How can we help?

Yes. Simply enter the recipient's delivery address at checkout and we'll send the order directly to them.

We don't include printed invoices or pricing information inside our parcels, making it easy to send a thoughtful gift directly to a friend or loved one.

UK shipping is free on orders £45 and over (Royal Mail Tracked shipping). Below £45, it's £3.95.

See the full breakdown on the Delivery page.

We currently ship within the UK (including Northern Ireland) only. Because we are a small team sourcing from independent artists, we focus on getting our local deliveries perfect first.

However, we absolutely hope to expand to Europe and international stitching communities in the near future! If you are outside the UK, please consider dropping your email in our newsletter box at the bottom of the page, we'll always announce new shipping regions there first.

Dispatched within two working days from Essex. Then 3-5 working days for Royal Mail Tracked service.

You'll get a tracking number when it leaves us and any delivery update by email.

No. Guest checkout is fine. Accounts let you save addresses and see your order history, but they're not required.

You will receive a shipping confirmation email as soon as your order is dispatched. This email includes your tracking number and a direct link to follow your parcel's journey. You can also look up your order status at any time by visiting our dedicated Order Tracking page.

If it hasn't been dispatched yet, yes! Please contact us immediately via the Live Chat widget on our website (in the bottom right corner) and we'll sort it out. Once it's posted, we can't intercept the parcel, but you can always return the unopened, sealed kit to us within 30 days of delivery for a refund (return shipping costs will be at your own expense).

Please contact us immediately via the Live Chat widget on our website (in the bottom right corner) with your correct shipping details. We pack and dispatch orders quickly (often by the next working day), but we will do our absolute best to catch your package and update the address before it is sent out.

What happens if it has already been dispatched?
Unfortunately, once an order is dispatched, we cannot intercept or change the address in transit. Because this is a delivery error outside of our control, we cannot issue a refund or a replacement for packages sent to an incorrectly entered address.

If the courier is unable to deliver the parcel and eventually returns it to us, we will process it as a return. Once received, we will issue a refund for the cost of the kit, minus the original shipping charge and a £2.50 restocking fee to cover fulfilment handling. Please note this return process can take several weeks.

Yes, provided it hasn’t been dispatched yet! Because we process and send out orders rapidly (frequently the next working day), please email your cancellation request to hello@tinypatio.com as quickly as possible.

If your order has already been dispatched, it cannot be stopped. However, you are welcome to return the unopened, sealed kit to us within 30 days of delivery for a refund (return shipping costs will be at your own expense).

We want to make sure you have everything you need to start stitching! Please send a quick note along with your order number to hello@tinypatio.com. We read this inbox daily and will look into your order right away to arrange a speedy solution or send out your missing item.

First, check the tracking via the Order Tracking page. Royal Mail occasionally pause a parcel at a sorting office for a day before delivery.

If your parcel appears to be lost, we'll work with Royal Mail to investigate and arrange an appropriate replacement or refund where necessary.

If your parcel arrives damaged, please email a photo of the damage and one of the packaging it arrived in, with a quick note on what's wrong, to hello@tinypatio.com within 14 days of delivery. The packaging shot just helps us claim it back from Royal Mail. Then you can choose either to receive a brand-new replacement or get a full refund, and you keep the damaged kit.

Yes, absolutely. You can return any unstitched, unopened kit to us within 30 days of receiving it for a full refund.

Please note: Because the premium threads and other supplies don't repack neatly once disturbed, we can only accept returns if the kit remains completely sealed and in a re-saleable condition. You will be responsible for paying your own shipping costs for returning your item.

Please visit our Delivery, Returns & Refund page.

If you change your mind, you will need to cover the postage costs for returning your item to us. We highly recommend using a trackable service (like Royal Mail Tracked), as we cannot be held responsible if your parcel goes missing on its way back to us.

Note: If your item arrived damaged or faulty, please see our section on damaged parcels instead. You won't need to return anything to get a full refund or a replacement!

You have 30 days from the date your parcel arrives to change your mind and post it back to us. We can only accept returns if the kit remains completely sealed and in a re-saleable condition. If you are returning an item because you changed your mind, you will need to cover the return postage costs.

Note: If your item arrived damaged or faulty, please see our section on damaged parcels instead. You won't need to return anything to get a full refund or replacement!

We process all returns within two working days of them arriving back on our shelf. Once we issue the refund, it typically takes your bank another 3–5 business days to post the funds back into your account.

Absolutely. All of the embroidery kits we curate are designed by real, named artists and chosen because we'd happily display the finished piece in our own homes.

• If you're new to embroidery, I'd recommend the Spiral Sampler by Jessica Long Embroidery. It's a whimsical botanical design stitched on deep navy fabric, and introduces a range of embroidery stitches in a way that feels approachable rather than overwhelming. While it's beginner-friendly, it doesn't feel like a children's craft project, making it a lovely piece to frame once finished.
• If you're a cat lover looking for a little more challenge, Catwalk & Full Moon is a beautiful next step. With moonlit black cats winding through flowering branches, it has the atmosphere of a storybook illustration and is the sort of design that often catches people's eye long after it's left the embroidery hoop.

Yes. Many of the kits we curate are chosen with beginners in mind, including favourites such as the Spiral Sampler by Jessica Long Embroidery.

Each kit includes clear instructions and step-by-step guidance to help you build confidence as you stitch. Most beginners find they pick things up more quickly than they expected.

Our embroidery kits include:

• A pre-printed pattern on cotton fabric
• DMC embroidery thread in the required colours
• Needles
• An embroidery hoop
• Detailed instructions.

Everything is carefully selected so you can focus on the enjoyable part: stitching.

If you already have a pair of scissors at home, no.

Our embroidery kits include everything else you'll need to complete the project, so you can get started as soon as your kit arrives.

Most of our embroidery kits by Jessica Long include access to online video tutorials, but they are tailored to the kit's difficulty level:

• For Absolute Beginners (Level 1 - e.g., Spiral Sampler): The video is a full, ground-up masterclass. It guides you through everything, from how to separate the cotton strands, thread your needle, to making your very first stitch.
• For Beginner Plus (Level 2 - e.g., Catwalk): The video skips the basic setup and jumps straight into the core elements. Jessica walks you through exactly how to stitch the moon, the cat, the flowers, and the branches. Since these objects repeat across the pattern, once you watch her do it once, you'll have the confidence to finish the rest of the hoop on your own!

Anywhere from 3 to 10 hours, depending on the size and difficulty of the project.

Most people work through a kit over three or four sessions rather than in a single sitting. Embroidery is a naturally slow craft, and many stitchers enjoy the process as much as the finished piece.

Each kit includes step-by-step instructions showing which stitches to use and where to place them.

The pre-printed pattern acts as a guide, helping you understand how different areas of the design are stitched and built up over time.

We can't usually share the printed instructions before purchase, as they're part of each artist's kit. Where an artist has published video tutorials, such as Jessica Long's embroidery videos, we're happy to share those links. If you'd like to know what guidance is included with a particular kit, just get in touch. We'll happily explain what's in the box and the support you'll receive as you stitch.

No, but we highly recommend using one.

An embroidery hoop helps keep the fabric evenly stretched while you stitch, making the process more enjoyable and helping your finished piece look its best. Most beginners find embroidery much easier to learn with a hoop than without one.

You should pull your fabric completely taut. It should sound like a drum when tapped. Loose fabric makes stitching difficult and causes uneven designs.

Non-stretch, tightly woven fabrics like muslin, kona cotton, or linen. Aida cloth is often discouraged for standard hand embroidery since it's designed specifically for cross-stitch.

Yes, separating the strands is a fundamental part of the craft.

Standard premium embroidery thread (like the DMC thread included in our kits) is a single thread made up of six individual strands. You will rarely stitch with all six at once.

Your kit instructions will tell you how many strands to use for each part of the design. For example, using 3 strands for bold, structural outlines, or a delicate 1-2 strands for fine detail work and smooth color blending.

The Golden Rule for Beginners: Always separate your strands one single strand at a time. If you try to pull two or three strands out of the bundle together, the friction will cause the thread to bunch and knot.

There are a few common ways to start and finish your stitches.

You can use a small knot, or secure your thread by weaving it through the back of existing stitches. Over time, most stitchers develop a preferred method that feels comfortable for them.

You can always remove stitches you don't like. The fabrics used in our kits are forgiving enough to allow stitches to be reworked without damaging the design:

• For a few incorrect stitches: Simply slide the thread off your needle and use the blunt end to unpick them backward.
• For larger mistakes: Carefully snip the thread on the back, remove it from the front, and stitch the area again.

Our kits include enough thread to complete the project as instructed, including a little room for the occasional false start.

Our kits are designed with more than enough thread to complete the project when following the instructions provided.

If you do happen to run short, please get in touch and we'll do our best to help. Most kits include DMC colour references, making it easy to purchase additional thread locally if needed.

A neat back is not essential, especially for beginners, but there are a few simple habits that can help.

We recommend weaving in thread ends instead of tying knots, and avoiding long jumps across the fabric where possible.

Many stitchers choose to display their finished piece directly in the embroidery hoop.

To finish the back, you can gather the excess fabric with a running stitch and pull it tight, or cover the back with a circle of felt for a cleaner finish.

Of course, you're not limited to hoops. Finished embroidery can also be framed, turned into cushions, or incorporated into other textile projects.

Absolutely.

Surface embroidery works well on many medium-weight, non-stretch fabrics, including cotton tea towels, linen napkins, pillowcases, and old bedsheets.

If you're practising a new stitch or experimenting with your own designs, household textiles can be a wonderful place to start. Save the fancy fabric for when you know exactly what you'd like to make.

Currently, Tiny Patio only offers complete physical kits. However, if you already have an abundance of supplies, you can often find and purchase the standalone digital patterns directly on our partner artists' individual websites, such as Jessica Long Embroidery.

Yes, for personal use.

Many stitchers adapt embroidery patterns to denim jackets, shirts, tote bags, and other textiles as a way to personalise items they already own.

Please remember that the designs in our kits remain the intellectual property of the independent artists who created them. You're welcome to use them for your own projects, but not to produce items for sale or distribution.

For our embroidery kits, you don't have to! The design is already pre-printed directly onto your fabric so you can pop it into your hoop and start stitching right away.

However, if you are reusing our indie artist designs for a future personal-use project, you will need to transfer the design yourself. I personally prefer using Carbon Transfer Paper, as you only need to trace the pattern once.

Other stitchers prefer methods like Water-Soluble Stabilizer (often called stick-and-stitch) or Light Tracing using a bright window or a tablet screen. Over time, you'll develop a preferred transfer method that feels the most comfortable for your personal crafting style.