Earlier, Phulkaris were made only for personal use and not for sale. It was a means of creative expression for the women of Punjab and forms an essential part of Punjabi weddings. The dowry would range from 11 to
101 Baghs and Phulkaris. It is believed that at some point, 52 types of Phulkari were present. Some of them are: Thirma (white khaddar worn by elderly and widows), Darshan Dwar (made as an offering to god), Bawan Bagh (52 types of patterns are made), Vari-da-bagh (orange-red khaddar gifted to the bride by her in-laws), Chope (made by the bride’s maternal grandmother for her wedding day), Surajmukhi, Panchranga Bagh (5 colors are used), Satranga Bagh (7 colors are used), Meenakari Bagh (gold and white colored silk floss is used), Sainchi (narrates the village life of Punjab).

Khaddar is a coarse fabric and silk is delicate. So, it required immense skill to embroider the silk floss on khaddar. While embroidering, the artisan has to count the number of stitches on both sides of the fabric pertaining to the symmetrical designs. Traditionally, silk floss and mulmul, khaddar were used as thread and base fabrics respectively for their purity and durability. Now, different fabrics like chiffon, georgette, silk, and regular cotton are used. The bright and vibrant embroidery uses a variety of stitches like herringbone, buttonhole and running stitch. But, it is distinguished by the use of darning stitch on the wrong side of the fabric. The narrowest the stitch was, the finest the piece became.