Christmas Card Making Cross Stitch Kits Page 3

A Christmas card kit gives you the whole card, not just the stitching. Almost every kit here includes the aperture card and its envelope alongside the aida fabric, stranded cottons, chart and instructions - so when the stitching is done you mount it in the card and it is ready to post, with nothing else to buy.

The aperture card is the clever part: a folded card blank with a window cut in the front, so your stitching shows through the opening and the card frames it like a tiny picture. If you have never mounted one before, it is a few minutes' work with the double-sided tape most kits supply.

There are over 220 designs to choose from. Bothy Threads and Mouseloft make up the largest part of the range, with Orchidea, Derwentwater Designs, Vervaco and Heritage covering the rest - from quick robins and snowmen on 14 count aida to more detailed festive scenes. A single card is a satisfying evening or weekend project, which is exactly what makes stitched cards work: start in the autumn and you can build a small stack for the people who deserve better than a shop-bought card.