Tips to Make Cross Stitch More of a Habit

This is the cross stitch page, so of course I’m talking specifically about cross stitch here, but these ideas for making cross stitch more of a habit really work for any craft or hobby that you want to deliberately spend more time on.

I got to thinking about this because of a post/podcast from Hannah Hand Makes, which talks about something she started doing that made it possible for her to cross stitch more. Briefly, though you should go read the post, she says she felt more energized to do cross stitch after finishing her evening chores when everything was set and ready in her crafting spot.

This makes a lot of sense. I always have a knitting project (OK, usually more than one) on the couch so I can pick it up whenever we sit down to watch TV or have friends over. There’s no excuse not to do it if it’s right there and ready to go.

In addition, having all the supplies you need handy makes it easier to get started and keep going. If you have different places in the house where you like to craft, invest in some basic tools in duplicate (like little scissors, needles, needle threaders if you use them) so you don’t have to hunt them down while you’re stitching.

I think it also helps to have a specific time that you intend to work on cross stitch or any other craft during the day. Say it’s 20 minutes after you take the kids to school or half an hour after cleaning up supper. The best way to form a habit is to tie it to another habit or something that happens every day so you’re less likely to forget about it.

I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have any ideas or tips that make it easier for you to work more cross stitch (or other crafting) time into your day.

[Photo by ? Monika ? ? Schröder ? from Pixabay]

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35+ Sunflower Cross Stitch Patterns

I recently wrote a post on my blog about using a stitchable journal cover and I mentioned that you can make your own stitched cover for a journal by using perforated paper instead of buying a stitchable notebook.

I have to admit, though, that I’ve never used perforated paper for cross stitch myself. I definitely want to because I think it would be great to use for bookmarks that don’t fray and have a little more stability, for example.

Sirious Stitches has us covered, though, because they did a deep dive into all things perforated cross stitch pattern that is worth the time to read through.

The post mentions that a lot of people use perforated paper for cross stitch because they buy an ornament kit that uses it. I’ve never seen these (or at least never noticed that that is what they were) but it’s a great idea to make small projects like ornaments in this way. It also talks about the pros and cons of using cross stitch paper, where to buy it and how to make your own.

Making it yourself is an awesome idea because if you already have a pattern in mind you can just make holes in your paper where you need stitches to be and leave the rest solid. This would be ideal for making greeting cards, for example.

In addition to kits and sheets you can often find the paper pre-cut into different shapes you can use to make your own designs, no real pattern required.

The post also includes tips and advice for how to stitch on perforated paper that you’ll want to check out before you try your first project.

I’m super intrigued by the idea of using perforated paper for cross stitch and will probably be trying it out soon. Have you used it before? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Check out the post over at Sirious Stitches for more information.

[Photo: Sirious Stitches]

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