In this episode, I share some hobbies that are similar to cross stitch but faster to complete in case you need that quick win feeling. You can listen to the episode below or keep scrolling to read the blog post.
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Hobbies similar to cross stitch
Sometimes our brains need a quick win for a boost of motivation and cross stitch isn’t always great for that. So below are some hobbies that are similar to cross stitch in that they use grids or squares but are faster to complete (usually).
1 Diamond art
I discovered diamond art in Summer 2024 and I love how much like cross stitch it is but it is faster to finish a project. It’s so similar that the patterns are almost the same and inside the cross stitch club, one of the tutorials I did was making diamond art from cross stitch patterns.
The Cross Stitch Club
2 Lego Dots
Lego Dots are smaller and flatter pieces of lego and are very similar to doing a cross stitch on a lego board. You can create so many fun patterns with this type of lego and it reminds me a lot of cross stitch. Even the pieces have slight variations that remind me of the different stitches; full cross stitches, fractionals, Frenck Knots etc.
3 Pixelated crafts
These DIY craft kits that are made from squares look so fun! You can get more “adult” ones where you build up a nice picture or you can get ones more aimed at kids that use sticky back foam squares to place onto a printed pattern on cardboard. But just because they’re aimed at kids doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them as an adult!
4 Digitial pixel art
You can get different apps and programs to design a picture using pixels. Or if you want something a little easier you can get apps where you “colour in” the squares to fill the picture. Designing a cross stitch pattern is basically making a picture from squares, so I do this a lot. And if you learn how to do it you can probably design cross stitch patterns too!
5 Aquabeads
This is slightly different to the other hobbies because the grid for this one isn’t an even square grid; it’s more of a brick pattern but it’s still similar enough that I included it. You are building up a picture from small beads using a pattern (or free style) and using water to stick it all together. My daughter loves aqua beads!
Although some of these hobbies might seem a little childish don’t let that put you off if any of them peak your interest. Just like sometimes we read a book on kindle, or paper back or listen on audio, think of these hobbies as almost different ways to cross stitch. It’s not exactly the same but as I said, sometimes it’s nice to finish something quickly, especially if you are someone who cross stitches large projects.
Extra episodes and posts
- How to organise your WIP projects
- How to make a cross stitch routine
- Where to store your cross stitch supplies
- Small vs large cross stitch designs
- Hobbies I’m planning this Christmas season
