Free Summer Cross Stitch Patterns: Beach, Tropical and Sea Designs
By The Editorial Team·Updated ·7 min read
Here are 9 free summer cross stitch patterns, compared side by side: beach, tropical and ocean designs. There are three animals on a beach holiday, a baby raccoon cooling off in front of a fan, a hibiscus, a monstera leaf, a dolphin, a seahorse and a paper sailboat on the sea. Seven are 7 inches or smaller on 14-count fabric, the sailboat is a 7.1" square, and the raccoon is a wide 12.5" piece. The quickest takes about 6 to 11 hours; the others take 35 to 167. Start with our top picks, then read the card for each pattern. Each one is a free PDF with the chart and the DMC 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 capybara in a sun hat and swim trunks, lying on a striped beach towel.
Good for: a beach house, a pool room or a funny gift
Difficulty
Intermediate
Stitches
3,945 (97 x 80)
Finished size (14-count)
6.9" x 5.7"
Colors
25 DMC
Stitching time
39–66 hours
Fabric to cut
13" x 12"
What we like
A wide shape (6.9" x 5.7") for a shelf or a landscape frame.
Black, tan and one brown make up over half the stitches.
Keep in mind
25 colors, the most of the nine.
Two colors are used for a single stitch each.
Stitching tip: Stitch the black outline (DMC 310) first, then the capybara in 437 and 3772. Leave the towel until last: it holds most of the small colors.
One large monstera leaf with split edges, in layered greens.
Good for: a modern living room or a houseplant lover's gift
Difficulty
Intermediate
Stitches
4,830 (82 x 97)
Finished size (14-count)
5.9" x 6.9"
Colors
12 DMC
Stitching time
48–81 hours
Fabric to cut
12" x 13"
What we like
Only 12 colors, and just 4 are used for fewer than 60 stitches.
Two greens (DMC 703 and 906) cover half the leaf.
Keep in mind
4,830 stitches: about 48 to 80 hours.
All 12 colors are greens, so they are hard to tell apart.
Stitching tip: Stitch DMC 703 and 906 across the whole leaf before any shading. The two halves look alike, and working color by color keeps your place.
A folded paper boat drifting on blue waves under a golden sky, above a sandy beach with shells.
Good for: a bathroom, a beach house or a summer gift
Difficulty
Intermediate
Stitches
10,000 (100 x 100)
Finished size (14-count)
7.1" x 7.1"
Colors
23 DMC
Stitching time
100–167 hours
Fabric to cut
14" x 14"
What we like
A full square picture: every stitch is filled.
7.1" x 7.1", a neat size for a square frame.
Keep in mind
10,000 stitches, all of the fabric covered.
The sea mixes several blues in small patches.
Stitching tip: Stitch the boat first, then work the sea in horizontal bands.
Which one should you stitch?
Quickest: the Leaping Dolphin, about 6 to 11 hours.
For a beginner: the Leaping Dolphin or the Crowned Seahorse. Both are rated Beginner.
The funniest: the Capybara on a Beach Towel, the Penguin in a Hawaiian Shirt or the Baby Raccoon with a Desk Fan.
For a wide space over a desk or shelf: the Baby Raccoon with a Desk Fan, 12.5“ x 6.4“.
An ocean set: the Dolphin and the Seahorse framed side by side, with the Paper Sailboat on the Waves between them.
A tropical set: the Hibiscus and the Monstera Leaf. Both are about 5 to 7 inches.
For a long project: the Paper Sailboat on the Waves, a full seascape with no bare fabric, or the Monstera Leaf, with only 12 colors to manage.
What you need
Fabric: 14-count white Aida. The Dolphin and Seahorse need a piece about 9“ x 10“; the Raccoon needs 19“ x 13“; the others need 11“ x 12“ to 13“ x 13“.
Thread: one skein of each color is enough for all but the Paper Sailboat. A skein covers about 1,600 stitches on 14-count, and the biggest single color in the other eight (DMC 703 in the Monstera Leaf) is 1,280. The Sailboat’s main blue, DMC 3766, is 1,842 stitches, so a second skein of it is a safe buy. The cross stitch thread guide shows how to check this on any pattern.
A hoop: 7 or 8 inches for the five mid-size designs, 5 inches for the Dolphin and Seahorse. The Raccoon is too wide for a hoop; use a scroll frame.
Are these patterns really free?
Yes. Open a pattern, click “Get the Pattern”, and the PDF downloads. No account or email is needed.
How long do these take?
At 60 to 100 stitches an hour, the Dolphin takes about 6 to 11 hours and the Seahorse 9 to 16. The other five take 35 to 80 hours, a few weeks of evenings, the Raccoon with a Desk Fan about 72 to 120, and the Paper Sailboat about 100 to 167.
Do these only suit summer?
No. The flowers and sea animals can hang all year. The Capybara, Sloth and Penguin are the most “vacation” of the nine; the Raccoon suits any hot day.
Do you have nautical patterns, like anchors, shells or beach huts?
Not at the moment. The Dolphin and the Seahorse are the closest: ocean animals that suit a coastal or nautical room.
