Are you familiar with Home Alone? This cross stitch Christmas ornament is based on the now-classic film! Have fun stitching, and Merry Christmas – ya filthy animal!
As a child of the 80s/90s, I grew up watching Home Alone. I would always imagine setting up traps inside of my house if bad guys ever tried to get in. Haha!
If you aren’t familiar with the film, you must go watch it! It’s a Christmas classic! This cross stitch DIY Christmas ornament definitely brings back some serious nostalgia and makes me laugh.
And I’m excited to share this project with you today!
If you’ve never tried cross stitch, it involves using small stitches of embroidery floss to create intricate designs on fabric.
And what better canvas to use for your cross stitch masterpiece than an ornament that will be proudly displayed on your Christmas tree?
Tips for Cross Stitch
Before you get started on the ornament, I want to give you some tips on cross stitching. If you’ve never done it before, these might come in handy. If you’re an old pro, just keep scrolling to the pattern and instructions.
Keep Your Tension Consistent
One of the most important things to remember when cross stitching is to keep your tension consistent. You don’t want to pull the stitches too tight, but they shouldn’t be too loose either.
If your stitches are too loose, the cloth will pucker. If your stitches are too tight, you won’t be able to insert the needle nearby.
Good tension just takes practice and doing a few patterns. This is a great beginner pattern to practice.
Use Good Lighting
Cross stitching can be a strain on your eyes. It’s important to have good lighting so that you can see your stitches clearly. Consider using a lamp with a daylight bulb or stitching near a window with natural light.
Organize Needles & Thread
There are tools such as clear organizers, needle minders, thread holders, and other goodies to keep your needles and thread organized. If you do a lot of cross stitch, I recommend them. This particular craft can get messy quickly.
Take Breaks
Cross stitching takes time and long stretches of focusing with your eyes. It’s important to take breaks every now and then to stretch your legs, rest your eyes, and prevent hand fatigue. Set a timer for 20-30 minutes and take a break when it goes off.
Are you ready for the project? Let’s dive in. To make your own cross stitch ornament, you’ll need:
- Red 14-count Aida cloth
- 3-inch embroidery hoop
- White embroidery floss and embroidery needle
- Hot glue gun
- Felt scrap
- Ribbon
- Free cross stitch pattern
- Scissors
Tips and Thoughts for This Project
- I used a slightly larger embroidery hoop than the one I bought for the ornament, so I didn’t have to worry about stitching too close to the edges.
- When you cross stitch, it’s best to do the stitches in rows. Start on the left side of the row and make half of the “X”. When you finish that row, go the opposite direction and make the other half of the “X”. Start with the top row and move down.
- Embroidery floss comes in a strand made of six smaller strands. I used two small strands for this.
- When you hot glue the cloth to the hoop, try to keep the glue on the embroidery hoop so it doesn’t seep through to the front of the ornament.
Hope you like this cross stitch Christmas ornament! Anyone who grew up watching this movie at Christmas time would appreciate it as a gift for sure. Ooh, or this would make a perfect white elephant gift too!
Take a peek at the printable how to card below. I’d also love for you to let me know what you think in the comments.
Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament
Equipment
- Hot glue gun
- Embroidery needle
- Scissors
Materials
- Red 14-count Aida cloth
- Embroidery hoops – 3″ 6″
- White embroidery floss
- Felt scrap
- Ribbon
- Free cross stitch pattern
Instructions
- [mv_schema_meta name="Thread the Needle"]Thread your needle with two strands of white embroidery floss together.
- [mv_schema_meta name="Cross Stitch the Pattern"]Put the red Aida cloth in the 6" embroidery hoop and cross stitch the pattern. Do the stitches in rows, starting with the top row. Remove from the hoop.
- [mv_schema_meta name="Trim the Fabric and Tighten the Hoop"]Add the pattern to the 3" embroidery hoop and trim off some of the excess fabric with scissors. Tighten the screw on top.
- [mv_schema_meta name="Hot Glue the Aida Cloth"]Fold over the edge of the cloth and hot glue to the inside of the embroidery hoop.
- [mv_schema_meta name="Add Felt to the Back"]Cut a circle of felt slightly larger than the inside of your embroidery hoop and hot glue it to cover the stitches.
- [mv_schema_meta name="Add a Ribbon to Hang"]Tie a piece of ribbon to the top of the embroidery hoop to finish.
Did you enjoy making this cross stitch Christmas ornament? I’d love for you to check out these other handmade ornaments:
ALM
Tuesday 1st of December 2015
I just watched this movie last night for the first time in years and I had forgotten how funny it is. LOL, I may just have to stitch up some of these over new years.
Katie @ Mountain Modern Life
Tuesday 1st of December 2015
Oh my gosh I freakin' love this! Nothing like an ornament to make you giggle and reminisce about one of the best Christmas movies ever.
Paige
Friday 27th of November 2015
This craft is so fun and cute! I've never cross stitched anything before but I definitely want to try! Paige https://www.thehappyflammily.com/