Learn to Center Your Cross Stitch Patterns

I love this trick because you don’t need any special materials, there’s no math involved, and it saves me time so I can focus on the fun part of cross stitch, the stitching! 

Materials List

• Your new cross stitch project that you want centered
• Piece of paper
• Scissors
• Pen or pencil
• Pin or needle

Prepare your cross stitch hoop

Separate your cross stitch hoop. Using your pen or pencil, trace the outside edge of the inner ring of your hoop onto your paper. 

Cut out the circle and fold it into quarters.

Then poke a hole in the center of the circle where your two folds intersect.

Line up your embroidery hoop

Put your aida cloth in your embroidery hoop. 

Lay your paper circle on top of your aida cloth so that it’s lined up with the embroidery hoop. 

Then poke your pin or needle into your aida cloth through the hole in your circle. The point in your fabric where you poked is the center. This spot corresponds to the center of your design.

Find the center of your design on your cross stitch pattern.

In The Stranded Stitch kits this is marked with a star, in other patterns it’s marked with arrows. 

Start stitching!

I like to find the closest stitch on the pattern to the center of the design and start there, but you can also count from where your pin is to another section of your pattern if you’d rather start somewhere else.

I hope this trick saves you from getting out your ironing board. It’s great for cross stitch projects you plan on framing in an embroidery hoop.

Did you chance upon this page? Welcome! Check out all the details about cross stitch and embroidery kits here.