How to Make Cross Stitch Ornament Blocks

There are so many fun different ways to display cross stitch. From making the smallest designs into magnets or pendants to framing in conventional frames or hoops, making into little pillows, ornaments and more, there are all sorts of ways to add your finished cross stitch designs to your home or to turn into gifts.

Sirious Stitches recently had a post about making cross stitch pieces into block ornaments that can stand up on their own, which is a good way to display cross stitch on a desk or bookshelf, and makes a fun way to present it as a gift.

They call this a block finish, but it also can be called cube finish or Styrofoam finish, since it uses a block of foam to attach the cross stitch to.

This is a great option if you want to display a piece temporarily, such as having a seasonal rotation of designs on your desk. It’s also lightweight, doesn’t take a lot of time to do, and it’s attached to the block with pins, not sewing (thus being easy to take apart when desired). You can also embellish the block in different ways to make it more seasonal or to match the theme of the cross stitch itself.

This isn’t a technique that I have used before but it looks pretty easy, especially if you already have a piece of foam on hand. And if you’re the sort to want to hoard packing materials, knowing that this technique exists will probably encourage you to hang onto that stuff a little longer and make cross stitch projects just for that purpose.

You can see the full tutorial with lots of great pictures to guide you along the way and lots of ideas for embellishing your project at Sirious Stitches.

[Photo: Sirious Stitches]

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Fourth of July Cross Stitch Patterns

One of the most common supplies for cross stitch, aside from fabric, needles and floss, is an embroidery hoop. A hoop isn’t needed for every project, and indeed there are some stitchers who prefer not to use them at all. I generally don’t use a hoop when I’m working on a small cross stitch project, especially something that’s shape isn’t conducive to using a hoop (like a bookmark).

But embroidery hoops can be really helpful for cross stitch because they hold your fabric at an even tension, which allows you to stitch more evenly without any more work on your part. It’s great for beginners to use hoops because the tension on the fabric can both help make your stitches more even and make the holes in the fabric a little easier to see.

I’ll admit to always just buying whatever hoop is available in the right size when I’m ready to start a project without giving it much more thought than that. But there are things you should consider when choosing among the different kinds of hoops, which Caterpillar Cross Stitch covers in their great guide to embroidery hoops.

The post walks you through wooden, plastic, spring tension and flexi hoops (which I’ll admit to having never heard of; they’re made of vinyl and plastic apparently), as well as Q-Snap frames, which aren’t really hoops because they’re made of plastic tubes that you snap together in the size and shape you need.

It also covers what size hoop you should use for the project you’re working on and how to actually use a hoop in the right way.

Whether you’re new to cross stitch or more seasoned, you’re sure to pick up a tip or a product to try in this post, so go check it out over at Caterpillar Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite kind of embroidery hoop to use for cross stitch, or do you go without? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Caterpillar Cross Stitch]

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