Cross stitch pattern maker
Choose a photo and get a counted cross stitch chart in seconds: every square gets a DMC, Anchor or Madeira thread number and a symbol, with a color key, the finished size on your fabric and how many skeins to buy. It all runs in your browser, so the photo never leaves your device.
or drop or paste an image here. It stays on your device.
Your photo starts at 80 stitches wide (the sample below is 40 × 40); height follows the photo. Up to 150 wide free.
2 to 30 colors free; up to 80 with Pro.
Sample chart: a strawberry, 40 × 40 stitches (2.9 × 2.9 in on 14-count Aida) in 17 DMC colors. Its background is left unstitched (993 cells of bare fabric), so the key counts only the motif. Choose a photo to chart your own at 80 stitches wide.
- Grid
- 40 × 40
- Finished size
- 2.9 × 2.9 in (7.3 × 7.3 cm)
- Colors
- 17 DMC
- Stitches
- 607 · 17 skeins
| Symbol | Swatch | DMC | Name | Stitches | Skeins (used) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X | 498 | Red Dark | 130 | 1 (0.05) | |
| O | 350 | Coral Medium | 104 | 1 (0.04) | |
| + | 321 | Red | 89 | 1 (0.04) | |
| # | 304 | Red Medium | 85 | 1 (0.04) | |
| @ | 347 | Salmon Very Dark | 32 | 1 (0.01) | |
| % | 816 | Garnet | 30 | 1 (0.01) | |
| & | 3047 | Yellow Beige Light | 27 | 1 (0.01) | |
| = | 700 | Green Bright | 23 | 1 (0.01) | |
| S | 701 | Green Light | 19 | 1 (0.01) | |
| T | 937 | Avocado Green Medium | 17 | 1 (0.01) | |
| V | 632 | Desert Sand Ultra Very Dark | 12 | 1 (0.01) | |
| Z | 224 | Shell Pink Very Light | 11 | 1 (0.00) | |
| H | 22 | Alizarin | 10 | 1 (0.00) | |
| N | 523 | Fern Green Light | 8 | 1 (0.00) | |
| A | 355 | Terra Cotta Dark | 7 | 1 (0.00) | |
| K | 3722 | Shell Pink Medium | 2 | 1 (0.00) | |
| M | 921 | Copper | 1 | 1 (0.00) |
Skeins assume full crosses with 2 strands on 14-count Aida, (2·√2 + 2) × cell size of thread per strand plus 15 % for starts and travel, and 8 m six-strand skeins. Thread and bead colors on screen are approximations of the real material.
Free PDF up to 60 × 60 stitches (vector chart with real text symbols, color key and estimates). PNG has no size limit.
Pro, $14 once: PDF at any size with a page map, 31 to 80 colors, symbol-only or color charts, a shopping-list CSV and saved projects.
Choose the width from the finished size
A chart is measured in stitches, a frame in inches, and the fabric count links the two: finished width = stitches ÷ stitches per inch. Pick the size you want to hang or gift first, then set the width. The table shows the same square design on common fabrics (evenweave and linen are worked over two threads, so 28-count gives 14 stitches per inch).
| Fabric | 60 stitches | 100 stitches | 150 stitches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-count Aida (11/in) | 5.5 in (13.9 cm) | 9.1 in (23.1 cm) | 13.6 in (34.6 cm) |
| 14-count Aida (14/in) | 4.3 in (10.9 cm) | 7.1 in (18.1 cm) | 10.7 in (27.2 cm) |
| 16-count Aida (16/in) | 3.8 in (9.5 cm) | 6.3 in (15.9 cm) | 9.4 in (23.8 cm) |
| 18-count Aida (18/in) | 3.3 in (8.5 cm) | 5.6 in (14.1 cm) | 8.3 in (21.2 cm) |
| 28-count evenweave, over two (14/in) | 4.3 in (10.9 cm) | 7.1 in (18.1 cm) | 10.7 in (27.2 cm) |
Faces and pets need detail: 80 to 120 stitches across keeps eyes and expressions readable. Logos, cartoons and flowers work from 40 stitches. Larger counts (16 or 18) make a smaller, finer piece from the same chart; 11-count is easier on the eyes and good for beginners and children.
How many colors to use
Every extra color is one more skein, one more symbol to find and more thread changes. Simple motifs look clean with 8 to 15 colors; portraits and landscapes usually need 20 to 30 to keep smooth skin tones and skies. Start low, raise the limit until the preview stops improving, and stop there. Above 30 colors (Pro allows up to 80) the gains are mostly subtle shading.
Confetti, dithering and the background
Confetti are single stitches of a color surrounded by other colors: each needs its own start and finish, which is slow to stitch. Light cleanup recolors only lone stitches to their neighbors' majority color; medium and strong also merge pairs. Dithering does the opposite: it scatters colors to fake in-between shades, so use it for photos with soft gradients and leave it off for crisp designs. "Leave the background unstitched" removes the color that touches the edges, letting the fabric show through, which saves hours on plain backgrounds.
How much thread you need
The key estimates skeins per color with a published formula: a full cross uses about (2·√2 + 2) × the stitch size of each strand, plus 15 % for starts and travel, and a skein is 8 m of six strands. On 14-count with two strands, 1,000 stitches use about 20.1 m of single strand, 0.42 of a skein, so one skein covers roughly 2,380 stitches. On 18-count with 2 strands the same 1,000 stitches use 0.33 of a skein. Buy one spare skein of the main colors so dye lots match.
Printing the chart
The PDF is a vector chart with real text symbols, a bold line every 10 stitches, row and column numbers and a color key with thread numbers and skeins; print it at 100 % scale on Letter or A4. Large charts are split across pages with a few stitches repeated at each join and a page map on the cover (Pro). The PNG is handy on a tablet: zoom in and mark progress in any photo app. Screen colors are approximations of the real threads, so check your final choices against a printed color card.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn any photo into a cross stitch pattern?
Yes. Choose a JPG, PNG, WebP or GIF (or paste one) and the pattern maker resizes it to your stitch grid, picks the closest thread colors and gives every square a symbol. Photos with one clear subject, good light and a plain background chart best; busy group photos need more width and more colors to stay recognizable.
How many stitches wide should my pattern be?
Decide the finished size first, then multiply inches by the fabric count: a 7-inch design on 14-count Aida is 98 stitches wide. Faces need roughly 80 to 120 stitches across to keep their features; simple motifs and pets look good at 40 to 70.
Is the pattern maker free?
Yes: any photo, charts up to 150 stitches wide with up to 30 colors, the full color key with thread numbers and skein estimates, PNG downloads and PDFs up to 60 × 60 stitches. Pro ($14 one-time, one time) adds PDFs at any size with a page map, up to 80 colors, symbol-only charts, a shopping-list CSV and saved projects.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The photo is decoded and charted by code running in your browser tab; it is never sent to a server. Only your settings (width, colors, fabric) are kept in the page address so you can bookmark or share them.
Which thread brands can I use?
DMC, Anchor and Madeira stranded cotton for cross stitch and needlepoint, DMC numbers for diamond painting, and Perler, Hama, Artkal and Nabbi colors for fuse beads. Each chart uses one brand; the color pages list equivalents if you want to swap brands later.