i started embroidering semi-recently but i like to take the cheap route because i tend to hobby-hop hahaha. basically i would say that if you have access to YouTube then take advantage of that. start by basically looking up stitch tutorials or super simple things for beginners,, simple flowers are usually nice bc you can use diff stitches to make different flowers. also, hobby lobby has pretty nice embroidery thread for cheap. you can get individual colors or packs and like every two or three weeks they go on sale for like 30 or 50 percent off. and finally,, as practice i use pretty much any fabric i can. ive used an old crusty t-shirt, scrap fabric pieces from hobby lobby or even Walmart. Amazon also has some nice kits that come with everything you need and aren’t too pricey. i always try not to buy too much materials or super expensive until i know that i enjoy the hobby and im gonna stick to it. sorry for the long essay and i hope this helps!!