Free cross stitch patterns
Counted charts for flowers, fruit, birds and borders, drawn here square by square. Every one comes with a symbol chart, a colour key and a printable PDF, and every one is free.
Are these cross stitch patterns really free to print?
Yes. Every chart on this page is a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark. Print as many copies as you like, at home or for a class or craft group, and sell the pieces you stitch from them. The only things ruled out are selling the chart itself and re-uploading the file elsewhere.
How to read one of these charts
- One square is one full cross stitch, one bead or one pixel. The symbol in the square tells you which colour goes there.
- The heavy lines every ten squares are counting lines. Count in tens and a miscount shows up in the same row it happened.
- The small marks on the top and left edges mark the centre of the design, which is where most people start.
- The key under the chart lists every symbol with its colour, our thread code and how many squares of it the design uses.
What is on this page
These are counted cross stitch charts: a grid where one square is one full cross stitch, with a symbol printed in each square and a key that names every colour. They are drawn on the grid they print on, so nothing is scaled, blurred or approximated between the design and the chart in your hands.
The set covers the subjects people actually search for and stitch first: garden flowers, fruit, a bird, a bee, a butterfly, a snail, a teacup and a repeating border band you can run along a hem or a bookmark. Grid sizes run from 21 to 44 squares, which on 14 count aida is roughly 4 to 8 cm across, small enough to finish in a sitting or two.
Which chart to start with
If you have never counted a chart before, start on the beginner cross stitch patterns page instead: those designs use two to four colours and small grids on purpose. Come back here when you want shading, more colour changes and a design worth framing. If you want to add a name, a date or initials to a finished piece, the cross stitch alphabet is drawn to the same weight as these designs, so the two sit together without looking mismatched.
Threads, fabric and finished size
Each chart lists its colours with our own codes and plain colour names, plus the number of squares each colour fills, so you can see at a glance whether a colour needs a full skein or a few strands. The finished size printed on every pattern is measured on 14 count aida, the fabric most kits use. On 16 count the same chart comes out about an eighth smaller, on 11 count about a quarter larger, and the stitch count never changes.
Everything here is drawn in house and free to use under a plain-language license: stitch it, print it, teach with it, and sell the finished pieces you made. If you want a chart of something that is not here, the Pattern Maker will chart your own picture in a few seconds.
How to use these cross stitch charts
- Download the PDF and print it at 100 per cent on A4 or Letter paper. Black and white at normal quality is enough.
- Find the centre of your fabric and the centre marks on the chart, then work outwards colour by colour.
- The finished size printed on each pattern is measured on 14 count aida. Finer fabric makes the same chart smaller, not shorter.
Common questions
What fabric count should I use for these charts?
Each chart states its finished size on 14 count aida, which is the fabric most kits use and the easiest to count on. The same chart on 16 count comes out about an eighth smaller, on 11 count about a quarter larger, and on 28 count evenweave stitched over two threads it lands almost exactly the same size as 14 count aida. The stitch count never changes, only the fabric does.
How do I read the symbols and the colour key?
One square on the chart is one full cross stitch. Every colour has its own symbol printed in the square, and the key at the bottom of the PDF lists the symbol, the colour swatch, our thread code, the colour name and how many stitches of it the design uses, so you can see before you start whether you need a whole skein or a few strands.
What do the heavy lines every ten squares mean?
They are counting lines. Every tenth row and column is drawn thick so you can count in tens instead of ones, which is how a miscount gets caught before it becomes ten rows of unpicking. The small marks on the top and left edges show the centre of the design, which is where most stitchers start.
Can I sell things I stitch from these patterns?
Yes. You can sell finished pieces you stitched yourself, at a craft fair or anywhere else, with no permission needed and nothing to pay. What you cannot do is sell the chart itself, or re-upload the PDF somewhere else. The full wording is on the license page.
I have never cross stitched before. Where should I start?
Start on the beginner cross stitch patterns page: those designs are small, use two to four colours and finish in an evening, which is the point. Once counting feels automatic, the designs here have more shading, and the cross stitch alphabet lets you add a name or a date to anything you have already made.
Can I turn my own picture into a chart?
Yes, with the Pattern Maker. You choose how wide the chart should be and how many colours it may use, and it returns a counted chart with a colour key and a printable PDF. Your image is converted and thrown away in the same request: it is never stored, never published and never indexed.