Snowflake Cross Stitch Patterns

November 17, 2023 by Sarah White

I know it might not be feeling all that wintry where you are (we typically go back and forth a lot before it decides to solidly be winter where I live sometime in December) but if you want to tempt fate it might be time to start cross stitching some snowflakes.

Snowflakes are generally pretty easy cross stitch patterns for beginners because they usually are symmetrical and often only use one color. If you’re stitching with white thread you can play with the color of your fabric for a different look.

Small snowflakes can be made into ornaments for the tree or used as reusable gift tags on gifts.

Cathy Bussi’s snowflake Christmas tree is really cute (and could have fit into my roundup of Christmas tree cross stitch patterns the other day) and uses 10 different colors to make the snowflakes on a light blue background. It’s 87 by 102 stitches, or about 6.2 by 7.3 inches when worked on 14 count fabric.

Make it with Heart has a collection of three simple and free snowflake cross stitch patterns, which they show on black fabric for a lot of contrast. The small one fits a 3-inch hoop, so it would be perfect as an ornament.

This super simple pattern from American Crafty Lass on Etsy would be a great project for a new stitcher. It uses five colors but each of the snowflake shapes is really simple, and you can stitch them as shown or individually on different projects.

I love this simple but effective flurry of snowflakes from Lu’s Cross Stitch Shop on Etsy. Worked in a single color with cross stitch and backstitching, these individual flakes could be used on a gift tag, greeting card or bookmark as well. As shown, the full pattern fits in a 6-inch hoop.

Wild Bluebell Patterns on Etsy has a collection of little snowflakes it shows with a red background and in individual hoops. You can stitch up the whole set of nine and frame them together, or do several all on one piece of fabric if you’d rather.

Needle ‘n Thread has a cute, free folk-inspired snowflake pattern that’s perfect for the corner of a napkin or the border of another project. It’s meant to be stitched on plain weave fabric, and the pattern includes tips for how to go about doing that.

Here are more snowflake cross stitch patterns I’ve shared through the years if you need more inspiration!

Have you read?

Book Review: The Ultimate Cross Stitch Christmas Collection

If you’re looking for a ton of easy cross stitch designs to use for Christmas projects, look no further than Claire Crompton’s The Ultimate Cross Stitch Christmas Collection, which includes more than 500 charts for tiny stockings, angels, ornaments and much more.

The book covers the materials you’ll use to create the projects, how to add beads and other embellishments, stitching techniques and instructions for finishing projects shown in the book.

You’ll find ideas for using the patterns such as making greeting cards, ornaments, wall hangings, napkin rings and patches, as well as ideas for adding stitching to ready made or semi-homemade gifts. There are also tips for framing and hanging projects, making an advent calendar and designing your own Christmas sampler.

The charts are arranged by theme like Christmas classics (bells, horns and candles), garlands including stockings and mittens, Christmas carols, advent motifs with numbers to make your own calendar, St. Nicholas, nativity projects, snowmen, Santa’s sleigh, snowflakes and snow themed projects, Shaker-style Christmas designs, Santa’s helpers and reindeer, tree decorations, snowy scenes, robins and other birds, angels, Christmas trees, penguins, baby’s first Christmas, Victorian-inspired designs, sweets and treats, Christmas flowers, child themed patterns, stitches for gift tags, fairies, bears both teddy and otherwise, 12 days of Christmas patterns, projects to work on linens for the table, sentiments for cards or other projects, and several sets of alphabets and numbers you can use to design your own projects.

There’s a really cute parcel alphabet that has the letters on presents and there are also elves and a Santa worked in, which would be cute for a project for a child or to make a sign for your house.

Patterns are shown several to a page with one key for all of the projects. The projects don’t say how big they are so you’ll have to count stitches on the chart and figure out how big they will be based on the fabric you are using.

Still, this is a nice, large collection of holiday themed cross stitch designs, which is great for people who like stitching projects big and small for Christmas.

About the book: 112 pages, paperback, published 2026 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.