Snow Flurry Siblings

Not much, as it turns out, and that's rather the point. There's no special technique to learn before you start.

The kits in this collection share three things. They use fewer thread colours, so there's less swapping and less counting. They're worked in full cross stitches only, with no backstitch or fractional stitches to get your head around. And they're small enough to finish, which matters more than anything else when you're starting out, because a completed piece you're pleased with is what makes you want to do the next one.

Everything else is the same as the rest of our range. Same Zweigart aida, same DMC threads, same printed patterns. These designs are just quicker to get through.

That's really all cross stitch kits for beginners need to be. Some brands make a great deal of the "learning curve", but cross stitch is one of the few crafts where the basic stitch is the whole skill. You make an X. You repeat it. Everything after that is counting, and the pattern does most of the counting for you.

Open the box and you'll find:

• White Zweigart 14-count aida, cut to size for the design
• Pre-sorted DMC stranded cotton on a card thread holder, so you're not untangling skeins before you begin
• A size 24 tapestry needle, which is the right size for 14-count
• A colour printed pattern on A4
• An illustrated instruction card

There's nothing else to buy before you can start, which is the whole idea. If you'd like a hoop to work in or to display the finished piece, those are sold separately in our hoops and stands collection, along with needle minders to keep your needle safe between sessions.

Worth saying clearly, because the name can be misleading: you don't have to be new to cross stitch to buy a beginner cross stitch kit

All of our kits are written to be clear and easy to follow, whatever your experience. The difference with these ones is scale, not difficulty. Plenty of the people who buy them have been stitching for years and simply want something smaller between bigger projects, or a quick make for a birthday, or a design they can take on holiday without carting half a workbasket along.

If you're returning to cross stitch after a long gap, these are a gentle way back in without committing to something that'll take you three months. The basics won't have changed since you last picked up a needle, and a small design is a good way to get your rhythm back.

They also work well if you stitch with someone else. A smaller kit each means you can both finish at roughly the same time, which is more fun than one person still going long after the other has framed theirs.

Pick the design you actually like. That sounds obvious, but people often talk themselves into the "easiest" option and then find they've no enthusiasm for stitching it. You'll be looking at this thing for a good few hours, so choose one you'll enjoy watching appear.

Beyond that, a few things worth knowing:

• Fewer colours means quicker progress. A design with six or eight shades moves along faster than one with twenty.
• 14-count aida is the standard starting fabric. The holes are easy to see and simple to count. You can move to 16-count later if you'd like finer detail. There's more on this in our guide to cross stitch fabric types.
• Small doesn't mean dull. A 6 inch design still looks lovely framed, and it's far more satisfying than abandoning something enormous halfway.
• Think about where it'll end up. A design destined for a shelf or a gift can be small. If you want something to fill a wall, you'll be happier starting here and working up to a larger piece later.

If you'd like a fuller walk through before you decide, we've written a guide to choosing your first cross stitch kit.

Nobody gets everything right on the first go, and you won't be left to work it out alone.

Our Facebook community is full of stitchers who will happily look at a photo and tell you what's gone wrong. People post their mistakes there all the time. Nobody minds.

These make good presents precisely because they're achievable. Giving someone a huge, detailed design can be a bit daunting, whereas a small kit with everything included is something they can open and start the same evening.

Cross stitch kits for beginners are also the safer choice when you're not sure how much experience someone has, since nobody minds being given something straightforward. You don't need to stitch yourself to choose well. Look for a design that suits their taste, check it's from this collection, and you're sorted. If you'd rather let them pick, a gift card does the job, or a cross stitch subscription box gives them a project now and another to look forward to.

Have a look through the designs above and pick one you like the look of. That's genuinely the hardest part.

If you get stuck at any point, our Facebook community, and you can always get in touch if you'd like a hand in choosing.