16 Free In-the-Hoop Embroidery Projects, Checked October 2026

An in-the-hoop (ITH) design stitches a whole finished item in the hoop: the placement lines, the fabric tack-down, the decoration and the construction seams. You hoop stabilizer, lay fabric on as the machine tells you, and at the end you trim, turn or simply tear away. They make quick gifts and are the best way to use up a stash of small scraps.

Our other embroidery roundups list free design sites (where to find free machine embroidery designs and free JEF and VP3 designs). This one lists specific projects. We opened every project page on October 27, 2026 and noted the hoop sizes and file formats each one lists.

Most are free at a $0 checkout: add the design to the cart and check out at $0. A few are direct downloads.

1. Lace Zip In the Hoop Bag, Kreative Kiwi. A plain ITH bag designed to show off a 20 cm lace zip and a nice fabric, with a video. 5x7 hoop. DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX. kreativekiwiembroidery.co.nz
2. Embroidered Scissors Zipper Case, Sweet Pea. A fully lined zipper case in one hooping with no raw seams. 5x7 and 7x12 hoops. DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX, plus Bernina and SVG cut files. swpea.com
3. Heart Coin Purse, Five Star Fonts. A quilted, fully lined zippered heart purse with photo instructions. Most 4x4 hoops. ART, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX. fivestarfonts.com
4. Lamb Purse, Sweet Pea. A fully lined little purse in one hooping, released to launch Sweet Pea Studio. 4x4 hoop. Sweet Pea's usual formats. swpea.com
5. Lined Bag for a 4x4 Hoop, Kreative Kiwi. A fully lined mini bag just under 4 inches, with an alphabet to personalize it. DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX. kreativekiwiembroidery.co.nz

6. Christmas Little Penguin Mug Rug, Sweet Pea. Rated beginner, with optional "Merry Christmas" lettering. 5x7, 6x10 and 7x12 hoops. swpea.com
7. Quilted Coaster, Kreative Kiwi. No hand sewing and no thread changes in the main design. 4x4, 5x5, 6x6 and 8x8 hoops. DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX. kreativekiwiembroidery.co.nz
8. Flower Coaster, Sweet Pea. One hooping, then turned and closed with a few hand stitches or fabric glue. 4x4, 5x5 and 6x6 hoops. swpea.com
9. Spider Pot Holder or Mug Rug, Planet Applique. A free Halloween design on the homepage, a direct download with the instructions inside the zip. Seasonal, so it may disappear soon. planetapplique.com

10. 2026 In the Hoop Christmas Bauble, Kreative Kiwi. A reversible bauble that's easy to personalize. 4x4 and 5x7 hoops. DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX. (The page notes the 4x4 version reads "Merry Christmas 2025".) kreativekiwiembroidery.co.nz
11. In the Hoop Gift Card Holder, Five Star Fonts. A small hanging holder with a pocket for the card, for the tree or a gift. 4x4 hoop. ART, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX. fivestarfonts.com
12. Flower Bookmark, Kreative Kiwi. Fully reversible, from just two 6 by 8 inch pieces of fabric. 5x7 hoop. DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX. kreativekiwiembroidery.co.nz

13. Sewing Machine Key Fob, Bag Tag and Page Holder, Kreative Kiwi. Designed for vinyl or any non-fraying fabric, with all 26 initials and a no-tab version you can use as a coaster or ornament. 4x4 hoop. kreativekiwiembroidery.co.nz
14. Applique Heart Key Fob, New Found Applique. A tiny applique fob, emailed after a $0 checkout. Fits a 4x4 if angled, or 5x7. PES, JEF, DST, EXP, VIP, VP3, HUS, XXX, CSD. newfoundapplique.com
15. "Best Mom Ever" Bag Tag, Embrilliance. A cork or marine vinyl bag tag with a stitched eyelet, plus a "Best Mum Ever" version. 4x4 hoop. Free download in Embrilliance's .BE format; the free Embrilliance Express software saves it to your machine's format. embrilliance.com

16. Tiny Teddy Bear, Sweet Pea. A little stuffed bear in three hoopings (ears, limbs, body), finished with about 4 inches of hand closing. 4x4, 5x5 and 6x6 hoops. swpea.com

1. Use the stabilizer the designer names. The project PDF will say which one. Most ITH projects use a firm tear-away, or a wash-away where both sides of the finished piece show. Cut-away is rare in ITH because it stays inside the finished item.
2. Tape vinyl, spray cotton. ITH means "floating" fabric onto the hooped stabilizer after a placement line stitches. Use painter's or embroidery tape for vinyl, cork and faux leather, where pins leave permanent holes, and keep it out of the stitch path. Temporary spray adhesive works well for cotton and batting; spray away from the machine.
3. Pick the smallest hoop that fits, and check the real size. A "4x4" design must fit about a 100 by 100 mm stitch field. Check the design's actual dimensions, not just its label, and cut fabric bigger than the design.

Before you hoop up, open the file in the free Sewist Studio embroidery file viewer. It shows every stitch step in order, so you can see each placement line and tack-down, and it tells you the finished size and the smallest hoop that fits.

• Free designs listed with no hoop size or formats on the page.
• "ITH" freebies whose download link was reported dead, or whose page no longer loads.
• Designs that are on sale rather than free, and freebies that moved into a Facebook group.

ITH designs come as zips full of numbered files and a PDF, which makes them easy to lose. Sewist Studio's embroidery design library gives each design a stitched preview, its size and the smallest hoop that fits, all searchable on one page, so "4x4 Christmas projects" is a search, not a hunt through your downloads.