There are many exciting embellishments you can use to enhance cross stitch designs. You can use brilliant beads to add sparkle to your work, make buttons a focal point of designs and incorporate different stitches, such as bullion stitches and French knots, to produce interesting textures.

Embellishing cross stitch with beads and buttons bring a new and eye-catching dimension to your cross stitching. There are a few rules to be observed, but the only real limit is your imagination.

Working with Beads

Substituting beads for embroidery cotton, also known as floss, is very easy and a wondeful way to add dimension, texture and sparkle to your work.

Any cross stitch chart can be used for beadwork instead of stitching. Each square on thee chart represents one bead, stitched on to an evenweave fabric, just as the crosses would be. Working with beads is easier than you can imagine. Because all the beads are stitched on using only one colour thread, you can work across the pattern row by row instead of working blocks of colour as for cross stitch.

There are dozens of different shapes, sizes and colours of beads available. Do, however, choose beads suitable for your fabric count. If the beads are too large, the design will distort and the beads will crowd on top of each other. Most seed beads are perfect for 14-count fabric or canvas (28 threads per 1 inch or 2.5 cm).

You should choose your fabric with care when incorporating beads. Although beads can be used on any fabric, they will sit better on evenweave than on Aida and on double canvas than on single.

You may like to consider using a cross stitch frame or hoop when working with beads. This will keep the fabric taut and you can pull the thread firmly as you work to keep the beads in position.

When you are attaching the beads to your cross stitch design, you should be using an ordinary sewing thread which matches the fabric colour, a beading needle or very fine, sharp needle and a half cross stitch. To make sure that you can't see the thread through the beads, attach a few beads to a corner of the cross stitch fabric to check.

The small seed beads are stitched on to the fabric with a fine beading needle threaded with a matching colour. Use a diagonal stitch, that is, a half cross stitch, to attach the bead. Make sure that all the stitches are worked in the same direction so that the beads sit evenly on the fabric.

Cross stitch embellishments come in a variety of styles and shapes and can add uniqueness to your cross stitch projects.