Cross-Stitch Bunny Canvas

My house is seriously lacking in Easter decor.  Now that I think about it, we don’t have any!  I’m sorry, but for a craft blogger, that is just unacceptable.  I decided to take my love of hand stitching and turn it into this cute cross-stitch bunny on canvas.  Yep, I stitched directly onto the canvas!  How cool is that?!

To make your own little bunny, you will need:

– 8″ X 8″ wrapped canvas
– 3 skeins of embroidery floss
– embroidery needle
– free cross-stitch bunny pattern (PS I made the pattern by shading in cells on an Excel spreadsheet.  Just an idea for ya in case you ever wanted to make your own.)
– optional: brad setting tool

Let’s get to work!

Print out the pattern and tape it onto your canvas.  Poke holes on the corers of every box that is shaded in.

I used this brad setting tool that I got from We R Memory Keepers, but you can just use a large needle.  (This isn’t my monthly post for We R, I’m just telling you because it really did save my hands. If you do decide to buy anything from shopwer.com, you can get 20% off your order by using code CUTESY at checkout.)

You don’t want the holes to be huge, so if you are using the brad setting tool, don’t poke all the way through. Painting canvases don’t heal the way fabric does when it’s pierced.  Great for marking out a pattern, but bad for mistakes, so be careful!

Tie a knot in the end of your embroidery floss, bring it through the back and start cross-stitching.

When you get to parts that are blocked by the wooden frame in the back, just angle your needle and slide it under.  I was worried that this would be difficult, but it wasn’t bad at all.  Look at the front of the canvas and move the needle around until you find the right hole.

After lots and lots of stitching, you’re bunny will be done.

The canvas looks so cute on top of the piano next to our globe.  There… now I have an Easter decoration.  Check that off the list!

Here’s a nice vertical image for all of the pinners in the house.  (Did you know vertical images get more pins?  Now you do.)

And make sure to go check out the super creative Easter ideas from my blogging pals.  I’m inspired just looking at the photos!  Bring on Spring!!!