How to Backstitch with Ease

Once you've got your cross stitch stitching down, backstitch is the technique that really brings a design to life. It's used to add outlines around shapes, pick out tiny details within motifs, and create beautiful shadow effects and once you understand the basics, it's much simpler than it looks! Here's everything you need to know.

What You'll Need

• Your cross stitch piece with the cross stitching completed
• Your pattern (to guide the direction and placement of your backstitch)
• One strand of thread in your chosen colour (check your pattern for guidance)
• A needle
• Small scissors

Step 1: Check Your Pattern First

Before you pick up your needle, always check your pattern for the recommended number of strands for backstitching. It's very common to use two strands for the cross stitch itself but just one strand for backstitch, the finer thread gives a much neater, more delicate outline. That said, always follow what your specific pattern recommends, as this can vary.

On your pattern, you'll be able to spot the backstitch lines quite easily, they're the individual outlining lines that sit separately from the cross stitch grid squares. These lines tell you exactly where to place your backstitching, whether that's outlining a shape, adding detail inside a motif, or creating lettering and shadow effects.

Step 2: Secure Your Thread at the Back

Thread your needle with your single strand and prepare to anchor it at the back of your work before you begin stitching. A single knot at the end of the thread can sometimes pull straight through the smaller hole made by one strand, so a more reliable method is to anchor it to an existing stitch on the reverse of your work.

To do this, slide your needle underneath one of the existing stitches on the back of the fabric and pull the thread through, leaving a short tail. Then bring both the tail end and the working thread together and tie them in a simple double knot, cross the thread over, pass the end through the loop, then repeat once more. This anchors everything securely to the existing stitching rather than relying on the knot alone, giving you a really stable starting point. Trim any excess tail neatly.

Step 3: Learn to Read the Pattern Differently

This is the key shift in thinking when it comes to backstitch, and once it clicks, everything becomes much easier! With cross stitch, you look at each whole square on the pattern grid and place a full cross stitch within it. With backstitch, you stop looking at the squares and start looking at the corners instead.

Each corner point on your pattern grid corresponds to an individual hole in your Aida fabric. Your backstitch lines travel between these corner points, and counting them out on your Aida hole by hole is how you follow the pattern accurately. It takes a moment to get used to, but it quickly becomes second nature.

Step 4: Make Your First Stitch

Bring your needle up through the fabric at your starting point — this will be whichever corner hole your pattern line begins at. Then, following the pattern, count along to where the line ends and take the needle back down through that hole to form your first straight stitch. For example, if the line goes across one hole and up one hole, you'd count one across and one up on your Aida and take the needle down there.

That first stitch is simply a straight stitch — the backstitch element comes in as you continue along the line.

Step 5: Work the Backstitch

For every stitch after the first, bring your needle up through the fabric one step ahead of where you're going, following the direction of the pattern line. Then - and this is the defining characteristic of backstitch - always take the needle back to meet the end of the previous stitch before moving forward again. You're always going back one step to join up, then coming up one step forward to continue. This is what creates that lovely continuous, unbroken line.

You can work one stitch at a time, which gives very precise control, or you can group two, three, or even four stitches together before going back, particularly useful when you're working along a straight run. Personally, working in small groups can help your stitches flow more freely and keep the line looking smooth, but it really is down to personal preference. We wouldn't recommend grouping more than four stitches at a time though, as this can affect how neat and even the finished line looks.

Diagonal backstitch works in exactly the same way, simply count diagonally across the corner points on your pattern and stitch accordingly.

Step 6: Finish Off Your Thread

When you reach the end of a line of backstitch and need to finish off, use the same anchoring method you used to start. Slide your needle underneath one or two of the existing stitches on the back of the fabric, then pass it through the loop you've created to form a small, secure knot. Repeat once more for extra security, then snip your thread close to the work.

The result is a tiny, flat knot that won't show through on the front, much neater than a bulky knot left dangling at the back!

Top Tips for Beautiful Backstitch

Always take the stitch back to meet the previous one - a continuous, joined line is the goal, and on the reverse of your work you should see something that looks very similar to the front.

Read the pattern in corners and holes rather than whole squares, this is the single biggest thing that will help your backstitch sit in exactly the right place.

Practice on a spare scrap of Aida first if it's your first time, just a few stitches to get a feel for counting the holes and forming that back-and-forward rhythm.

The Finishing Touch

Backstitch really is the detail that elevates a cross stitch from lovely to truly stunning. Whether it's outlining the petals of a flower, adding tiny legs to a bee, bringing letters to life, or creating depth and shadow, this simple stitch adds a whole new layer of character and polish to your finished piece. Give it a go, we think you'll love the difference it makes!

Happy Stitching!