In this post, I am going to share what you get in a cross stitch and how much they tend to cost. All brands and business’ will be different but this is just a general overview.
4 guaranteed things you will get in your cross stitch kit:
- Something to stitch onto
- A cross stitch pattern
- Embroidery threads
- A needle
The difference will be in the brands and how they are packaged.
Something to cross stitch onto
“Something” could be a variety of things, but most of the time it is aida or evenweave. These are fabrics that have pre-made holes in them for you to stitch through and they come in different “counts”.
In my cross stitch kits, it’s usually 14 or 16 count aida, but occasionally I will offer evenweave too, like in my new Fantasy Fairytale Stitch-a-Long.
Caterpillar Cross Stitch offers either evenweave or aida as a choice in all of her kits.
You can also get different brands of aida/evenweave. I use Zweigart in all of my kits but some people may use unbranded.
And you might get some unique aida or evenweave. My star sign cross stitch kit comes with hand dyed galaxy aida and Stitchsperation hand paints her aida and evenweave.
But you could get something else entirely! For example, Berylune on Not On The High Street has cross stitch kits where you stitch on animal cards that have punched holes in (and they’re adorable!)
And Cotton Clara has kits where you stitch words or quotes such as “Hip Hip Hooray” onto laser cut plywood. I have a Christmas one from her which says “Let it Snow” that I hang up every year and my 5-year-old son could have a go at this one.
A cross stitch pattern
Usually, this is a counted cross stitch pattern on a grid where you just follow the squares. But you could also get a stamped cross stitch pattern which is where the pattern is directly on the fabric already and you just stitch over it.
You might not even get the pattern in the kit itself. In stitch-a-longs (SALs) the pattern is dripped out to you to all stitch together instead of getting the full pattern in the kit. You can read more about stitch-a-longs and what they are in this post.
The most popular is a counted cross stitch pattern though and that’s what comes in my kits.
Embroidery threads
Most of the time you will get stranded embroidery thread in a cross stitch kit and the most widely used brands are DMC or Anchor (I use DMC).
However, sometimes you might get something a little different, like in Cotton Clara’s kits you get a thicker cotton thread that you don’t separate into thinner strands as you do with stranded embroidery thread.
A needle
The needles you get in cross stitch kits are called tapestry needles or cross stitch needles.
They are blunt and come in different sizes depending on the count of the aida/evenweave you are using. For example, for 14 count aida you use a size 24 needle.
For kits where you are stitching on something else such as the animal cards or wooden boards, you will get a larger and thicker needle.
The extras you might get in a cross stitch kit
We’ve just spoken about the 4 main things you get in a kit, but there are so many extras you could get too. I am just going to talk about the most popular. They are:
- Instructions
- A hoop/frame
- Felt
- A needle minder
- Scissors
- A bag
Instructions
Most kits will include instructions of some kind, but not all so this is why it’s in the extras part.
If you are a beginner to cross stitch I recommend seeking out kits that include instructions (mine do but I also have many tutorials on my blog and a How to Cross Stitch for Beginners Course).
If you aren’t a beginner then you probably won’t mind if a kit has instructions or not.
A hoop/frame
Many modern kits are now made with the idea of framing your finished design in an embroidery hoop. This is how 90% of my patterns are designed so you will find a hoop in a lot of my kits.
Hoops are also used to hold you aida while you are stitching to make it easier so you may also find them in kits where the designs aren’t meant to be framed in a hoop/ For example, in my Hello Spring kit you can add the hoop as an extra but it isn’t included as standard.
Floss and Mischief are also a brand that include hoops in most of their cross stitch kits.
There are also frames and Q-snaps that hold your fabric while you are stitching. Stitchsperation uses and sells Q-snaps on her site.
Felt
If you have a hoop included in the kit, chances are that you will have felt too. This is because you can use the felt to back your hoop when you are framing. I have a tutorial for this here.
A needle minder
A needle minder is a great addition to your cross stitch kit. They don’t tend to come as standard in a kit but you can sometimes add them on as extra or buy them separately.
I currently sell a Llama needle minder and a Hello Spring one. I always have a matching needle minder to the SAL I’m currently running so expects a Fantasy Fairytale one soon!
Caterpillar Cross Stitch also have matching minders for their SALs and hers are available to buy separately too.
Stitchsperation made their own needle minders from their hand painted fabric.
Floss and Mischief have them included in their Complete Xstitch Package kits.
And of course, you can buy them yourself from needlecraft shops such as Cloud Craft or have a search on Etsy.
Scissors
Possibly my favourite tool for cross stitch! I love all the different designs and colours for embroidery scissors. I would be here all day if I listed them all but I currently have some polka dot ones in stock and I will have another collection coming soon for the next SAL!
A bag
A project bag is a handy extra to have in your kit and I have them as extras with a lot of kits in a few different colours or you can buy them separately too!
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what’s included in a cross stitch kit. I also just had to share that Floss and Mischief even add some temporary stitching tattoos in their complete Xstitch Package Kits! I love this.
How much does a cross stitch kit cost?
This question has endless answers! This completely depends on how big the design is, how many colours/threads are in it, whether it includes a hoop, whether you have any extras and what kinds of brands are included in the kit.
A cross stitch kit with branded materials in, such as DMC thread, Zweigart aida and Elbesee hoops like are in mine, will be more expensive than kits with non-branded materials in.
When I search “cross stitch kit” on Not On The High Street the most expensive is £139 (A cross stitch lamp kit) and the least expensive is £7.50 (a cupcake starter kit).
Generally, though I find cross stitch kits to be in the £15-£30 range, and this is true for mine. Most of my kits are £14.99.
One thing to remember when buying a cross stitch kit is that you’re not just buying the materials to buy a kit, you’re not just buying something to make. You are buying an experience and a skill (if you are new to cross stitch). The act of cross stitching will help you relax and unwind at the end of a full day. you can hear more about my thoughts on the benefits of cross stitch here.
If you would like to join in more cross stitch chat then why not join my free Facebook group Hannah’s Hand Makers where there are over 1000 more cross stitchers like you!
Extra cross stitch resources and help:
- 15 Cross stitch Hints and Tips
- How to Cross Stitch Guide for Beginners
- Sign up to receive cross stitch-filled emails from me and download your free cross stitch project planner printable.
It’s great to know that there are a lot of things that you should include in a cross-stitch kit, and one of them should be the thread! You can never go wrong with having a lot of thread–especially when you run out of thread and you might have to get some more so that you can continue making it. If I had to look for some thread then I would definitely want to get the same kind of thread that came with the kit I have right now.
Yep, you’re definitely right Arianna! This is another reason I also use a branded thread in my kits (DMC) so the colours are easy to find again and match if you wanted to recreate the pattern.