Cross Stitch Pattern Maker: Photo to Counted Chart with DMC Symbols
Upload a photo and get a counted cross stitch chart you can actually stitch: every square matched to one of the 489 real DMC floss colours, a symbol for each colour so the chart prints in black and white, and — the part most converters skip — automatic backstitch outlines and fractional stitches where an edge needs them. Pick the fabric count and see the finished size in inches and centimetres before you cut, then export a PDF with a thread list. Free, no sign-up, nothing to install.
Drop image or click to upload
JPEG, PNG, or WebP
Converted in your browser — your image is never uploaded
Templates
Click a template to load it into the tool above
How It Works
Upload Your Photo
Drag and drop or click to upload any JPEG, PNG, or WebP image.
Set Stitch Count and Colors
Choose the grid size for your fabric and use the Max Colors slider to control how many DMC thread colors are used.
Preview the Pattern
Check the live chart with DMC codes and symbols. Turn the automatic backstitch outlines and fractional stitches on or off, and watch the finished size in inches and centimetres as you change the fabric count.
Export Your Chart
Download as a printable PDF with symbol grid, color legend, and full thread materials list.
Features
489 Real DMC Floss Colours
Every square is matched to a real DMC number and name — the full 489-shade line, not a reduced set — so the thread list is a shopping list.
Stitch Count & Finished Size
Set the width in stitches and the fabric count (14, 16, 18 or 22) and the finished size in inches and centimetres updates as you go.
Symbol Chart
Each colour gets its own symbol, so the chart reads when printed in black and white and a similar blue and navy never get confused.
Automatic Backstitch Outlines
The converter finds the edges of the design and lays backstitch lines along them, the way a designed chart does — turn it off with one switch if you prefer whole stitches.
Fractional Stitches
Where a curve needs it, the chart uses quarter and three-quarter stitches instead of a stair-step, so faces and lettering keep their shape at a low stitch count.
Printable PDF with Thread List
A cover with the whole design and seams, chart pages with coordinates on all four sides and a bold line every 10, a key of the colours on each page, and the full DMC list with counts.
What Is Cross Stitch?
Cross stitch is one of the oldest forms of embroidery, where X-shaped stitches are sewn onto even-weave fabric (like Aida cloth) to form a picture. Each stitch corresponds to one pixel in a pattern grid, making it naturally compatible with digital image conversion.
DMC is the most widely used thread brand for cross stitch, offering over 500 numbered floss colors. A cross stitch pattern maker like MakeBead maps your image pixels to real DMC color codes, so you can buy the exact threads you need.
Converting a photo to a cross stitch pattern used to mean desktop software or hours of gridding by hand. MakeBead does it in the browser: upload any image and get a counted cross stitch chart with colour-matched DMC codes, a symbol for every colour, backstitch outlines and fractional stitches where the design needs them, and a printable PDF — in seconds. A good photo chart is a photo with strong shapes and a limited palette: a portrait, a pet, a flower, a house. Keep the stitch count modest (60–100 across for a first project), cap the colours at 20–30, and let the backstitch carry the detail the crosses cannot.
More Pattern Tools
MakeBead works for more than just Perler beads. Try our other free pattern makers:
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a cross stitch pattern from a photo?▾
Upload the photo, set the width in stitches and the fabric count, and cap the number of DMC colours. The tool pixelises the image to that grid, matches every square to the closest DMC floss, adds backstitch outlines and fractional stitches where edges need them, and gives you a symbol chart and a printable PDF. Adjust the colour cap and stitch count until the preview reads well, then export.
What is a counted cross stitch pattern?▾
A chart where each square is one stitch and you count squares on the chart to place stitches on even-weave fabric such as Aida, as opposed to stamped cross stitch, where the design is printed on the fabric. Everything this tool makes is a counted chart.
Does it use real DMC thread colours?▾
Yes — all 489 colours of the DMC six-strand line, by number and name. The thread list shows exactly which skeins to buy and how many stitches of each, so you can estimate the number of skeins.
Does it add backstitch outlines?▾
Yes. The converter finds the edges of the design and lays backstitch along them, which is what makes a converted photo read like a designed chart — the crosses give the fill, the backstitch gives the shape. It is a switch: turn it off if you want whole stitches only. The lines print in the PDF over the grid, in their own colour.
What are fractional stitches, and when does it use them?▾
Quarter and three-quarter stitches fill only part of a square, so a curve or a diagonal edge does not stair-step. The converter uses them where two colours meet on a diagonal; on the chart they are drawn as the fraction they are.
What fabric count should I choose?▾
14-count Aida is the usual first choice (14 stitches to the inch, easy to see); 16 and 18-count give a finer, smaller piece for the same chart; 22-count and evenweave are for experienced stitchers. Change the count in the tool and the finished size in inches and centimetres updates.
How many colours should I use?▾
For a first project, 10–15. For a photo you want to look like a photo, 30–50. The Max Colors slider is the control; fewer colours means fewer skeins and less confetti (single stitches of a colour surrounded by others), which is what makes a chart slow to stitch.
Can I make a cross stitch pattern from text or letters?▾
Yes. Make a text image in any graphics app and upload it, capped to one or two colours, for a name sampler or monogram. For a design you draw yourself, open the cross stitch designer, which has the same DMC palette and backstitch tool. There is also a QR code pattern maker for a chart that scans.
Is the chart printable?▾
Yes. Export a PDF: a cover with the whole design and the page seams drawn on it, chart pages with coordinates on all four sides and a heavier line every 10 stitches, the colours used on each page listed on that page, and the complete DMC thread list. Or download the chart as a PNG.
Is there a cross stitch calculator for fabric size?▾
The finished size readout in the tool is one: stitch count divided by fabric count gives inches, and it shows centimetres too. For fabric to buy, add 3 inches (7–8 cm) on every side for framing. The site also has a standalone cross stitch calculator page for stitches, fabric and floss.
Do I need to download software or sign up?▾
No. It runs in the browser on desktop, iPad, iPhone and Android — no installer, no account, no watermark. Sign in only if you want to save the pattern to your gallery and come back to it.
What needle do I use for the fabric count?▾
14-count Aida takes a size 24 tapestry needle, 16-count a 24 or 26, 18-count a 26, 22-count a 28. Tapestry needles are blunt, so they pass between the fabric threads instead of splitting them.