Get Creative With Cross-Stitch Patterns

While I'm not an avid cross-stitcher, you wouldn't know it from the piles of charts sitting in my craft crate. But no matter how many charts, booklets and magazines you own, sometimes you just can't find a suitable design for your next project; nothing seems right. With a little creativity, you can easily get more use from those piles of cross stitch patterns and find the perfect design every time.

Add a Quote

Does the pattern look a little dull? One way to personalize cross stitch patterns is by adding a quote to the design. Whether you choose something Biblical, a pop culture reference or words of wisdom that come straight from your heart, you'll create a piece that's perfect for the occasion.

Check out Quotes for Scrapbooking for ideas.

Don't Stitch the Entire Chart

I first learned this trick out of sheer necessity. I purchased a Scarlett O'Hara chart intending to stitch it as a gift for my friend who was an avid Gone With the Wind fan. Scarlett was beautiful in her full hoop-skirted dress, sitting demurely by the fire. However, reality soon hit and there was no way I was going to be able to finish the entire design in time. (Perhaps if I presented it to her upon the birth of her first child…but we were in high school at the time.) My solution was to stop after stitching her head and shoulders, creating a unique portrait of Scarlett. My friend loved it, and while I felt a little guilty at first, I soon realized that I had found a new technique. Now when I look at a large pattern that doesn't fit my needs, I wonder if there's a 5x7 portrait in there somewhere.

Pick One Element

One of my favorite ways to rethink cross-stitch patterns is to use a piece of a more complex design in a smaller project. You could choose a single flower from an entire field and stitch it on a bookmark. Take the angel out of a nativity scene for a Christmas ornament. The key is to look at a pattern with an eye for its parts. What would look great stitched on a towel or tote bag? You'll get countless extra uses out of your cross-stitch charts if you look at them with this idea in mind.

Choose Your Own Palette

Who says that the teddy bear has to be light brown when your favorite bear is the color of dark chocolate? Whether you make a simple substitution or rewrite the entire floss key, you can make a pattern your own by re-imagining it in a different color scheme.