A gift tag attached to a present just adds that finishing touch to make the gift that little bit more special.

What will you need?

1 A gift tag which could be a purchased one or a piece of card.

2 Completed small motif in cross stitch.

3 Double sided tape for attaching the design to the card.

4 Ribbon to attach the gift tag to the present.

5 Pinking shears these will give a decorative edge to your stitching.

This is just another quick and simple way of using left over threads and fabric in cross stitch.

Materials

1  Completed design not too large.

2 Calendar Block and cover.

3 Hanger to attach to the back, ribbon or gummed hanger

4 Either an aperture card or a pre-cut piece of mount board with an aperture.

First you will need to decide or have an aperture in mind and the size of design you require to fit the aperture.  The design will be pretty small.

To make the calender all that is needed is a pre-cut mount card these can be purchased online with aperture or an aperture card.

Attach the design to the card the same as you would with making a normal greetings card.   Once the design is secure attach the backing paper with glue or double sided tape.  Attach a ribbon or you can purchase  gummed hangers.  Then choose where you would like to position the calendar block and attach.

There you have a calendar which at the end of the year can be framed as a picture or replace the calendar block for the next year.

1 If you use a knot on the reverse make sure to be able to snip it once you have anchored the thread.

2 Loose ends make sure there are no long strands at the back of your work they could show through when complete.

3 Weave any loose ends on the reverse through three or four stitches to anchor the thread.

4If you trail your thread rather than cutting and recommencing stitching only do it for two to three stitches.

5 Avoid trailing thread across the fabric if there are not going to be any stitches as this will be visible from the front.

Just five simple tips to keep your work tidy on the reverse this prevents the project from being uneven when framed or displayed.

Hours spent stitching could be spoiled unnecessarily by being untidy.

Make sure before you start to cross stitch your hands are clean.

This prevents the stitching being stained.

It is possible to gently hand wash the stitching  after completion.

Prevention is better than cure.

Tip 2

It is always best to use an embroidery hoop for cross stitch to keep the fabric taut and it keeps the stitching even.

Tip 3

Wooden embroidery hoops can mark your fabric with oils from the wood.

Bind the hoop with masking tape or some other material to protect your fabric.

It is unlikely the wood stains will be washed out.

Tip 4

When using an embroidery hoop to stitch it is best to use one that covers the stitching area.

This is not always possible when stitching a large design.

Tip 5

If you are working with an embroidery hoop and leaving your stitching for some time, take the hoop off the stitching to prevent marks and flattening any stitches.

What do you need

Fabric

Thread

Needle

Wadding

With as little as 5.5″ x 3″ of aida or evenweave fabric you can make a pincushion.

1.  Stitch your design by using only half of the fabric.

2.  When complete fold the fabric in half with the design facing inwards.

3.  Stitch two of the sides of the material with one strand of thread or use normal sewing cotton.  Sew a 5mm seam using the holes of the fabric as a guide.

4.Turn the pincushion the right way out pushing the corners with a pin so they  form a neat point.

5.  Fold the wadding in half and half again.  Insert this into the pincushion.

6. Turn under the edges and sew up the opening with tiny neat stitches.

When you purchase a chart it should include the size of the completed design.

It will not necessarily tell you how much fabric you require so  you will need to add two inches or 5 centimetres  to each side of the design.  The reason for this is there is plenty of fabric for the mounting of the piece.  It is much better to have too much fabric than too little.

The chart is made up of a grid of squares. Each square will have symbols representing the colours.  For example a cross would be blue, so all the crosses on the chart would be stitched in blue thread.  Squares without symbols means no stitching is required.  At the side or the bottom of the chart there will be a key for you to refer to.

The size of the chart may look smaller than the finished design size stated on the chart.  Each square represents a stitch so your design will be the size stated on the chart.

In order to commence stitching it is necessary to find the middle of the chart this will be where your first stitch will be.  On the chart there will be bold lines and numbers every ten squares.  Zero is in the middle at the top and bottom and at the sides.  Follow the lines and where they meet this is the middle you may want to mark this with a pencil.

It is important when working from a chart  you read the instructions before you begin stitching.

There are various ways to make a bookmark and the choice is yours as to which method you use.  Below is just one method.  As with cross stitch cards it is another practical idea to use up leftover threads and fabric.

Bookmarks vary in width this will be dictated by the design and how much fabric you have in your work-box.  Remembering that  there will need to be enough fabric around the completed stitching for the mounting of the project.

The easiest method is to fray the edges of the fabric once you have stitched your design.  This is achieved by pulling out a block or two of the  fabric threads vertically for the sides of the bookmark and horizontally for the top and bottom.

This prevents any fraying and there is no sewing involved.  If you wish the bookmark can be presented with the stitching showing at the reverse as long as it is neat and tidy with no loose ends.   A more finished look to  the design is to take a piece of fabric of a similar weight as the bookmark and with fabric glue attach it to the reverse of the bookmark.

Kits cover a whole range of subjects but sometimes it is not possible to find one that is appropriate for the person  you have in mind.  You may find a chart with the subject you want to stitch or even a motif from a larger project can be used.

Projects can take an hour upwards it depends on how complicated the design is.  Designs using whole cross stitch with no fractional stitches are much quicker to stitch.

1 Greetings Card

2 Bookmark

3 Coaster

4 Keyring

5 Fridge Magnet

These are all very practical gifts that the person who receives it is likely to use.

Stitching when mounted into a card looks stunning, no matter how simple the design.

Once your needlework is finished.  Using a warm iron, gently iron on the reverse side with the stitching placed on a folded bath towel this prevents the stitches being flattend.  Trim any loose or long threads as these may show through the fabric.

Carefully cut the fabric to fit inside the card.  Ensure that the design is central in the aperture.  Allow at least 1/4″ (6mm) all round the outer edges if possible.

Carefully cut and apply the strips of double sided tape around the edge of the aperture.  Remove the protective strips and carefully place the fabric/design onto the tape.  Check that the design is central in the aperture and apply gentle pressure to secure.

Cut and apply strips of double sided tape to the three outer edges of the cover flap.   Remove protective strips, fold the cover flap over the fabric/design and press firmly to secure.

Fold over the back flap and your card is complete.

The most popular counts are 14,16,18,28 and 32.  The more holes per inch the more detailed the designs become and smaller.   If you have a chart for 14 count but only had 16 count fabric the final design would be smaller than the original design size.

The fabric is usually cotton or linen and can be obtained in a variety of colours.  The most popular is white or ecru.

Counted cross stitch kits will state on the contents which fabric count is included.   This can also indicate how difficult a design is likely to be.

Some charts will give you an option of fabric counts and the different sizes the completed design will be.