Tips for Cleaning Cross Stitch Projects

Sometimes it happens that a cross stitch project is set aside for a long period of time. Maybe you were stitching something for a holiday and didn’t quite get it done in time. Or maybe you just wanted to start something else and it took you a long time to get back tot he other project.

It would be great if we always put our projects on hold in a safe place, like a bag, where they will be protected while we aren’t working on them. But stains happen, whether while we’re working on a project, while it’s in storage when we aren’t working on it, or even after it’s finished.

Cleaning a cross stitch project isn’t always easy, and there are no guarantees, but these tips from Leisure Arts on cleaning cross stitch projects are really helpful. The highlights: use cold water, be gentle and be persistent. But check out the post for more details, as well as how to store projects so you can prevent stains in the first place. (DMC has a great page on cleaning cross stitch, too, by the way.)

Have you ever successfully removed a stain from a cross stitch project? I’d love to hear what worked for you.

[Photo via JB Cross Stitch.]

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.

Have you read?