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How to Assemble an In-the-Hoop Candy Holder

in-the-hoop machine embroidered candy hugger reindeer

Make special moments even more magical with an in-the-hoop stuffed candy holder! They have ears made out of stiff felt. Follow along with the step-by-step project instructions below and learn how to make your own.

Supplies & Materials:

- Small pieces of fluffy fabric

- Small pieces of felt for arms and antlers

-Tearaway stabilizer

- Lightweight water-soluble stabilizer (such as Sulky Solvy)

-- Polyester Fiber Fill

- Temporary spray adhesive (such as Gunold KK100)

- Hand sewing needle & thread

When you download the in-the-hoop candy holder design, you will find multiple files. Some are the embroidery files, and the others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our  helpful video on using dielines .

Five small paper pattern pieces with drawn shapes and markings lay on a gray fabric background, showing outlines and annotations for assembly or cutting.

Spray the backside of the printed dieline pieces with temporary adhesive, and smooth them onto the right side of the fabric. 

Five pieces of tan and brown fabric with white paper templates pinned or taped on top, showing various shapes outlined for cutting, arranged on a gray surface.

Cut the dieline shapes out of the fabric.

Two fabric pieces with paper patterns pinned on them, several cut-out paper pattern shapes, and a pair of gray-handled scissors laid out on a dark gray fabric background.

Remove the paper from the front of the shapes.

Two larger beige irregularly shaped fabric pieces with fuzzy texture, and eight smaller felt pieces: two brown branch-like, two light beige rounded, one long beige, two small beige petal shapes, all on a gray background.

Hoop a piece of tearaway stabilizer firmly so that it is drum-tight. Make sure it is nice and taut with no wrinkles.

Rectangular embroidery hoop with white stabilizer fabric hooped tightly, placed on a grey fabric background, showing the inner frame and stabilizer edges.

Attach the hoop onto the machine and load the embroidery file (not the dieline files). Use a 75/11 sharp sewing needle instead of an embroidery needle. The sharp sewing needle has a finer point, and it will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.


Embroider the design.


The first thing to embroider will be the dieline (or outline stitch) for the front fabric piece. This marks the area on the stabilizer where the fabric piece will be placed.

Embroidery machine hoop with white stabilizer fabric, stitching a large oval shape outline in light brown thread, close-up of machine needle area.

After the dieline has sewn, remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Spray the wrong side of the front fabric piece with temporary adhesive. Smooth the front fabric piece onto the stabilizer inside of the sewn dieline.

Light brown fuzzy fabric piece placed on white stabilizer inside a rectangular embroidery hoop with rounded corners on a gray surface.

To prevent the embroidery from sinking into the fluffy fabric, cut out a piece of light weight water-soluble stabilizer that is larger than the design (we used Sulky Ultra Solvy). Lay it over the front fabric piece and tape the edges down onto the hoop or stabilizer around the design.

Embroidery hoop with white stabilizer fabric and a tan felt piece taped in the center, placed on a dark surface, showing the setup for in-the-hoop stitching.

Place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the tackdown for the front fabric piece. The tackdown will hold the fabric piece in place for the remainder of the design.

Close-up of embroidery machine stitching a tan fabric piece with a rounded and scalloped shape, secured on white stabilizer with yellow tape inside the embroidery hoop.

Then embroider the inner details of the design. Make sure the water-soluble stabilizer stays in place while sewing. Stop the embroidery before sewing the "arm tackdowns" for the arm pieces.

Embroidery machine stitching a tan bear with a white belly, black eyes, red nose, and green holly with red berries on fabric secured by masking tape in a hoop.

Aftert the "arm dielines" have stitched, remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Carefully remove as much of the water-soluble stabilizer as you can. For Sulky Ultra Solvy, it is quite easy to ripoff as it will be perforated after stitching.ay!

Brown fabric piece shaped like a bear with embroidered white belly, black eyes, red nose, and green holly on arm, displayed in an embroidery hoop on white stabilizer.

Spray the wrong side of the arm pieces with temprary spray adhesive to keep them in place along the inside of the stitched guidelines. 

Brown teddy bear embroidery with a cream belly and a red nose, holding felt arms wrapped around it, hugging green holly with red berries, on white stabilizer.

Place the hoop back onto the machine and stitch the arm tackdowns. 

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching a tan fuzzy fabric piece shaped like a bear holding holly leaves with red berries on a white stabilizer inside an embroidery hoop.

Next, the "guidelines" will stitch. Stop before sewing the "back piece tackdown".

Small embroidered and stitched plush bear figure with beige felt arms, red nose, black eyes, white belly, and green holly with red berries detail, inside an embroidery hoop.

The felt ears and antlers (if applicable) will need to be placed facing inward so they end up correctly in place when the whole design is turned right-side out.


Place them so they slightly overlap the outer edge of the front piece within the guidelines so the final seam can sew over them and hold them in place. Use masking or painters tape to ensure that the pieces stay.

Partially assembled felt and plush fabric reindeer in an embroidery hoop with masking tape holding some pieces in place, on white stabilizer fabric.

Then spray the right-side of the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive. Smooth the back fabric piece in place on top of the front piece. The right sides of both fabric pieces should be together. Make sure to line up the edges of the two fabric pieces carefully on the front of the hoop.

Hand holding a brown fuzzy fabric piece partially folded inside an embroidery hoop frame with masking tape at the top, on a white stabilizer background.

For added stability, a piece of water soluble stabilizer can be added on top of the fabric pieces prior to the tackdown stitch.

Embroidery hoop with stabilizer fabric and taped beige faux fur fabric centered inside, prepared for machine embroidery or crafting project.

Place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the back piece tackdown. This will adhere the front and back pieces together. It will also leave a small opening along the edge for turning. 

Close-up of an embroidery hoop containing beige fabric stitched in an oval shape with a scalloped bottom, secured with light yellow masking tape on a translucent stabilizer.

After the embroidery is finished, unhoop the design and tear away all of the water-soluble stabilizer. Then, rip off any large areas of tearaway stabilizer. Removing this extra stabilizer will help make turning and stuffing your design easier.

Small stuffed bear candy holder made of tan fuzzy fabric with a white belly, red nose, black eyes, and green holly decoration, lying on gray fabric background.

To help the shape of the design look nice once turned, clip the seams around any curved or pointed edges in the design. Be careful not to cut your stitching.

Small plush hedgehog shape with a beige fuzzy body and white belly, embroidered black eyes, red nose, stitched mouth, holding green and red holly, on gray fabric background.

Then turn the design right side out through the small opening. Remove all the tape remaining that was holding down any felt pieces.

Plush fabric candy holder shaped like a reindeer with brown felt antlers and ears, red nose, black eyes, tan felt arms hugging a white belly with holly embroidery on gray fabric background.

Finally, fill the candy holder with stuffing (such as polyester fiberfill) through the opening left along the edges of the design.

Partially assembled plush reindeer candy holder with tan fur, beige felt antlers and arms, embroidered white belly with holly, and exposed white stuffing on gray background.

To finish your in-the-hoop candy holder, use a hand sewing needle and thread to sew the opening closed.

Soft, stuffed reindeer figure with felt antlers, ears, and brown saddle piece, lying on gray fabric. Two sewing needles with tan thread are stitched through its side.

Your stuffie is now complete! Slip the candy through the open slots in the holder's arms to give your friends and family both a sweet and adorable treat.

Small plush reindeer with tan fuzzy body, tan felt ears and arms, brown felt antlers, black embroidered eyes, red nose, white embroidered teeth and belly with green holly leaves and red berries on grey fabric background.

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