How to Create a Cross Stitch Pattern Based On Your Favourite Video Game

If you're a child of the 70s, like me, you probably grew up making crafts at the kitchen table. Until video games came along, that is. So why not combine two childhood favourites by crafting your own video game-inspired cross stitch pattern?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer running Windows
• Internet Access
• Graph Paper
• Pencil Crayons or Coloured Markers

1. Go to the Killer List of Video Games (www.klov.com), search the alphabetical list for your favourite video game and find a good screen shot. There are other video game sites out there but this one is my favourite because it includes lots of screen shots.

2. 

   Right click on the screen shot and choose Save Picture As... Give the picture a name that will be easy to remember and save it in an appropriate folder on your computer.

3. 

   From your computer's main menu, run the Microsoft Paint program. Then, from the top toolbar select File > Open... and open the screen shot that you saved in Step #2.

4. 

   Select View > Zoom > Custom... from the top toolbar. Select 800 and click OK.

5. 

   Press CTRL+G to display a grid over the image.

6. You now have a pixel-perfect chart of your favourite video game, perfect for cross stitch. You could use it as is but most video games contain a significant amount of dead space - not very much fun for stitching. I like to create custom patterns by copying the most interesting elements to a piece of graph paper using coloured pencils.

7. 
   Finished Project

   Stitch and enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• Try stitching your pattern on very high count Aida cloth to create a finished work that is similar in size to the original game.
• Use black Aida cloth if you don't want to stitch the background.

Resources

• Killer List of Video Games