I think Etsy is great, both from my point of view as a cross stitch designer, and someone who loves cross stitching as a hobby.
As I’ve been cross stitching since I was a child, I don’t necessarily need to buy kits, as I have all the thread, needles and aida fabric I could need, as well as the experience. Because of this, I love to buy digital versions of cross stitch patterns.
One of the best things about Etsy is that it makes downloadable PDF cross stitch patterns super easy, whether you’re selling them or buying them.
However, there are downsides too - there are a lot of unlicensed and knock-off designs.
Today I’m going to help you out a little, by giving you my 5 top tips for finding awesome cross stitch patterns on Etsy.
1. Use Etsy’s filter function to narrow down results
On Etsy’s search page, it has a really handy drop-down filter function. You can narrow down your searches by location, price, dispatch time, special offers, celebration, season, colour, whether it’s a physical cross stitch pattern or instant download, and more.
Etsy seems to be constantly redesigning elements of their website, with new search options - every time I go on Etsy, it looks different!
Having the option to search for cross stitch designers from a specific country is super helpful, because when I’m searching for fun new cross stitch patterns, I want to make sure that I won’t have to pay any import fees for items from the US.
Filtering whether it's an instant download or a physical thing is also really useful for cross stitching. Some cross stitchers only buy cross stitch kits (a physical kit with a pattern and materials) and some cross stitch patterns are instantly downloadable.
Etsy is really good for cross stitch designers, because it makes it super easy to organise those downloadable PDF patterns, so many designers sell on Etsy as well as having their own online shop.
The downloadable PDF cross stitch patterns are great for you as the customer too, because you don't have to wait for your pattern to arrive in the post.
2. Be as specific as possible in Etsy’s search bar
There are literally hundreds of thousands of cross stitch patterns available on Etsy, so it can be easy to get overwhelmed and want to give up.
Sometimes when I type something in and look at the first page, I want to cry and not go any further, because there are just too many cross stitch patterns to choose from.
If you’re more specific with your search terms, you're likely to get exactly what you're looking for, and then you'll actually go and purchase a cross stitch pattern, instead of closing the tab.
Rather than typing in “colourful cross stitch pattern” which has over 1000 results, you could use a more specific term like, “beginners colourful cross stitch kit, uk” which has 207 results.
That’s still a lot of results, but narrowing it down slightly makes it a bit easier to choose the right cross stitch pattern for you.
3. Check that the cross stitch designer is legit
As awesome as Etsy is, there is a lot of unlicensed or stolen artwork available to purchase. If you come across a Harry Potter or Disney pattern for instance, chances are that it’s an illegal pattern.
Buyers often assume that the cross stitch designer must have permission, because they don't know how much a licence from Warner Brothers would cost.
In fact, I only know of one company (Hatchette Partworks) that has a licence to make cross stitch patterns for these big names, and they don't sell on Etsy.
4. Find your favourite cross stitch designers on Instagram first
A lot of cross stitchers tend to have a favourite designer, or a cross stitch style that they like, whether that's modern, primitive or folklore.
The great thing about following a cross stitch designer on Instagram is that it’ll then suggest similar accounts that you might like.
It's a lot easier to see a cross stitch designer’s style when it's on Instagram, as you can see all their pictures in one go, instead of on Etsy where there's loads of different patterns from different designers.
Most cross stitch designers will have a link to their Etsy website in their bio, because of how much easier it is to make digital downloads available.
If you’re not following any cross stitch designers on Instagram yet, you can see a few of my favourites in my other blog post, 7 inspiring cross stitch artists to follow on Instagram.
5. Use the Etsy recommends function to find more
Once you find a cross stitch style or pattern you like and have clicked on a product, scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll find that Etsy recommends similar patterns and styles that you may like.
It helps you get more ideas of what you might like to purchase, without having to search again, because it suggests it for you - the plus side to algorithms. You might even find a new favourite cross stitch designer.
But be careful – you may end up with too many cross stitch patterns in your basket!
I really hope these tips help you find some brilliant new cross stitch patterns on Etsy, and if you’re looking for downloadable PDFs of my cross stitch patterns, you can find them in the Meloca Designs Etsy shop.
Happy stitching!