Cross stitch
Cross Stitch Pattern Generator: Image to Cross Stitch
Turn an image into a cross stitch pattern with DMC floss colors, symbols, a grid with every tenth line in bold, finished size by Aida count and an estimate of skeins per color.
1. Image
You can also drop an image on the preview or paste one. It is read on your device and never uploaded.
2. Size and colors
Grid: 80 × 60 stitches (height follows the image)
Use only the colors I have
Stitches per skein is a rough planning figure for full cross stitches with two strands. Change it to match how you stitch.
Adjust the image
3. Fix cells by hand
4. Save and print
Showing the sample image. Choose your own image to convert it.
- Grid
- 80 × 60 (4,800 stitches)
- Colors
- 20
- Design size
- 5.7 × 4.3 in on 14-count Aida (14.5 × 10.9 cm)
- Fabric to cut
- 11.7 × 10.3 in (3 in extra on every side for framing)
- Skein estimate
- about 1,600 full stitches per skein (you can change this figure); buy a spare for large areas
| Symbol | Color | Count | Skeins | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 701 Christmas Green Light | 1,189 | 1 | ||
| B | 722 Orange Spice Light | 640 | 1 | ||
| C | 3827 Golden Brown Pale | 543 | 1 | ||
| D | 703 Chartreuse | 525 | 1 | ||
| E | 402 Mahogany Very Light | 378 | 1 | ||
| F | 726 Topaz Light | 291 | 1 | ||
| G | 3855 Autumn Gold Light | 257 | 1 | ||
| H | 3340 Apricot Medium | 240 | 1 | ||
| J | 700 Christmas Green Bright | 228 | 1 | ||
| K | 3854 Autumn Gold Medium | 183 | 1 | ||
| L | 3853 Autumn Gold Dark | 160 | 1 | ||
| M | 838 Beige Brown Very Dark | 44 | 1 | ||
| N | 734 Olive Green Light | 27 | 1 | ||
| P | 3347 Yellow Green Medium | 21 | 1 | ||
| Q | 470 Avocado Green Light | 20 | 1 | ||
| R | 743 Yellow Medium | 19 | 1 | ||
| S | 3051 Green Gray Dark | 11 | 1 | ||
| T | 611 Drab Brown Dark | 9 | 1 | ||
| U | 370 Mustard Medium | 8 | 1 | ||
| V | 371 Mustard | 7 | 1 |
Your image is read and converted in this browser. It is not uploaded, saved or used for ads or analytics, and closing the page clears it, so download the PNG or print the pattern before you leave. Bead, floss and block colors on screen are approximations; check them against your own supplies.
Create a cross stitch pattern from a photo
Set the width in stitches, choose how many floss colors to allow and pick your Aida count. The generator matches each stitch to the nearest DMC color, gives every color its own symbol and prints a chart split into pages of 40 by 50 stitches, with the grid numbered and every tenth line in bold so you can count your place.
- Size: finished width in inches is stitches divided by the fabric count. 80 stitches on 14-count Aida is about 5.7 inches.
- Colors: 15 to 30 colors suit photos; 6 to 12 suit simpler designs, and fewer colors means fewer thread changes.
- Dithering gives smoother skin tones and skies but more single “confetti” stitches; leave it off if you prefer calm blocks of color.
- Use Merge on colors with only a handful of stitches to save buying a skein for five stitches.
Fabric and floss
The materials list shows the design size on your chosen Aida count and the fabric to cut with three inches spare on every side for framing. The skein figure divides each color’s stitch count by the “stitches per skein” number, which is a rough assumption you can change; your stitch tension, strands and fabric change it, so buy an extra skein of large background colors.
Common questions
Can I use colors I already own?
Yes. Open “Use only the colors I have” and list your DMC numbers, such as 310, 321, 3865. The pattern then uses only those threads.
Can I print the pattern as a PDF?
Yes. Print or save PDF opens a print view with an overview, the floss list with symbols and counts and the numbered chart pages. Choose “Save as PDF” as the printer.
Do the colors match DMC exactly?
No screen can show thread exactly. The colors are approximations for matching, so hold your floss against the chart colors in daylight before you start.
Sources and further reading
The studio notebook
A useful place to begin.
Clear steps, considered details, and ideas you can put to use.
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