Best Free Cross Stitch Patterns

In some of my earlier guides for cross stitching, I mentioned that while there are plenty of beautiful patterns that you can purchase, you can actually find a lot of patterns for free with just a little bit of searching.

Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite sites for free cross stitching patterns with you! Each of these sites have different kinds of patterns and all of them are available for download in PDF format.

Here are some of my favorites:

• DMC Free Patterns – These beautiful patterns are officially distributed and endorsed by the threadmaker DMC and are very well made and clear to read. There are a whole lot of options if you look to the sidebar on the right and click on everything labeled ‘cross stitch.’ There are patterns available for all skill levels in a variety of styles.
• Cross-Stitching.com – This site requires a free membership, but it also has some pretty good patterns available. Interestingly, a lot of these patterns are designed to be used as cards for special events, which I think is pretty cool. This site also has a forum so you can ask for advice from more knowledgeable cross stitchers.
• CyberStitchers – This free site updates patterns occasionally and while the search engine is pretty terrible, some of the patterns you can get through here are fun and are mostly pretty easy to read. There are a lot of simple patterns for those newer to the hobby.
• FreePatterns.com – This site has an extremely small selection of cross stitch patterns, but they are a lot more traditional than the other sites and are just the sort of thing that you’d expect to see in a cross stitch hanging in a country home. There’s just something kind of charming about it. Like CyberStitchers, the search function is horrible, but some of the patterns are cute so I wanted to include it anyway. As a side note, this site also has other free patterns for crochet, quilting, knitting and more.
• Gloria-Pat – this site has a lot of cutesy samplers and charming little patterns which can be downloaded for free. There is also a set of Precious Moments patterns that are pretty cute too.
• Ann’s Cross Stitch Patterns – This private site has patterns that update fairly regularly, although sometimes finding what you’re looking for is a bit of a pain. Still, the database is pretty extensive and definitely worth a look if you know what you want to stitch! You can view her patterns in the Gallery, or sign up and get new patterns in your email.
• Free Patterns Online – The patterns on this site are a little older, but some of them are quite cute and the range is pretty impressive. All the patterns I clicked on downloaded just fine, but because they are older you might run into some issues with broken links. Make sure you check it works and save the pattern if you’re interested in using, just to be safe!
• Pic2Pat – This isn’t actually a site for free patterns, but rather a site where you can actually create your own cross stitch pattern based on an image. I would caution you that sometimes the patterns it spews out can be pretty ridiculous–with 50+ colors and such–but the result is undoubtedly both time-consuming and beautiful. It’s definitely worth a look and if nothing else, this site is rather fun to play around with!

A lot of times you can find solitary patterns just with a Google search, but be aware that all free patterns are meant for personal use only and not to be sold. Do you have any favorite patterns or places to get free patterns? Share them with me in the comments or join us in the forums for more discussion!