- NEW
-
Shop All
-
Accessories
- Subscription Box
- Membership
-
Community
-
When the shops start bringing out the mince pies and Christmas music fills the air, many stitchers feel that familiar pull toward festive cross stitch projects. Whether you're a meticulous planner with your Christmas stitching sorted before December arrives, or someone who leaves everything to the last minute, there's something special about creating handmade Christmas pieces.
From quick gift tags that take just an evening to complete, through to heirloom stockings you'll treasure for years, festive cross stitch offers endless possibilities for every skill level and time commitment. This guide will walk you through the most popular Christmas stitching projects, introduce you to our best Christmas cross stitch kits, help you plan your festive crafting timeline, and provide practical advice for UK stitchers looking to make this Christmas extra special with handmade creations.
Whether you're stitching gifts for loved ones, creating decorations for your own home, or simply enjoying the calming ritual of stitching during the busy festive season, you'll find inspiration and guidance here.
The beauty of Christmas cross stitch lies in its variety. You can choose projects based on the time you have available, your skill level, and what you want to create. Let's look at the different types of festive projects available, organised by how much time they'll take.
If you're new to cross stitch or need to create multiple gifts without spending months on each one, quick Christmas projects are your best friend. These smaller pieces typically take between one and ten hours to complete, making them manageable even with a busy December schedule.
This remains one of the most popular quick projects. Using aperture cards (cards with a pre-cut window for your stitching), you can create personalised greetings that recipients will treasure far more than shop-bought alternatives. Simple motifs like snowflakes, Christmas trees, or robins work beautifully on small pieces of Aida cloth. The joy of stitching several cards is that you can get into a rhythm with your technique while creating multiple gifts.
These take even less time but add a thoughtful, handmade touch to presents. Consider stitching initials, small hearts, or miniature Christmas symbols. These can become family heirlooms, brought out year after year to label presents under the tree.
Christmas tree decorations offer another quick option, particularly when worked in small hoops or on plastic canvas. Mini hoop ornaments typically use 3-4 inch hoops and can showcase tiny festive designs. Plastic canvas ornaments are particularly good for beginners as the rigid structure makes them easier to handle, and you don't need to worry about fabric fraying when you cut out your finished design.
A set of four Christmas coasters makes a lovely gift, and stitching them in matching or complementary designs creates a cohesive set. For UK stitchers looking for beginner-friendly options, Caterpillar Cross Stitch offers several starter kits designed specifically for those new to the craft, with everything included to begin your festive stitching journey.
With slightly more time investment, roughly 10 to 30 hours, you can tackle more substantial festive projects that still won't consume your entire autumn and winter.
These work beautifully as centrepieces for mantels or side tables. A 6x6 inch or 8x8 inch design gives you enough space to include more detail and colour work whilst remaining achievable over a few weekends. Popular themes include vintage Christmas scenes, modern geometric patterns, or traditional samplers featuring festive motifs.
Bring Christmas cheer to your living spaces with soft furnishing accessories like cushions, pillows, and even throws. A 12x12 inch cushion front can feature anything from a statement Christmas design to a collection of smaller motifs arranged in a pleasing layout. These projects work particularly well when stitched earlier in autumn, giving you time to finish before December arrives.
These offer a longer, narrower canvas for festive designs. Whether you choose to create a repeating border pattern or a series of individual motifs along the length, table runners become part of your Christmas tradition, brought out and displayed year after year.
Projects at this level might include more intricate designs; additional embellishments like beads, or more complex colour work. These make wonderful gifts for close family members or special friends.
Our YouTube channel features numerous tutorials on finishing techniques for these intermediate projects, showing you exactly how to turn your stitched piece into a professional-looking finished item.
Some Christmas cross stitch projects are meant to become family treasures, passed down through generations or brought out every year as cherished decorations. These larger undertakings typically require 30 hours or more of stitching time.
These top the list of heirloom projects. A full-sized stocking, particularly one with dense stitching and personalisation, represents a significant time investment but creates something truly special. Many stitchers work on family stockings over several years, creating one for each new family member. The beauty of a handmade stocking lies in its personal nature; you can include the recipient's name, birth year, or special symbols that reflect their interests.
These capture everything you love about Christmas in a single design. These might include multiple scenes, borders with meaningful text, or collections of Christmas symbols arranged together. A well-designed sampler becomes a focal point in your home each Christmas, displayed prominently throughout the festive season.
These offer a different kind of heirloom project. Whether you stitch 24 small pockets, create a calendar with movable elements, or design a scene that reveals itself day by day, an advent calendar combines the joy of stitching with the anticipation of the Christmas countdown. Children particularly love personalised advent calendars, and they often become one of the most anticipated parts of the family's Christmas traditions.
These might include birth samplers with Christmas themes, anniversary pieces commemorating special December dates, or memorial pieces honouring loved ones during the holidays.
For these larger projects, timing matters considerably. UK stitchers should start heirloom pieces by late summer or early autumn if they hope to complete them for the same year's Christmas. Many advanced stitchers work on one major Christmas project each year, building their collection gradually.
Having the right materials makes Christmas stitching more enjoyable and helps ensure your finished pieces look their best.
The fabric you choose sets the tone for your entire project. Traditional Christmas colours like red, green, and white work beautifully as background fabrics, making your stitched designs pop. Navy blue Aida provides a rich, dramatic background particularly suited to designs with metallic threads or snowflake patterns. Some stitchers prefer cream or natural linen for a more vintage, traditional appearance.
Fabric count matters too. Beginners typically find 14-count Aida easiest to work with, as the holes are clearly visible and comfortable to stitch on. As your skills grow, you might choose to work on 16-count or 18-count for finer detail, or move to evenweave fabrics for a different texture.
Christmas threads deserve special mention. Metallic threads in gold and silver add sparkle to ornaments, borders, and special details. DMC offers Light Effects threads specifically designed for that festive shimmer, whilst their Etoile range provides subtle glitter throughout. Variegated threads in Christmas colourways can create beautiful shading effects with a single thread colour.
When you purchase a Christmas cross stitch kit from Caterpillar Cross Stitch, you receive everything needed to complete your project: the pattern itself, DMC thread in all required colours, appropriate Zweigart fabric, needles, and often additional accessories like thread organisers. This takes the guesswork out of shopping and ensures all your materials coordinate perfectly.
The way you finish your festive stitching transforms it from a piece of fabric into a proper decoration or gift.
These add polish to hooped pieces and ornaments. Grosgrain ribbon in Christmas colours works well for hanging loops, whilst decorative trims can frame your work. Pom-pom trim brings a playful, festive touch to Christmas hoops, particularly for children's designs.
These introduce sound and movement. Small jingle bells tied to ribbon hangers make ornaments interactive, whilst sequins or beads sewn onto finished pieces catch the light beautifully. Some stitchers add bells directly to their stitching during the process, though this requires planning for where needles and threads will pass.
This will depend on your finishing method. Felt backing works well for hooped pieces displayed on walls or hung on trees. For ornaments that will be visible from both sides, you'll need either a backing fabric or a method that encloses all your fabric edges neatly.
This represents a stylistic choice. Traditional frames suit samplers and formal pieces, whilst hoops maintain a more casual, modern aesthetic. For pieces displayed only during Christmas, hoop finishing often makes more sense as it's easier to store flat when not on display.
Good planning makes the difference between finishing projects on time and finding yourself stitching frantically on Christmas Eve.
When to start Christmas stitching depends entirely on project size and your available stitching time. As a general guide:
These timeframes assume you can stitch a few hours each week. If you stitch more regularly, you can start later; if you only manage occasional stitching sessions, start earlier.
UK-specific timing considerations matter particularly for gifts. Royal Mail recommends posting UK parcels by mid-December for guaranteed Christmas delivery. If you're stitching gifts for family overseas, international posting deadlines arrive even earlier; sometimes as early as October for certain destinations. Check current Royal Mail guidelines each year as dates shift slightly.
Managing multiple Christmas projects requires a strategy. Some stitchers prefer working on one project at a time until completion. Others enjoy having several projects on the go; perhaps one complex piece for relaxed weekend stitching, plus smaller projects for busy weekday evenings. Project bags or pouches help keep each project organised with its threads, pattern, and fabric all together.
Choosing projects based on skill level ensures you'll actually finish what you start. If you're relatively new to cross stitch, resist the temptation to begin with a huge, complex stocking. Start with a few cards or ornaments to build your confidence and skills. Each completed project teaches you something and makes the next one easier.
Both free and paid patterns have their place in festive stitching.
There are plenty of these available online, particularly during the Christmas season. These work brilliantly for trying new techniques, making last-minute gifts, or simply enjoying the stitching process without financial investment. Many designers offer free patterns as tasters for their paid work.
These typically offer more complexity, clearer charts, and often include helpful extras like thread shopping lists, finishing instructions, or multiple size options. Supporting designers by purchasing patterns helps ensure they can continue creating new designs for the community.
This makes things like gifts extra special. Adding names to stockings or ornaments requires either a provided alphabet in the pattern or sourcing a compatible alphabet separately. When adding personalisation, plan your letter spacing carefully before you begin stitching and measure out where each letter will go to ensure even spacing and centering.
Adapting patterns for different uses
This lets you get more from a single pattern. A motif designed for a card could become an ornament. An ornament design could be worked into a cushion corner. A large sampler might be broken into smaller sections for a series of coordinating pieces.
This is important for stitchers to consider, especially for things like personalised gifts. Stitching a pattern for personal gifts is generally acceptable, but selling items made from patterns, or sharing the pattern itself with others, typically violates copyright. If you're unsure, check the designer's terms or ask before proceeding.
Image by Alexandra Kathryn via Facebook
Proper finishing techniques ensure your stitched pieces look their best and last for years.
Most finished stitching benefits from gentle washing before finishing. Hand wash in lukewarm water with a small amount of gentle detergent, swishing the fabric gently rather than rubbing it. Rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is gone, then roll in a clean towel to remove excess water.
Press while still slightly damp, face down on a clean towel. This prevents the stitches from flattening. Use a medium heat iron without steam, pressing gently. Never iron the right side of your stitching directly.
If you've used metallic threads, test a scrap first, as some metallic threads can't handle heat or water.
This option works best for samplers, pictures, and pieces you want to display year-round (or just during December). Professional framing ensures proper mounting and protection, though self-framing works well for smaller pieces if you're confident with the process.
turns embroidery hoops into finished display pieces. After trimming excess fabric (leaving 2-3cm beyond the hoop edge), glue felt backing over the rear using fabric glue. This conceals the back of your work and gives a neat finish.
This requires backing, whether you create two-sided ornaments by stitching both sides, or back your stitching with fabric or felt. Add hanging loops before fully closing the edges.
For aperture cards, this involves careful centering of your stitching in the window, then gluing the card's back flap over the fabric to secure it.
This combines cross stitch with sewing skills. After stitching your stocking front, you'll need backing fabric, lining, and often cording or piping for edges.
Start large projects like stockings by August or September. Medium projects need an October start, whilst quick projects can wait until November. The key factor is your available stitching time; if you stitch daily, you can start later than someone who only stitches weekly.
White and cream Aida remain the most versatile choices, working with nearly any design. Red, green, and navy create dramatic backgrounds for festive designs. For a vintage look, choose natural linen. The pattern itself often suggests suitable fabric colours.
Absolutely. Many Christmas designs suit beginners perfectly; small motifs, simple colour work, and clear symbols make them ideal first projects. Start with cards, gift tags, or mini ornaments to build confidence before attempting larger pieces.
Most stocking patterns include alphabets for adding names. If yours doesn't, search for a free alphabet pattern in a compatible size. Plan letter placement before stitching; work out spacing on graph paper first to ensure even, centred text.
Christmas kits provide everything needed for festive projects. Patterns from designers they admire let them choose their own colours and fabrics. Accessories like needle minders, project bags, or gift vouchers work well when you're unsure of their preferences.
This depends on the design's complexity and your experience level. A simple stocking might take 30-40 hours for an intermediate stitcher, whilst a complex, full-coverage design could need 80-100 hours or more. Beginners should allow extra time.
Yes, with some adaptation. A card motif can become an ornament by adding backing. A stocking design could be split into separate ornaments. A large sampler might be worked as smaller, individual pieces. Let your creativity guide you.
Happy stitching!
Creating handmade Christmas ornaments is a cherished tradition for many UK families, and cross stitching on a plastic canvas offers a wonderful way to make decorations that will last for years. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about stitching on a plastic canvas, from selecting the right materials to finishing your ornaments with felt backing and hanging loops.
Get started on your cross stitch journey with our beginners guide on how to start cross stitching. From the equipment you need, to creating your first stitch and improving your skills, our guide will support you with all you need to know.
So, you’ve come to the end of your cross stitch project and you’re now left with all the small snippets of thread after tucking in the ends… surely we can get creative with these? Here are some different ways of displaying or repurposing the small bits of thread!
