Needlecraft is a broad term for textile crafts that are handmade using a needle and thread, or yarn. Centuries-old techniques including embroidery, knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, needlepoint, and quilting fall into this category.
What is half stitch?
Half stitch is a simple diagonal stitch that makes up just one leg of a full "X" in cross stitch and tapestry. It's super easy to learn and the perfect gateway into needlecraft.
What is a StitchReady™ kit?
StitchReady™ is Craft Club's original finish-it-yourself needlepoint kit — the first of its kind to bring stitching and finishing into one beginner-friendly experience.
Built around a pre-assembled construction with a three-sided zipper, each kit lets you stitch the front panel and then close it into a real, finished object with no sewing machine, no finishing service, and no prior experience required. It's needlepoint redesigned to be lived with, not stored away.
What is the benefit of crafting?
Over 70% of Craft Club customers in March 2026 said crafting benefits them as a way to relax and to have a creative outlet. There is a deep wellness theme across responses, as customers have used craft to manage anxiety, ADHD, and stress.
Is there another name for half stitch?
Yes, half stitch is also referred to as tent stitch, half throw and half cross stitch. We refer to it as half stitch because the impression is as clear as the technique.
Are there guides included?
Yes, video and written guides are included in our kits. We want to make crafting as enjoyable as possible, so there's no way we'll leave you hanging!
Is half stitch the same as needlepoint?
No, half stitch is not the same as needlepoint. While needlepoint is a category of craft, half stitch is a technique. We have named it as a category so that our customers know exactly what to expect.
Is half stitch hard?
Absolutely not! Half stitch is an incredibly simple technique that is perfect for beginners looking for a new hobby and seasoned crafters looking for a relaxing project.
Can I complete this kit screen-free?
Absolutely! Our half stitch kits not only have the pattern printed on the pouch, but a paper pattern is included to refer to. While we do have handy video tutorials and guides, it's totally up to you whether you utilise them or just refer to the written instructions.
Are needle threaders necessary?
Needle threaders are not strictly necessary for half stitch, but are incredibly useful. Yarn used for half stitch is thicker than embroidery floss and tougher to thread only with your fingers. Needle threaders significantly reduce this difficulty and get you working on your project faster!
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.6 / 5 from 329 reviews.
This kit was my second kit. I love the pouch! This time the half stitching went really fast. The kit comes with everything you need. It helped with my relaxation and destressing after work!! So glad I found the Craft Club!!
I love the kits! Ready to go, all the materials are provided! Kits are fun and relaxing to use. I take them with me everywhere and stitch them at lunch or anytime I have a break or extra time! Can’t wait to pick out my next one!
Love these kits! every thing comes in the bag, all you have to do is enjoy. The threads are separated and on a card so it's easy to follow the chart. The printed canvas is super easy to use. I have such a good time and find I spend all my free time needlepointing now!
Super easy to follow instructions and an enjoyable experience, the only negative feedback would be that the finishing on the inside of the pouch had a lot of loose strings
As soon as I saw this kit I knew I needed to make it for a friend, she loves it and incorporated into a masquerade costume design, so this little cow is living his best life.
The butterfly pouch was the first item I made and I really found it relaxing and so enjoyable. My grand daughter loves it for all her treasures. I have already ordered another 1/2 cross stitch item
Loved making this kit. The instructions were clear and very helpful as this was my first time doing a half stitch kit. The design is simple but bold with the color combo. Delivery was quick and I am very pleased with this purchase.
This kit came with everything I needed for my first needlepoint project! I’m a cross stitcher so I’m familiar enough with most of the techniques, but I think it would also be perfect for someone with no needlework experience. I did run out of the dark green color despite being very conservative with my thread which is why I gave it four stars, but luckily I had just enough of the light blue to fill in the missing area and finish the project!
I’ve been picking up this kit whenever o have a stressful day and need to just sit down and have time for myself
The repetitive motion of the half stitch is AMAZING for quieting your mind after a long day and at the end of it I’ll have a cute little pouch that I can put whatever I want in and say “I did that!”
The kit is well made with enough threads for each section. The video instructions were very helpful too. I definitely recommend these kits because they are easy and a good way to get off a screen!
Store owner replied:
Hi Ann, we’re sorry you feel this way. We just wanted to clarify that the kit shown in your review is not a Craft Club Co. kit. Our Highland Cow Needlepoint Kit includes a printed pattern with the design and corresponding colours, so it looks like there may have been a mix-up with another Highland Cow kit you purchased elsewhere.
We’ve also reached out to you privately so we can help clear this up.
~Grace🌼
very beginner friendly craft project with helpful guides and information provided
i absolutely love this highland cow pouch!! it was the perfect intro to half stitching for me & i use it daily. so many people have complimented & i’ve constantly redirected them to craft club co!
I adore this highland cow half stitch kit! I'm a total beginner when it comes to stitching and found this pattern and kit to be very fool-proof. I got super addicted to stitching it because I felt rewarded seeing clear progress so quickly. I knocked it out in 3 days and just ordered a few more half stitch kits!
A few pieces of feedback for the Craft Club crew to make this 6 stars:
1. I'd love if these kits included an optional finishing step to stitch in a lining behind the front embroidered piece (to cover up the backing). It'd be cute if that included the ability to personalize (e.g. Property Of: [Insert Name].
2. I'd loooooove it if this particular kit could include some fluffy tufts to stitch into the highland cows head (between the horns) to add even more whimsy.
I love the final product, but I was SUPER close to running out of thread. I don’t see that being an issue with other kits so maybe mine was just missing some? Everything else was really nice quality! I also agree with the suggestion that something like felt be added in order to cover up the back once finished, so it looks a little nicer for a gift.
Really enjoyed the process with this pouch. I store my nail e-filer and accessories in it. The only complaint I have is that they mesh art did not quite line up with the provided chart. So some spots required some guess work. Other than that I am very happy with how it turned out.
I purchased 3 different kits and I completed this one first. I am super happy with how it came out :) Very beginner friendly and easy to follow instructions.
THE best costumer service!
I received this pouch as a gift and it was so much fun to make. I got to the end and I was short a bit of thread (probably my fault) 😬. I reached out and sent me what I needed to finish right away! I can’t wait to do my next project!
LOVE this pouch! 🪿
Truly a joy to stitch! The thread was so soft and honestly the colours are beautiful, the photos do not do it justice. Looking forward to gifting this one!
Photography Buddy
It was such a nice project to relax with, and it's perfectly sized to hold my lens filters when I need to toss a few in my bag for a day out with my camera. I'm excited to take up more half stitch projects, and I've got my eye on the love letter kit.
Loved it!
This was a super good introduction to world of needle point/cross stitch/embroidery. The instructions and supplies were very well organized and were clearly labeled. The pre made pouch is sturdy, I’ve been using my finished project to hold all of my little items that I’d usually need to switch between different bags. Now I can just grab the pouch and know I have all my necessities. If you make a mistake, it’s easy enough to improvise the pattern rather than undoing a section. That said, I had plenty of left over thread so mistakes are welcome! I really liked that I could use one piece of thread for a large section, vs embroidery where you often have to change your thread color often. Highly recommend and will buy from this company again!
Great pouch (needs improvements)
This is my first time half stitching. I cross-stitched as a kid but it’s been many years. A couple of things to note; website describes their pouch projects as 4-7 hours, this is going to take about 10+ hours even for someone with experience (it took me well over 25 hours). Now the pouch itself: very cute design and very happy it came with everything you need to make it. However, the design does NOT match the instructions. The printing is off. So you will need to decide which pattern you are going to follow. Also, once completed I noticed the zipper sticks ever so slightly, which feels like a quality control issue. Overall I still gave it a 4 star because the end result was very cute but it needs some improvements before I’d give it 5.
Store owner replied:
Hey Laura,
Thanks so much for your review!!
We've worked hard on looking into the pattern issue of Love Letters not matching up, and I'm happy to say we've got an updated pattern ready to go!
We have also updated the time projection to better reflect people's experiences
~ Alanya
Cute pouch!
This was my first needlepoint project. The fibers were mixed up and the key numbering on the pattern is off but it was all super easy to figure out. I look forward to doing more!
Super cute and easy to make <3
Loved making this! It was very relaxing and I was done in about a week. Your provided more than enough yarn. I had at least one thread left of every colour.
And even though I made a few mistakes it still came out really cute!
so fun
took me ages ngl but alas! my own fault - the hardest part is definitely the little flowers of the flower part of the butterfly so i’d suggest doing the actual flowers (light pink) first