Learn to Cross Stitch in Minutes

If you’re making a New Year’s resolution to learn how to cross stitch — or you want to teach someone how to cross stitch in the new year — check out this overview from Yarn Tree, which says you can learn to cross stitch in five minutes.

The page covers the basic tools, how to get started, make stitches and finish your work, and includes a simple balloon pattern to try for your first project. It only covers regular x cross stitching and backstitching, so this is a really quick, not-too-detailed overview that should get you started but of course is not the end of all you might need to know about cross stitch.

Still, it will certainly keep you from feeling intimidated and hopefully encourage you to dive right in and give it a try.

If you have any tips for teaching cross stitch to others, or things that helped when you were learning, we’d love to hear them!

[Photo via Yarn Tree.]

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45+ Free Disney Inspired Cross-Stitch Patterns

If you’re a fan of detailed and colorful cross stitch patterns, Design for Cross Stitch might have a pattern you want to try. This Etsy shop is based in Spain and has more than 50 designs with a focus on animals, holidays and landscapes.

I’m just going to start with the first pattern that caught my eye when I visited the site, which is this Sakura by the Lake project. This pattern is 200 by 200 stitches and the whole background is stitched, so it’s definitely not for a beginner, but it’s stunning and would be amazing to make for someone who loves Japan. Despite the detail it only uses 24 colors. Worked on 14 count fabric it will measure 14.64 inches, or 37.19 cm.

There are a few other landscape designs, including a canal in Venice and a few cabins in the woods.

The shop also has some cute animal cross stitch, with big, round faces and often holding a warm beverage. Holiday projects focus on Christmas and Halloween. Most of the patterns have a cute, chibi-like feel, but there are some that are more detailed and realistic as well. Take for examples the flower patterns, which are full of details and soft colors.

You’ll also find some fun bookmark cross stitch patterns with a watercolor feel, as well as some that look kind of like paint pouring turned into stitches.

If this sort of stuff sounds like fun to you, check out their Etsy store at Design for Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite cross stitch designer who I haven’t featured yet? Let me know in the comments or share more about them by clicking on “suggest a DIY” at the center top of the page and let me know the details. I’d love to share the designers you’re enjoying with a wider audience.

[Photo: Design for Cross Stitch]

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