In this episode I talk about the last week of the stitch along, share some cool things you can do once you have finished your cross stitch project and share a funky Christmas kit.

The Stitch Along

We are the eighth and final week of the stitch along and this week we are backing our hoops and finishing up any bits we need too. I haven't actually backed my own hoop yet so I'm on track with everyone this week.

Finishing touches

Obviously I love putting my finished pieces in simply in a hoop, add some ribbon and hang it up. But there are some things you can do to jazz your hoop up a little.

You could paint your hoop! This is something I do a lot. I just buy little tester pots of paint and you will need to do at least 2, sometimes 3 coats of paint and leave it to dry over night.

You can also add glitter! Before your paint dries, just dip it in some glitter (or you can buy glitter paint but I don't find this works as effectively). After you have dipped it in the glitter and left it to dry I like to add a layer of PVA glue which dries clear and keeps the glitter from getting all over the floor.

Putting pom poms on hoops is a new and fun decoration I've recently tried. I made mini pom poms with a Clover pom-pom maker. I used yarn from Devon Sun Yarns to make my pom poms! I also added some bells too so when you shake it, it sounds super Christmassy! You can see the video of the bells over on my Instagram.

Another way to use pom poms, is by putting pom pom trim around your hoop like Amy from Coffee Rings and Making Things did with her Geeky Stitching kit. You can buy red pom pom trim from Little Ts Haberdashery, perfect for those Christmas hoops and super easy to use, just trim it and glue it around your hoop.

A good way to use your scrap pieces of aida is to make cross stitch Christmas cards or bookmarks. I have a tutorial on how to make cross stitch cards.

And some other ways to use your finished pieces aside from putting them in a frame if to make cushions or blankets using them. Amy, who I mentioned before made this cushion using our (now discontinued) Teepee Cross Stitch Kit. She wrote a lovely blog post piece all about this kit.

Kit of the week

This weeks kit is a stitch-a-bauble from Stitchsperation. It is funky and modern and the perfect alternative decoration this ear. And it's personalised too!