Mahjong Tile Needlepoint Canvases

by: Jo

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What's better than enjoying two of your favorite pastimes at once? I have combined my love of Mahjong with my love of needlepoint, and I want to some of my needlepoint creations.

I've also shared my finishing tips below to help you if you want to try finishing your canvases into bag charms, tote bag decor, framed decor, coasters, Christmas ornaments, and more.

Heritage Tiles Needlepoint

My personal Mahjong tiles are the Heritage Tiles collection, and I stitched several pieces to coordinate with them.

First I made bag charms to match some of my favorite tiles from the Heritage set.

Then I used those same designs, all lined up in a row, to create a patch to put onto this zippered pouch.

Gemma Tiles Needlepoint

I love the fan tile from the Gemma tiles so it was the design I chose to stitch for this bag charm.

Jasmine Tiles Needlepoint

I chose the cute monkey Joker from the Jasmine line for this bag charm. Isn't she adorable?

Nantucket Tiles Needlepoint

The topiary design on this Nantucket joker tile is so cute, so it was an easy choice for this bag charm.

Lola Tiles Needlepoint

This Joker is such a classic from the Lola line and I think she looks positively gorgeous on this bag charm.

Supplies We Use to Make Needlepoint Bag Charms

Here are lists of supplies we use for each step of creating bag charms. You can find our full Amazon shopping guide here.

For Painting Your Canvas:

18 mesh mono needlepoint canvas (cut to size with extra border, about 4x4 inches)
Acrylic paint (craft paint or artist-quality)
Fine-tip paintbrushes
Acrylic paint markers - you might be more comfortable using a marker instead of paint and a brush
Dark colored paper - put under your canvas while painting to make either easier to see
Reference pattern or sketch

For Stitching:

Tapestry needle (size 22 or 24)
Embroidery scissors - I make sure to get scissors that come with a cover
Clover needle threader - this one holds up really well to the thicker flosses
Threads (cotton, silk, or wool — your choice but we use DMC Perle Cotton 5 for these bag charms)
Needle minder - optional but helpful
Snag Nab-It Tool - great for fixing any little snag mistakes

For Self-Finishing the Bag Charm:

Backing fabric (vinyl, felt, leather, or patterned cotton)
Extra floss (we use DMC Perle Cotton Size 5) for making a cord or pre-made cord
Mat board
Clear thread - for attaching your cording and sewing your cookies together
Lineco Neutral PH Adhesive - for these bag charms, I just glue my canvas and backing to make the cookies instead of sewing them.
Quilt batting
Clover clips - Use to clip your canvas and backing fabric to the quilt batting and mat board while you sew or glue it in place. Also to hold the finished cookies together while sewing.
Ball head straight pins - I use these to attach my cording around the cookies while I sew it on
Steamer - for loosening canvas before blocking
Blocking pins
Blocking boards
Phot0-safe permanent tape - for taping the ends of the cord so it doesn't unravel