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Stitch a Sweet Santa with this Cross Stitch Pattern

November 28, 2025 by Sarah White

I’m going to start this one by admitting I have no idea why this pattern is called a tiered tray tidbits cross stitch chart. This designer, Stitching Housewives, has a whole section on their storefront with more than 100 designs called tiered tray tidbits and it doesn’t explain what that means. 

They’re cute designs and they’re often shown on an interesting shaped frame, or there are ribbons or leaves or other things decorating around the design, which is often mounted on a piece of fabric or paper, too. 

Or, in the case of this Santa design, almost all of the above. There’s fabric of paper the stitching is mounted on, and ribbons to decorate and make a loop for hanging. And there’s a crocheted Santa face to literally top it all off. 

The design itself is 56 by 42 stitches, which comes out to 4 by 3 inches, or 10 by 7.62 cm, on 28 count black Monaco as shown (you could also use 14 count Aida). The pattern uses Classic ColorWorks thread in nine colors. Other patterns of theirs indicate that DMC equivalents are included in the pattern so I assume that is the case here, too. You can also check out the conversion chart at 123 Cross Stitch if you need help translating. 

I also don’t know if the Santa face crochet pattern is included in the pattern, or if there are finishing notes, though of course you can take your little Santa in different directions if you want. There are many different versions of this vintage Santa face crochet pattern on Etsy if you want to make your own.

This design would also be cute edged with pompom rick rack or a garland of mini Christmas ornaments. Instead of the ribbon and Santa face you could go with a classic pony bead wreath as your hanging loop. The possibilities are endless. And of course you can also take the poinsettia and snowflake designs from this one and use them on other projects, too. 

Grab the pattern from Stitching Housewives on Etsy, and let me know if you know what tiered tray tidbits are!

[Photo: Stitching Housewives]

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Have you read?

Everything You Need to Know About Embroidery Hoops

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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