Needlepoint vs cross stitch: what is the difference
Both are stitched from a chart of squares, which is why they get mixed up so often. The difference is in the fabric, the stitch and the thread — and that decides what you end up holding.
Updated
Needlepoint is stitching on stiff open-mesh canvas, usually in wool, until every hole is filled; it is also called canvas work, and in the UK often tapestry. Needlepoint and cross stitch often get lumped together, because the chart is the same for both: a grid of squares where each square is one stitch in its own color. Hold the two pieces in your hands, though, and the difference is obvious: cross stitch is soft and light, with fabric showing between the motifs, while needlepoint is dense like a little rug and covers the canvas completely.
The key differences at a glance
- Fabric. Cross stitch is worked on soft Aida or evenweave; needlepoint on stiff open-mesh canvas.
- Stitch. A cross stitch is two diagonal stitches crossed over one square. Needlepoint is usually worked in tent stitch: a single slanted stitch that looks like a half cross from the front.
- Thread. Cross stitch uses cotton floss, two or three strands. Needlepoint uses something thicker — tapestry wool, perle cotton, or floss with more strands — to cover the canvas.
- Coverage. In cross stitch the background is often left unstitched. In needlepoint every hole is filled, background included.
- Tools. Cross stitch is easy in a hoop; needlepoint usually goes on stretcher bars, because stiff canvas gets crushed in a hoop.
Needlepoint canvas vs Aida
Needlepoint canvas is sold by mesh — holes per inch, just as Aida is sold by count. The common sizes are 10, 12, 13, 14 and 18 mesh. Mono canvas has single threads; interlock canvas has its threads locked together at every intersection so they do not shift under the stitch. On very fine canvas, 18 mesh and up, needlepoint is called petit point.
Tent stitch vs cross stitch
A tent stitch is one diagonal over an intersection of the canvas. From the front it looks like half a cross, but the back is different: worked in basketweave, it forms a dense weave on the back that holds the piece in shape and stops the canvas from skewing. That is why needlepoint is used for things that take wear: pillows, chair seats, cases, belts.
Can you use a cross stitch chart for needlepoint?
Yes: one square of the chart is one stitch in both. Only the size of the piece changes, because the fabric density sets it, not the chart. The table below lists common needlepoint canvases, how wide a 100-stitch chart comes out on each, and the cross stitch fabric with the closest density.
| Needlepoint canvas, mesh | Stitches per cm | 100 stitches | Cross stitch fabric with the closest density | Size difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3.94 | 25.4 cm | Aida 11 | +10.0% |
| 12 | 4.72 | 21.2 cm | Aida 11 | −8.3% |
| 13 | 5.12 | 19.5 cm | Aida 14 | +7.7% |
| 14 | 5.51 | 18.1 cm | Aida 14 | 0% |
| 18 | 7.09 | 14.1 cm | Aida 18 | 0% |
For 14 and 18 mesh the match is exact: the chart comes out the same size as on Aida 14 or Aida 18. One of the most common needlepoint canvases, 13 mesh, is coarser than Aida 14 — the same chart is 7.7% larger on it. On an 8-inch piece that is over half an inch, so cut the canvas for 13 mesh, not for Aida.
You can set needlepoint canvas in the builder directly: type its mesh into the Count field in threads per inch. The builder then works out the finished size for that canvas.
Which one to choose
- Cross stitch — for a picture to hang, a portrait, or anything with fine detail: on 16 or 18 count Aida the detail is finer, and leaving the background bare saves time and thread.
- Needlepoint — for something you will use: a pillow, a case, a seat. Full coverage holds its shape and does not wear through for years.
- For a first project both are equally easy. Cross stitch is cheaper to start: Aida, floss and a hoop are in every craft store.
In short
- What is the difference between needlepoint and cross stitch?
- Needlepoint is usually worked in tent stitch, which looks like a half cross on the front, on stiff mesh canvas, covering the whole surface, often in wool. Cross stitch uses full crosses on soft Aida or evenweave with cotton floss, and the fabric between motifs can stay visible.
- Can you use a cross stitch pattern for needlepoint?
- Yes: one square of the chart is one stitch in both. Only the finished size changes: on 14 and 18 mesh canvas it matches Aida 14 and 18, while on common 13 mesh canvas the same chart comes out 7.7% larger than on Aida 14.
- Do needlepoint and cross stitch use the same thread?
- No. Cross stitch uses cotton floss in two or three strands; needlepoint needs something thicker — tapestry wool, perle cotton, or floss with more strands. A needlepoint stitch has to cover the canvas mesh completely, while a cross only has to cover a square of soft fabric.
- Is needlepoint harder than cross stitch?
- The stitch itself is simpler: one diagonal instead of two. But needlepoint fills the whole canvas, background included, so the same chart takes more time and more thread. For a first project both work equally well.
The numbers and charts on this page are computed by the same code as the builder.