Family Initials Cross Stitch Guide

Follow the steps below to complete your piece:

1. Choose your initial
2. Choose your frame
3. Stitch! You can start with either your initial or your frame - either way, you'll end with a beautiful, personalised Christmas decoration.

1. Choosing Your Initial

Use the links above to select whether you would like to use a script font or a serif font on your design. Each letter of the alphabet will work for any of your frames.

TIP: We've stitched our initials in black thread, but you can customise your initial with any of the thread colours included in your kit. We always use full skeins of thread in our kits, which means there is always extra leftover to add that extra-special personal touch to your design.

2. Choosing Your Frame

Next, use the four frames included in your kit to choose which one you would like for your ornament. You can make each of your 4x hoops with a different frame, or you can repeat frames to better suit your family.

TIP: You can use the colours that we have suggested in each pattern, or you can customise them to better suit the personality of your ornament! If you have a family member that pre

3. Stitching!

Once you have your chosen initial and frame ready - its time to get stitching! If you haven't cross stitched before, check out our video tutorial below to get all the info you need. If you've cross stitched before, scroll down to watch our video on how to count out your pattern for your initials.

This video explains how to prepare your hoop and needle, as well as how to read your pattern. For this design, you'll be reading your initials and your frame separately - each from the mid-point of your aida fabric.

You can stitch your initial and frame in any order, just remember to count both patterns from the mid-point of your hoop that way both designs will always be centred correctly. Below we've filmed a tutorial on how to count your initials pattern and transfer it onto your aida fabric. 

To make the video easier to understand, we've used a heat erasable pen (aka a friction pen) to mark out the design, but you can actually stitch your design directly onto your fabric without any marker at all! Simply count out your pattern and stitch straight into the fabric. Alternatively, you can use a regular pen to mark out your design, but make sure you mark your dots super small so they're not visible when complete.

4. Backing Your Ornaments

To turn your stitched pieces into ornaments, you'll need to back your hoops and add a ribbon around the top to complete them. To back your hoops, follow the video below. This method is an easy way to tighten the excess fabric on your piece behind your work and keep it hidden from view.

Ta-da! You're done! 

Congratulations on finishing your family initials cross stitch kits. We hope these ornaments become treasured pieces of festive decor in your home, and something you can use on your tree for many years to come. 

Thank you for stitching with us! And merry Christmas 🎄✨