The Criss Cross Hungarian stitch is a variation of the Hungarian stitch, but where the main pattern is slanted and stitched in alternating directions, creating the criss cross effect. The spaces in between are also filled with single cross stitches.

In this blogpost we feature a diagram and video tutorial to help you learn the Criss Cross Hungarian Stitch.

Criss Cross Hungarian Stitch Instructions & Diagram

• Start by doing the slanted hungarian stitches, that are worked with one short stitch, followed by a long one, and a short one again. It is helpful to follow the diagram bellow, to know when to place the next stitches. 
  
  
• Once you finish a row in one direction, you can start stitching the next row, in the opposite direction. In this video we are only doing a small patch, to exemplify.
  
  
• After finishing the main part of the stitch, you can fill in the empty spaces with the cross stitches (or half-cross stitches, as an easier option). These can be tricky to stitch, so be careful to not place any of the already made stitches with your needle.
  
  
•  A trick to help you find the hole, when you are stitching from the back part of the canvas, is to open the canvas through the front, using the needle.

Criss Cross Hungarian Stitch Video Tutorial

If you have doubts about what stitches to choose for your project - check our Tips to select Needlepoint Stitches or Our favourite Needlepoint Decorative Stitches. You can also draw inspiration from our Stitch Guides!

Happy stitching :)