How to backstitch in cross stitch
Backstitch draws the fine lines on a chart: outlines, whiskers, lettering. It’s worked after the crosses, along the grid lines or diagonally across squares, usually with a single strand.
Step 1 of 5
Come up one hole along the line from where you want to start (1).
front of fabric thread on the back
Tips
- Always do backstitch last, on top of the crosses.
- Don’t carry backstitch thread more than two squares across the back of unstitched fabric; it shows through.
- For long straight lines, keep stitches one square long; for curves, shorter stitches look smoother.
Strands: One strand for fine outlines; two for bold lettering.
All steps
- Come up one hole along the line from where you want to start (1).
- Go “back” down into the starting hole (2). You have made one stitch.
- Travel underneath two holes forward and come up at (3).
- Go back down into the end of the previous stitch (hole 1) — the stitches share holes.
- Keep going, changing direction freely — diagonals are fine. This is why charts show backstitch as lines.
Questions stitchers ask
What colour should outlines be?
Charts specify it; common choices are a darker shade of the area or DMC 3799/310 for black outlines.
Can I backstitch lettering?
Yes. For small text, backstitch reads well; for bigger block letters use full crosses from our cross stitch letters tool.