I’ve recently seen lots of people use my free alphabet patterns to create some truly awesome personalized cross stitch gifts on the cross stitch forums. These gifts feel special. They’re made for only one person, they’ve been designed or stitched with love, and they’re gifts that people will remember as it comes with them over time.
Personalization is a powerful way to gift something truly meaningful.
But there is an issue that always crops up: should you stitch something for others?
It’s an area I’ve not spoken about in the past, as it’s a hard thing to talk about; after all, everyone has different feelings about handmade gifts. And I will continue not to talk about it!
However, I thought it would be a great idea to scour the internet and research the best customizable ideas you can cross stitch for any person or occasion.
These ideas are easy to customize, easy to make, and will mean the world to those who receive them.
Personalized Cross Stitch Samplers
I’ve always been a big fan of the cross stitch sampler, but they truly make the best gift ideas.
Firstly, you can gift them in ANY situation:
- Wedding
- Birthday
- New arrival
- Moving house
- Christmas
I literally cannot think of an occasion where a custom cross stitch sampler wouldn’t be a great fit!
But secondly, you can have so much variation.
For a moment, let’s think of the standard samplers. You can buy a pattern, and swap out the text with something custom to them, using free online cross stitch alphabet patterns.
Then come smaller samplers with fun quotes. You can get a standard cross stitch pattern that means something to them. It doesn’t need to be custom to be personalized after all!
And then finally, the third option: taking a pattern and adding text. The one below is a great example of this, which adds some simple words to an existing cross stitch pattern.
Personalized Cross Stitch Portraits
This idea was actually the one that sparked the idea for this post. It’s incredibly easy to make simple and meaningful portraits out of cross stitch.
Making patterns is easy as picking the best items from the books by StitchPeople or PixelPeople. But the easy design and stitching doesnt belittle the gift, because the portrait is so custom and personalized that it will always feel like the recipient has been thought about, especially if you add in hobby items or backgrounds.
What’s particularly great about this is that it works for anyone and any occasion.
- A graduation for a single person? That person in a gown.
- A new baby? The family with a new baby.
- A birthday? A group shot of the extended family, or the person surrounded by their hobbies.
- A new job? The person in their new work setting.
Truly covers every possible occasion.
Personalized Cross Stitch Maps
Next up is maps! And there are loads of great ideas on how to do this one. You could do a state and put a heart where they live, you could simply write co-ordinates for where you met someone, a street grid, or streets around where they’ve moved to.
Now, I am a lover of maps, as I’m sure you know by now, but these maps can be super easy to cross stitch. They don’t need to be fancy, and a simple outline of a state or something like that will still mean the world to whoever gets it.
This one is also great for a bunch of different situations, and some of those more unusual ones that don’t initially shout ‘personalized cross stitch’!
- Anniversary? A heart at the location you met.
- New home? Map of the streets around their new home.
- Moving to a city? A group of the transit system (also a helpful tool!).
- Going on holiday? A map of that location to help them get settled or remember it.
An idea I personally love is also to get a world map and to fill in locations they’ve visited. This not only works as a gift, but it is something that they can cross stitch onto as well, building that gift as time goes on!
Left: State Maps by Studio Koekoek
Middle: World Map by Studio Koekoek
Right: DC Metro Map by dianasaurus_rex_
Extra Idea: Personalized Cross Stitch Houses
This idea is a little harder to do yourself, unless you know about pattern making, but you can buy a custom cross stitch pattern from Etsy as well.
Perfect for a new home, or a house you used to live in when you first met, etc.
It’s very personalized, actually rather easy to stitch, and will bring an air of thoughtfulness that the recipient can take with them when they move from home to home.
You can even add in extra personal touches, like adding dates, or combine with the portrait ideas to have the family in the foreground.
Personalized Cross Stitch Ornaments
OK, before I go any further, let me talk about the thing that just popped into your head: Christmas.
Yes, you can gift these at Christmas. But that’s not the ONLY time you can gift an ornament, you just need to open your mind a little.
Biscornu? Ornament.
3D pin cushion? Ornament for a stitcher!
3D potion bottle? Ornament for a DnD fan!
Plastic canvas house? Ornament for a new home!
Tissue box cover? Ornament for someone sick!
Can Cosy? Ornament for a soda fan!
So yes, you can go Christmasy here if you want, but actually, there are loads of other ideas that are just as good. I would personally suggest checking out Etsy here for some killer designs you can simply stitch without getting involved in designing patterns. But if you want, creating your own ideas like a phone cover, or a cross stitch keychain is an easy make!
Personalized Cross Stitch Bookmarks
Finally, we have another idea, which tends to be a great idea for book lovers, but actually, it works for a few people.
- Going on holiday? A bookmark with phrases for that location.
- Birthday? A bookmark of their favorite quote or flower.
- New job? A bookmark for their notebook with a humorous work pun.
The thing about bookmarks is that they’re small, meaningful, and they get used. Unlike a picture, you use a bookmark. You look at it every time you open a book. You remember the person who gave it to you and the reason every time you see it.
And bookmark ideas are infinite! You can literally just stitch a section of a pattern brought elsewhere, or write a message, or add some small motifs that mean something to the person you gift it to.
Make it personal for them, and they’ll love it and treasure it; guaranteed.
Tips When Creating Cross Stitch Gifts
Whatever design and idea you go for, here are three tips we suggest to keep to when creating cross stitch gifts for others:
Keep it small – A personalized cross stitch gift doesn’t have to be huge. A smaller gift means just as much.
Don’t fret if they don’t swoon over it – Getting a customized gift can be a shock. If they don’t swoon over it straight away, don’t fret. They’re probably unsure what to say!
Make sure you want to stitch it – The gift is for someone else, but make sure the thing you’re stitching is something you want to stitch too!
Have you stitched something for someone? We’d love to hear what you made!
Happy stitching,
Lord Libidan
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the most popular cross stitch gift?
According to Reddit, the most popular cross stitch gift is a large sampler for weddings, but with these ideas, you can create something smaller and more personalized that will resonate with the recipient.
Are cross stitch gifts suitable for weddings?
Yes, in fact, weddings are one of the best times for personalized cross stitch gifts as it will be a day they’ll always want to remember.
How can I design a custom cross stitch gift?
First, work out the design you want, and then use a free cross stitch pattern generator to help you put the design together. Many include motifs and alphabets for free.