Cross Stitch for Beginners
Cross stitch needs a few inexpensive supplies and no drawing skill. This guide covers what to buy, which fabric and needle to start with, and how to choose a first project small enough to finish.
Last reviewed September 15, 2026 · How these figures are calculated
Beginner supply list
14-count Aida
White or cream. Cut to your design size plus a 2-inch border.
Six-strand embroidery floss
DMC or Anchor, in the numbers on your pattern key.
Size 24 tapestry needles
Blunt tip, large eye. Not a sharp embroidery needle.
6 or 8-inch hoop
Wood or plastic. It keeps fabric taut so stitches sit evenly.
Small sharp scissors
For clean thread ends close to the fabric.
A pattern or kit
A kit bundles pattern, fabric, floss and needle.
Useful but optional: a needle minder, floss bobbins, a highlighter for marking finished areas on a printed chart, and a daylight lamp.
Which fabric count to start on
14-count Aida suits most beginners. 11-count has bigger holes for children and anyone who finds small grids hard to see. Leave 18-count and evenweave until you have finished a project or two. Aida counts explained compares them.
Choosing a first project
- Small: about 50 × 50 to 80 × 80 stitches, so you finish while still motivated.
- Few colors: 10 or fewer, in blocks rather than scattered single stitches.
- Full stitches: skip patterns with many quarter and three-quarter stitches.
- Light backstitch: a few outlines are fine; dense lettering is slow to work.
Check your fabric size before you cut:
Fabric count
14-count Aida · used by most kits and patterns
Units
Enter the stitch width and height to see the fabric size
Your first session
Expect most of the first hour to go on setup: cutting fabric, finding the center, separating floss and learning to read the chart. Early stitches often vary in tension; that evens out with practice rather than effort.
The step-by-step instructions show how to start without a knot, make each stitch and finish a thread.