You can find a video explaining all the supplies on my YouTube Channel.

Bobbin lace is an amazing art, but it would be nice for people to try it before jumping into purchasing expensive kits. I want to discuss affordable options for materials used to make bobbin lace.

There are a few main items needed to make bobbin lace. I will provide information/alternatives for a pillow, bobbins, pins, and thread.

Pillow – Firstly, anything used as a pillow should really hold pins in place. It is frustrating when a pin won’t stay where you put it. Loose or shifting pins can also cause your lace to be wonky.

Thin cork board tiles can be found at most craft supply stores. I would recommend using more than one tile since the pins tend to go through the top cork board. These boards will work, but are not my favorite solution.

Interlocking foam boards are a great option. They are bigger than the cork tiles and pins go into the foam easily.

You can find insulation foam at any home supply store. This piece is 2 inches thick and cut to 18 by 20 inches.


Bobbin – With regards to bobbins, they are only meant to hold thread. You can make amazing lace no matter the type of bobbin. The key is to find a bobbin that is comfortable to use so you can easily move and tension the thread.

Clothes pins are cheap to buy and require no alteration to use as a bobbin, which makes them a good place to start. Popsicle sticks are an option, but may be difficult to handle/grab, due to being flat. The third option is making a beaded bobbin. I prefer this, because they are the same size and weight as standard bobbins.

To make a beaded bobbin, you will need a hot glue gun, skewers, and large hole beads. I cut the skewers to 4.5 inches and used 8 beads total. Six beads were hot glued to the bottom of the cut skewer and two at the top.

Pins – Pins provide stabilization so you can make turns and move from stitch to stitch. There are many sizes of pins, but I will discuss two visually distinctive kinds today.

One is a pin with a round plastic or glass head. These are fine for making beginner lace, where your stitches are spaced apart.

Stainless steel pins are the kind I generally use. They allow you to get the pins close together. Steel pins also have the added benefit that you can see past them to the threads beneath. A box of these pins would last you through many small to medium projects.

Thread – I will talk about beginner threads, but as you move on to more complicated projects, you will want to find thinner thread.

Embroidery thread is also fine to use. I would suggest splitting the thread in half or about 3 strands thick. The great thing about embroidery thread is the amazing colors you can find.

Size 10 crochet thread is readily available at most craft supply shops and it is easy to work with. This type of thread is the most popular among beginner lacemakers.

I hope this helps you find materials that allow you to get started with bobbin lace.