Free cross stitch pattern maker
Cross stitch pattern maker.
Turn a photo into a counted cross stitch chart — DMC floss codes, a symbol chart you can actually follow, the finished size on your Aida count, and a printable PDF. Free, no account, no watermark on the export.
Before you start
The stitch count decides everything.
Cross stitch has one piece of arithmetic and everything else follows from it: stitches ÷ fabric count = inches. A 140-stitch-wide chart is 10 inches on 14-count Aida and 7.8 inches on 18-count — same chart, same floss, different project. Decide the finished size first, then set the chart width to match, and you will never buy the wrong fabric again.
| Aida count | A 140-st chart finishes at | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 11-count | 12.7″ | Large holes, forgiving. Kids, beginners, thick floss. |
| 14-count | 10.0″ | The default. Most kits and most charts assume it. |
| 16-count | 8.8″ | Finer detail, still easy on the eyes. |
| 18-count | 7.8″ | Detailed work. One or two strands. |
| 22-count | 6.4″ | Hardanger. Miniatures and very fine portraits. |
Add at least 3 inches of bare fabric on every side for framing — more if the piece is going into a hoop.
About the floss
Real codes, honest limits.
Every colour in a generated chart resolves to a DMC stranded cotton code from a 91-shade working palette, chosen to span the full hue circle with a complete neutral ramp rather than to include every shade DMC sells. A chart calling for twenty-four near-identical greys is a worse chart: more skeins to buy, more bobbins to wind, more chances to mis-stitch.
The codes are exact. The screen colours are not, and nobody else’s are either. Shade families are matched on screen, not color-matched. Check a physical color card before buying a full project’s worth.
Cross stitch questions
Asked constantly, answered once.
- How do I turn a photo into a cross stitch pattern?
- Upload it, choose how many stitches wide you want the finished piece, and choose a floss count. The maker reduces the photo to that many colours, matches each one to the nearest DMC stranded cotton, and returns a counted chart with symbols, a floss list with codes, and the finished size on your chosen Aida. It runs in your browser — the photo is never sent to a server.
- How many floss colours should a cross stitch pattern use?
- Twelve to sixteen for a photograph, fewer for graphic subjects. The limit is not the chart, it is your hands: every colour is another skein to buy, another needle to thread, and another symbol to track across the fabric. A sixteen-colour portrait is a serious project; a six-colour silhouette is a weekend.
- What size will my finished cross stitch be?
- Divide the stitch count by the fabric count. A 140-stitch-wide chart on 14-count Aida finishes at exactly 10 inches wide, because 14-count means 14 stitches to the inch. The same chart on 18-count finishes at about 7.8 inches. The maker shows the finished size for every common Aida count as you change the chart width, and you should add at least 3 inches of margin on each side for framing.
- Are the DMC floss codes exact colour matches?
- No, and no honest tool can claim otherwise. Shade families are matched on screen, not color-matched. Check a physical color card before buying a full project’s worth. DMC does not publish authoritative screen colours for stranded cotton, and the same thread genuinely looks different at two strands than at three, against white Aida than against black. What the chart gives you is the right shade family and the exact product code to buy with — check a physical colour card before committing to a large project.
- Is this cross stitch pattern maker really free?
- Yes. The chart, the symbols, the floss list, the printable PDF, and the editor are free with no account and no watermark. Most makers in this category charge for the export or stamp it; this one does not. The site earns disclosed affiliate commissions on materials bought through its links.
- Can I edit the chart before I stitch it?
- Yes — every generated chart opens in the editor, so you can repaint stitches, drop a colour you would rather not buy, or clean up a background the algorithm made too busy. The floss list and the counts rebuild from your edits.
- Can I make a cross stitch pattern from text or a name?
- Yes. Type the word in any image editor at high contrast — black on white — and upload it as a PNG, choosing Flat art as the image type so the letterforms stay crisp instead of being blurred into greys. Two colours is usually all a name needs.
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