A wedding or anniversary is a time to celebrate and be joyful, but it can also be time to get creative and personal with your cross-stitch craft. A wedding is something the bride and groom will want to remember for the rest of their lives, so why not give something that comes from your heart so they can always have that special reminder. You can give them the gift on the wedding day or even years later on a special anniversary.
Make It Personal When deciding to celebrate weddings and anniversaries in cross-stitch you can enjoy the ease with which you can personalize the craft. It is easy to add dates and names to just about any cross-stitch project. Find a design that represents their wedding day and add simple wording with their names and the date of the wedding. You can also add other information like where they were married or the children they have had over time.
Common Themes Using the same theme and colors of the wedding is most popular when creating cross-stitch wedding gifts, however you are not limited to those colors or themes. Sometimes you can just use colors found in the home or office. If you are a skilled cross-stitch designer, you might be able to create a copy of the invitation into a cross-stitch design. One great theme for an anniversary gift is a family tree. After a couple has children and grandchildren, a cross-stitched family tree can bring a lot of joy and togetherness to a couple and their family... which of course becomes of an heirloom if so wished.
Project Ideas for Cross-stitched Wedding and Anniversary Gifts:
Framed Art The family tree gift for an anniversary is a great idea for a framed art cross-stitch project. Offering the couple a piece of art that looks beautiful hung up on a wall is an excellent reminder of their special day.
Photo Album Oftentimes the bride and groom end up with a lot of photos. You can create a handmade photo album by using your cross-stitched design on the front. This is also a good project for a couple's anniversary, because they can put pictures they have taken together through the years in the pages of the scrapbook.
Sign-In Book At the wedding or anniversary party, guests usually sign in on a guestbook. Instead of the couple having to buy a generic book at the store, why not create your own cover for the sign-in book using a personalized cross-stitch design.
Garter "Something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new" is an old traditions at weddings. You can create a garter from a cross stitch project making it much more personal to the couple.
Handkerchiefs Another tradition at weddings is to offer the bride a handkerchief. You can find handkerchiefs to stitch on initials and the date of the wedding. They are also a nice gift to give to the groom.
Headband Many brides wear a headband at either the ceremony or reception. You can use your cross-stitch skill to create an attractive cover for a headband.
Ring Pillow The ring-bearer's pillow is also a fun way to incorporate your cross-stitch ability into a wedding. You can stitch a beautiful wedding design onto the pillow that the ring bearer will use to carry the wedding rings to the altar.
Quilt If you possess both the ability to cross-stitch and sew, this is an excellent keepsake for a wedding or anniversary gift. You can cross-stitch some squares to use on the quilt to make it personal and cozy.
Wall Hanging Like the framed art, creating a wall-hanging is a nice way to remember the couple's special day while having something nice to fill that empty space.
Keepsake Box Every couple has items from their marriage that they want to keep in a safe place. There are keepsake boxes available that allow you to put your cross-stitch fabric across the top or in a frame on the top. These boxes are particularly useful for storing the smaller items retained from a wedding.
Cross stitching a gift for any anniversary, whether one year or seventy-five, is a great idea. Anniversaries come in many different forms, and there are numerous occasions, other than wedding anniversaries, which you can celebrate that are so special...
Buying your first home, recovering from a life threatening illness or finding remission from illness, becoming a mother, grand parent or a great grand parent, adopting a child, or winning an award through work or lifetime achievement are all days that too often go unnoticed and can warrant a special gift that really comes from the heart; a cross stitched personal piece of art.
We all like to jump right in when we're excited about something new, like a new hobby. Cross stitch is no exception. Many of us try to tackle a project that's simply too big when we first start out. We overlook that we're a cross stitch beginner, and we buy a kit that overwhelms us. It's easy to end up with a half-completed project this way. Many kits have complicated patterns, a myriad of threads, and complex stitches. Jumping into the deep end can cause you to get discouraged almost immediately.
As a cross stitch beginner, you should take the time to learn the craft. Thankfully, it's easy to find the resources you need to learn this skill. A couple of great websites exist that can help you master the basics of cross stitch:
www(dot)yarntree(dot)com/007begin(dot)htm This site provides a free chart and the instructions to stitch it along with a comprehensive list of the equipment any beginner will need. There are also lots of 'How To' sections such as how to choose fabric and how to begin stitching that build into a great tutorial, which may even benefit some of you intermediate stitchers out there.
www(dot)caron-net(dot)com/patguide(dot)html This second site has loads of hints and tips to help make counted cross stitch easier for all levels, not just beginners. After reading it I must admit that I learnt a few new things and so this is the perfect site for our newbie brothers and sisters. There's information on fabrics, flosses, basic stitches and more advanced ones and the bonus is that new hints and tips are added every month making this site one to add to your favorites list.
After you visit these sites, you'll have a better idea how to create your first cross stitch project. Your next step will be to locate a pattern you like. Your choices can seem endless when you first take a look around the internet. Actually, many of the patterns you'll find aren't suited to a beginner. You need to pick a pattern that is easy for someone who's just starting to cross stitch.
A great place to find cross stitch patterns is www(dot)cross-stitch-academy(dot)com/beginners/beginners(dot)html. This site has eight cute patterns that are made for beginners. For each pattern, you're given a chart that shows you how to stitch the design, a nice illustration that shows you what your completed project will look like, and instructions on the floss you'll need to stitch the pattern. To make things even easier, the instructions lead you through the steps, explaining carefully what color floss you use for each stitch.
What's nice about this site is that you can find all sorts of patterns, including a pretty border, some holiday patterns, and lovely flowers. Even children who are just learning to stitch will be able to follow these patterns. If you're no longer a beginning stitcher, you'll find patterns for you on the site as well. These patterns, like the ones for beginners, include easy-to-follow instructions.
While you're exploring the internet for patterns, you'll want to look at several sites. One excellent site is www(dot)dltk-kids(dot)com/type/crossstitch(dot)htm where stitchers of all skill levels can find patterns they like. Although at first you may feel this site is for children, a quick look around will prove it has a lot to offer all stitchers, particularly a cross stitch beginner.
There are a number of animals to choose from including a dog, a cat, a chicken, a frog, a turtle and a little ladybug. There are also patterns for each of the seasons, a Christmas pattern, a mother's day pattern and a St Patrick's Day pattern. All of the patterns are printable as are the instructions and the floss charts.
Getting started with a new hobby can take some time, but if you start out slow, you'll soon find you're no longer a cross stitch beginner. Soon, you'll be stitching all sorts of patterns and learning what other cross stitch fans already know -- cross stitch really is a lot of fun!
Both John Wigham & Geordie Johnny are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
John Wigham has sinced written about articles on various topics from Arts, Crafts and Arts. John Wigham has been a professional author and editor for 20 years and is a co-founder of an online cross stitch club dedicated to counted. John Wigham's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Geordie Johnny has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hobbies for the Family, Arts and Arts. Julia Wigham is a professional writer and co-owner of Patterns Patch . An online cross stitch community whose members get free: patterns, articles an. Geordie Johnny's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.