Free Nursery Cross Stitch Patterns for a Baby or Kids' Room
By The Editorial Team·Updated ·6 min read
Here are 11 free cross stitch patterns for a nursery or a child's room, compared side by side: small animals, a swaddled duckling, a patchwork teddy, a hedgehog with an alphabet block, a sleepy bunny, a sleeping elf on the moon, and two designs of a child hugging an animal. Five are small enough to finish in a few weeks; the others are big framed pieces that take months. Start with our top picks, then read the card for each pattern. Each one is a free PDF with the chart and the thread list.
How we compared them: every number on this page is read from the pattern's own chart, the same one in the free PDF. Stitching times assume 60 to 100 stitches an hour. All of them use full cross stitches only.
A sleepy bunny in a blue knitted nightcap with a star, an olive cardigan and jeans.
Good for: a tall frame above a crib or a child's bed
Difficulty
Intermediate
Stitches
15,379 (118 x 184)
Finished size (14-count)
8.4" x 13.1"
Colors
12 DMC
Stitching time
154–256 hours
Fabric to cut
15" x 20"
What we like
Only 12 colors, the fewest of these patterns.
Just 2 colors are used for fewer than 60 stitches.
Keep in mind
15,379 stitches.
Big single-color areas, which some stitchers find slow.
Stitching tip: Buy both skeins of DMC 733 and both of DMC 3810 at the same time, so the cardigan and the hat each stay one dye lot.
Which one should you stitch?
For a baby shower soon: the Bumblebee on a Daisy or the Swaddled Baby Duckling.
For a baby announcement: the Swaddled Baby Duckling with a name underneath, or the Hedgehog with an Alphabet Block for a name starting with A.
Above a crib: the Sleepy Bunny in a Nightcap.
For a new baby, as a keepsake: the Elf Child and Owl on the Moon. Start a few months before the due date.
For a playroom: the Little Fox Drawing with a Crayon or the Baby Raccoon.
For a family gift: Child and Puppy Best Friends or Child Hugging a Highland Cow.
What you need
Fabric: 14-count white Aida. The Bumblebee needs a 10“ x 12“ piece and the Owl 12“ x 12“; the big designs need 16“ or more on each side.
Thread: DMC floss in the colors on the PDF’s thread list. The cross stitch thread guide shows how many skeins to buy.
A frame to stitch on: a hoop for the five small ones, a scroll frame for the rest.
Questions
Are these patterns really free?
Yes. Open a pattern, click “Get the Pattern”, and the PDF downloads. No account or email is needed.
Can I add the baby’s name?
These patterns don’t include letters. You can stitch a name below the design using any cross stitch alphabet chart.
Can a child stitch one of these?
These are designs for a child’s room, and only the Swaddled Baby Duckling is rated Beginner. A child learning to stitch does better with a small, easy design from the beginner patterns, on 11-count or 14-count Aida with a blunt tapestry needle.
