 cm.
Will I be able to access the back of the embroidery?
According to the discussion on this material, a floor stand is convenient because you can flip the frame over and set it at the angle you need. That matters if you care about keeping the back neat.
Why wrap the horizontal bars in fabric?
The source recommends wrapping them right away: the fabric wrap helps stretch the embroidery onto the frame more securely.
What's the main downside of a stand like this?
The discussion noted that the stand takes up space. If you don't have a dedicated embroidery spot, you'll need to move it around or plan storage for it ahead of time.
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A question that's a bit off-topic. How comfortable is a stand like this? My sister got into cross-stitching and is dreaming of tackling a big picture. She bought a portable stand and wasn't happy with it. The reasons — when the thing sits on her knees, there's no way to turn the frame, and having a perfect back matters a lot to her. How do floor stands compare? Ladies, give me some solid advice! I embroider on a table, it's way more comfortable for me that way, so I can't really recommend anything.Show full quoteCollapse
A question that's a bit off-topic. How comfortable is a stand like this? My sister got into cross-stitching and is dreaming of tackling a big picture. She bought a portable stand and wasn't happy with it. The reasons — when the thing sits on her knees, there's no way to turn the frame, and having a perfect back matters a lot to her. How do floor stands compare? Ladies, give me some solid advice! I embroider on a table, it's way more comfortable for me that way, so I can't really recommend anything.
As someone who embroiders regularly and has tried pretty much every method out there, I can tell you for sure: a floor stand is VERY comfortable! You get direct access to any part of the picture, including the back — you can flip the frame over and set it at any angle. Though if you're used to holding the base fabric in your hands, it'll take some time to retrain yourself to work with both hands at once. For me, that took about a week. I didn't want to go back to snaps — now they're just a travel accessory. You also need to mentally prepare for the fact that the stand will take up part of your apartment. That's the only downside. If you don't have your own embroidery corner, you'll end up dragging it around the whole apartment like a suitcase with no handle 🤭
A question that's a bit off-topic. How comfortable is a stand like this? My sister got into cross-stitching and is dreaming of tackling a big picture. She bought a portable stand and wasn't happy with it. The reasons — when the thing sits on her knees, there's no way to turn the frame, and having a perfect back matters a lot to her. How do floor stands compare? Ladies, give me some solid advice! I embroider on a table, it's way more comfortable for me that way, so I can't really recommend anything.Show full quoteCollapse
A question that's a bit off-topic. How comfortable is a stand like this? My sister got into cross-stitching and is dreaming of tackling a big picture. She bought a portable stand and wasn't happy with it. The reasons — when the thing sits on her knees, there's no way to turn the frame, and having a perfect back matters a lot to her. How do floor stands compare? Ladies, give me some solid advice! I embroider on a table, it's way more comfortable for me that way, so I can't really recommend anything.
I also embroidered in my hands at first, but at some point a hoop pulled the fabric badly along with the stitches, and I didn't want to risk that again. My husband made me Q-snaps: I really liked the tension in those, and how the embroidery doesn't warp, but that weight — good grief! 🤪 I could only stitch resting a corner on the table, otherwise my arms got tired within half an hour. I sat down at a floor stand at a friend's place — everything's comfortable, you don't need to hold anything, and the frame spins a full 360 👌 Basically, I'm ready for a rig like that now ))
IntermediateFree
A question that's a bit off-topic. How comfortable is a stand like this? My sister got into cross-stitching and is dreaming of tackling a big picture. She bought a portable stand and wasn't happy with it. The reasons — when the thing sits on her knees, there's no way to turn the frame, and having a perfect back matters a lot to her. How do floor stands compare? Ladies, give me some solid advice! I embroider on a table, it's way more comfortable for me that way, so I can't really recommend anything.Show full quoteCollapse