HP Create

HP Create: Quote Cross-Stitch Canvas

Do you have any favorite quotes or song lyrics that you love? You know, they make you happy when you read them on a page or hear them sung on the radio. The Beatles songs are like that for me – my mom loved listening to them when I was young, and we used to sing the lyrics in the car on rides home from school. To remind me of those fun times when I was little, I made a cross-stitch canvas with The Beatles lyrics “all you need is love.” If you have quotes or lyrics that bring a smile to your face, this project is fun (and easy!). This canvas makes a great gift, too. Learn how to make it below!

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Supplies:

HP Envy 5530 e-All-in-One Printer + Original HP Ink HP Bright White Inkjet Paper 12” x 24” canvas FolkArt acrylic paint – Aqua (or color of your choice) Printed pattern of a quote or lyrics (I’ve attached mine for your convenience) Embroidery thread – for my pattern, one skein covered about three letters – I used four

skeins of white and one skein each of a few shades of pink Embroidery needles Tool to puncture your canvas – I used a bead reamer like any of these Scissors Painter’s tape

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Step 1 Paint the canvas with acrylic paint. Give it three layers (completely cover it) and let dry.

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Step 2 Print your cross-stitch pattern and tape the pages together . . . then tape the pattern inside the back of the canvas (in the center). Make sure that it fits within the wood frame, or you’ll need to print again until it fits. Tip #1: Here’s how I created my pattern. I searched for “cross-stitch letter patterns” online, and then used Excel to place x’s in the boxes to duplicate the letters. I then reversed the pattern (since I was taping to the back) and printed to fit. You might have to print a few times to make sure that your pattern fits your canvas – see my attached pattern document for a sample.

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Step 3 Use the bead reamer to puncture through the pattern and canvas from back to front. If your bead reamer has a sharp tip, it’s very easy to punch through. Just be careful as you are punching – don’t rest the canvas on your leg!

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Step 4 Thread your embroidery floss through the needle and tie a knot at one end. Begin “sewing” your canvas, following your pattern exactly. You can either thread all in one direction then come back and place the second line to create the x’s (this is what I do), or create the x's one at a time. The choice is yours! Tip #2: I did not remove individual threads from the floss strands – I just used the strand as a whole.

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Step 5 This is how the back will look. When you finish a strand, tie off the floss by threading under several stitches. Then begin a new strand.

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Step 6 When you get to the last word (or whatever word you would like to highlight), change the floss to another color. Finish in the same way. You can watch my Vine video here.

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Here’s a detailed shot of the “LOVE” portion of my canvas.

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This is one of my favorite projects of all time – it makes me happy every time I see it on the wall. Now you have to make one for yourself, right? I’d love for you to try this canvas and share it in our Idea Exchange!