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This cross stitch heart pendant is super simple to make for a Valentine’s Day gift or to wear yourself. Or make it into a keychain, zipper charm, or anything else you want!
Supplies
The main thing you need to make this cross stitch heart pendant is the frame. This one is from a set of tiny cross stitch frames I’ll probably be working through all year.
The specific one I used for this project is round and measures about 1.5 inches/3.8 cm across from outside edge to outside edge. The actual stitching area is a little smaller.
You’ll also need a bit of embroidery floss and a needle. I used two strands for my heart and about an arm’s length of thread.
Some little scissors will be handy for cutting your thread and your piece of cross stitch fabric. I used a scrap of 14 count. I also used a little bit of Fray Check (you can use clear glue if you don’t have Fray Check handy) on the edges of my fabric.
And then it just depends on how you want to use it. If you’re making a necklace, you’ll need a chain. For a key ring, a little ring. Or just lean it somewhere as it is.
If you want to paint the frame you’ll also need supplies for that. I used silver Sharpie.
Making a Cross Stitch Heart Pendant
This one is so simple you don’t even need a chart for it. First, cut your cross stitch fabric so it’s a little bigger than the hole in the frame you’re using.
Fold the fabric in half both ways and, if desired, mark the center stitch (I used a little heat erasable pen for that, but you’re stitching over it anyway so you can use pencil or regular pen or whatever’s handy).
From the center, count your way down to where you want the center of your heart to be. Mine is about 6 rows below the center.
Make a single cross stitch at that point for the bottom of the heart.
On the next row up, stitch 3 stitches, one more on each side of the stitch you just worked.
For the next row, work 5 stitches, then 7, then 9. You can keep going to make yours a little bigger if you like but I like the size with 9 stitches for the frame that I have.
Work 2 more rows with 9 stitches.
Starting at one outside edge of the heart, work 4 stitches, skip 1, work 4 on the other side.
Keeping the outside edge straight, work 3 stitches, skip 2 and work 3 on the other side.
Work 1 stitch on each side above the center of the 3 stitches you worked in the previous row.
Fasten off your thread at the back and cut any excess.
Finishing Your Pendant
To finish the cross stitch heart pendant, arrange the cross stitch in the frame so that it’s as close to centered as you can get it (unless you don’t want it centered in which case you do you).
Trim any excess fabric and treat edges with Fray Check or glue.
If desired, paint the frame before securing it. The kit I used has a little nut and bolt to fasten at the top.
String your heart pendant on a necklace chain.
Or make it a keychain.
