Free Flower Cross Stitch Patterns

How to use these patterns

1. Pick a flowerThe cards show each design's size in stitches and how many colors it uses, so you can choose a simple sprig or a fuller bouquet.
2. Print it or recolor itPrint the chart straight away, or open it in the editor to change a petal color, the background or the size of the fabric.
3. Stitch, or recolor firstStitch the flower as charted, or turn a red rose yellow, a violet pansy blue, and download your own version of the chart.

Simple shapes, real flower colors

Flowers are the most requested cross stitch subject for a good reason: they look lovely at a small size and everyone has a favorite. The designs here range from 19 to 40 stitches wide and 25 to 46 tall. The narrow Lavender sprig, 19 by 38 stitches with five colors, is the gentlest start. Wildflowers in a jar, with 13 colors, is the fullest piece on the page and rewards a bit more patience.

Each flower uses a darker shade of its own color for the outline rather than black, which keeps petals soft and natural. Leaves and stems use two or three greens so that a stem does not read as a flat line. All twelve are original StitchJam drawings, and a flower you stitch from one is yours to frame, give or sell.

Choosing the fabric and the finished size

Divide the stitch count by the fabric count to get the size in inches. The tallest design, the Sunflower at 31 by 46 stitches, shows the range:

Background colors that suit flowers

The charts leave the background unstitched, so the fabric you choose sets the mood. White aida makes bright reds and yellows pop. Cream or oatmeal gives a vintage, botanical print feel that suits lavender, lily of the valley and bluebells. Pale blue or sage linen is pretty behind the daisy, whose white petals would disappear on white cloth.

If you want a white flower on white fabric, open it in the editor and change the petals to an off-white or the palest gray, or fill the background with a light color. The editor can swap any floss in the key for another DMC shade.

Substituting floss colors

Each key gives a DMC number and name, but you do not have to buy every one. Flowers forgive substitutions better than faces or animals: a pink that is a shade lighter still reads as a rose. Swap within the same family, keep the light, medium and dark steps in the same order, and the shading still works. Find near matches in the DMC color chart, and check a real thread card if exact tone matters, because screens show colors only approximately.

To try a different palette before buying floss, open the design in the editor and change colors there. A red poppy turned orange, or the tulip trio in three shades of purple, takes a minute and the new key comes with stitch counts.

What to make with a flower chart

A single stem in a 4 inch hoop is the quickest finish. The Cherry blossom branch, 40 stitches wide and only 25 tall, sits well on a wide card or in a slim frame. Stitch three small designs, such as the lavender, the pansy and the daisy, and frame them side by side for a botanical row. Tall, narrow flowers like the Red rose and the Lavender sprig also work on a bookmark band; see the long designs on the cross stitch bookmark patterns page.

Flowers suit the seasons too. Sunflowers and poppies fit autumn, and poppies are often stitched in the run-up to Remembrance Day in November. Bluebells, tulips and lily of the valley make good spring gifts, and any of them can be framed for a birthday or Mother's Day card.

Beginner tips for floral patterns

Start with the five-color designs: the Lavender sprig, the Pansy or the Cherry blossom branch. Work the large petal areas first and the outlines last, so you can see where the edge should sit. Keep a separate needle threaded with the green you are using for stems to avoid re-threading every few stitches. Work each stem in one unbroken pass where the chart allows, so the line stays smooth instead of patchy.

If you have never read a chart before, the symbols and the bold ten-stitch grid are explained in how to read a cross stitch pattern.

Every pattern here is an original StitchJam design or a public-domain source named on the pattern. Colors are DMC or bead brand numbers; on-screen colors are approximate. Free for personal use and gifts.