How to Use Sticky Board to Mount Cross Stitch Projects

There are lots of different ways that you can prepare your finished cross stitch for display. You can leave it in the hoop you stitched it in, maybe sewing the edges of the fabric to each other or otherwise securing them on the back side so the edges won’t fray and so they are out of the way.

Small projects can be turned into cards or bookmarks, or mounted in frames made for keychains.

You can turn a project into a pillow, pincushion or ornament by sewing fabric to the back and (probably) adding a bit of stuffing or batting between the layers to give it a bit more dimension or to turn it into a pillow or pincushion.

Of course you can also frame your cross stitch projects, in a picture frame, with a mat or even both.

One way to make that easier to do is by using sticky board (or mounting board) on the back of your project. This is a product you can buy online or in craft stores that’s basically like cardboard but it’s sticky on one side. While it comes in standard sizes you can also cut it with a box cutter or craft knife if you need a smaller size.

Stitched Modern has a great tutorial for using this product to help you frame your cross stitch project. The mounting board holds down the raw edges on the back of the work, giving it a smooth and secure finish without having to do any sewing or other finishing.

The product is also acid free so it won’t harm your project. It’s a great way to frame projects you’re giving as gifts or plan to display long term because the fabric will be extra secure in the frame with this extra bit of support on the back.

Have you ever used this technique? I’d love to hear about it.

[Photo: Stitched Modern]

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Make a Cross Stitch Corner Bookmark

A reader suggested that I share Needle Lot Designs with you, which isn’t a designer I was familiar with, so let’s check it out together.

Their designs are colorful, with lots of animals, fantasy and folklore inspired designs. The page’s tagline says it makes “cross stitch patterns for quirky hearts.”

The largest category on the site is called animal friends, though there are plenty of other categories about animals and nature, too (such as bugs & beetles and aquatic animals). These aren’t the sorts of animals you’d generally expect to find in cross stitch. There’s a poison heart frog, a capybara in a teacup, a racoon and possum teaming up to go through the trash.

My favorite here is this pretty red panda, sitting on a branch in front of a stand of bamboo. This one uses 19 colors, and it’s all full cross stitches but the designer calls it an intermediate pattern because of the size and number of colors involved. It’s 100 by 105 stitches, and shown worked on 32 count Belfast linen.

Worked on 14 count fabric it measures 7.25 by 7.5 inches, or 18.1 by 19.1 cm.

There are also art nouveau designs featuring animals, as well as a few animal-themed tarot cards.

The fantasy and folklore section includes Mothman, Nessie and a baby jackalope, as well as a couple of dragon designs and Cerberus reimagined as a three-headed cat. (Yes, it’s called Cerberpuss.)

You’ll even find a few Halloween/fall and Christmas/winter patterns if you like the seasonal stuff. Check out all their designs at Needle Lot Designs on Etsy.

And if you want me to feature one of your favorite designers that I haven’t mentioned yet, you can share that by leaving a comment on this post or heading to the top of the page, clicking on “suggest a craft” in the middle of the top navigation bar and filling out the form there.

[Photo: Needle Lot Designs]

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