Hands up if you’re really into cross stitching… Well, you’re definitely in the right place - Meloca Designs is a craft company specialising in colourful cross stitch kits, and I love sharing cross stitch tips and tricks on my blog.
I’ll bet you love sharing your favourite craft with your friends by cross stitching things for them too, right?
It can be risky making something for a loved one - you want to be sure that they’ll like your handiwork so much that they display it in their home, rather than hiding it away in a cupboard, or worse, taking it to a charity shop.
Not everyone can appreciate the time and effort that goes into a handmade gift, and everyone has different tastes, but here are my 4 top tips for making a cross stitch gift that your friend will definitely love.
1. Pick a cross stitch design that you’ll enjoy stitching
This is my favourite tip, as it’s a really important one. You’ll be spending a lot of time and effort carefully cross stitching this gift for your friend, so it needs to be a design that you’ll enjoy every step of the way.
Choosing a cross stitch design that you don’t like could end up with you losing motivation and giving up, or starting to make careless mistakes, even if it’s a design that you know your friend would love.
By choosing a cross stitch design that you like, you’ll be more excited to keep stitching, and you’ll be really excited to gift it to your friend too.
2. Choose a cross stitch design that you feel confident your friend would like
And of course, it does need to be a cross stitch design that your friend will like too! Usually our tastes cross over with our friends’, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too tricky finding a cross stitch design that’ll work for you both.
There would be nothing worse than spending all that time stitching and all that money on supplies, only for them to then keep it in a drawer forever, or for it to be discarded or given away to someone else.
I’m going to hazard a guess that you know what kind of things your friend likes. If not, have a snoop around their home to get a better idea (or perhaps look on their Instagram or Pinterest if they’re not local to you), or ask a mutual friend what they think.
3. Opt for a cross stitch project on the smaller side
Your friend may be totally new to cross stitch art, so it may be better to ease them into it with a small cross stitch piece that they can display in their bedroom or office, rather than a large cross stitch piece to go pride of place in a living room or hallway.
This will also make it quicker and easier for you to stitch, keeping your momentum going through this cross stitch project. I shared a blog post of 5 ultra-quick ‘n’ easy cross stitch kits and patterns for beginners, but they might be good ones to try even if you’re more advanced, as they’re all small and quick to stitch.
If the worst thing does happen, and your friend doesn't like the cross stitch you made for them, at least you won’t have spent hours or maybe even days on it.
4. Consider the function of the finished cross stitch
When making a cross stitch gift for a friend, it’s worth thinking about whether you want to stitch them something to display in their home, or whether it will be something that has more of a use.
For example, you could frame the finished design, or maybe you want to make something useful like a cushion or tablecloth.
I recently published a blog with 5 creative ideas for displaying your handmade cross stitch art in your home, and 6 fun ways to add DIY cross stitch embroidery to your clothing too if you need some ideas.
Knowing your friend’s likes and dislikes is important here too, to figure out what they’re most likely to appreciate - art for their wall, art they can wear, or an item they can use.
Hopefully that’s made choosing what to cross stitch for your friend a little less daunting, and I’m sure your mind is brimming with lovely ideas.
If you’re still feeling a bit stuck, the Meloca Designs blog is brimming with inspiring blog posts, or browse the #crossstitch hashtag on Instagram for loads of cool cross stitch ideas from across the globe.