Easter Cross Stitch

We are back with another Easter project idea today and this one is a real bargain! On one of my essential shopping trips to B&M Bargains, I decided to peruse the Easter aisle to see what decorative Easter items they had in stock. As I was browsing, I spotted some Easter craft kits and saw this fun cross stitch set. The first thing that popped into my head is that they would be perfect for Easter cards and it's a different type of craft than what I'm use to doing and I fancied a challenge.

This cross stitch kit is a great idea for passing the time at the moment (still in a UK lockdown right now) and it is a total bargain at £2 - which means you could make 4 cards with this kit at 50p each (obviously need to get some cards - but I already had these in my stash). 

If you want to take a closer look at the product I have included a link here. However B&M Bargains do not sell online so you will need to pop into a store to find this.

The kit includes everything you need to make each cross stitch design, however a few things I want to point out are:-

- You get the same amount of thread for each colour, even though some are used a lot less than others. Also do not waste any!!! When I was getting started at the beginning I realised the thread was too thick and needed to separate each one in half so that I was just cross stitching with 3 individual threads. If you do this, your thread will stretch much further. In the last design I made, I had to switch out some colours as I didn't have enough left of some of the ones I needed.

- This kit includes zero instructions! I wouldn't call myself a complete beginner as I have dabbled in cross stitch before and can do some basic hand stitching. However I did have a quick look at some YouTube tutorials to make sure I knew what I was doing. 

- The patterns are easy to follow, although I made a couple of changes along the way, where I thought it didn't look quite right.

Once you have finished making each design, make sure you hang onto the pattern sheet as you can always use it in the future, especially if you give all your designs away in cards.

I didn't use a cross stitch ring for this - mainly because I didn't have one - and the design is so small that I didn't think it was necessary.

Check out some pictures below for a closer look at each design...

I think this design has to be my favourite which is why I chose to frame it. I was so chuffed when I had to do a free hand stitch for the word 'Easter' and it came out so well.

I decided to make the chick and the bunny (below) into cards. For this I used a 4x4 card blank and then cut out a square aperture that the cross stitch would fit behind. I then used some 3D foam pads to stick it to the card. I think these cards are also great gifts as the recipient could also choose to frame the design and display it on a shelf each Spring.

The final design in the kit is probably my least favourite as it doesn't seem as decorative as the others which have cute flower designs in them. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with this design yet but I've included a picture below so you can have a closer look.

Overall I think this cross stitch kit is great fun and for the cost of £2 it is definitely value for money. If you are looking for more instruction to help you make it than I wouldn't get this one. However there are so many resources online that I'm sure you could pick up all the hints and tips you need without an instruction pack.

If you are popping into B&M Bargains then definitely check this out as well as some of their other craft kits. It's a good way to pass the time and you can gift the end result to the ones you love!