A Free Bargello Design For Christmas

This free bargello design will introduce you to the techniques of bargello needlepoint, which is also known as Florentine work.

It would make a wonderful Christmas card if put into an aperture card. You will find instructions for doing this on my handmade greetings cards page.

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Materials you'll need for this bargello design

Download the free Christmas bargello pattern

Download the pattern to begin with, and print it out on a colour printer.

Download the free pattern (PDF)

About the design

This little Christmas bell design uses a traditional bargello needlepoint pattern known as trees.

I have used pine greens for the trees and blue for the sky beyond. I topped each tree with a golden candle. The bell has a golden clanger and is hanging by a golden ribbon.

I used the green colours in order from darkest at the bottom of the tree. I worked the sky in the opposite direction with the darkest blue tone at the top of the bell.

How to stitch the free Bargello design

I worked each stitch over 6 canvas or fabric threads using 4 strands of floss.

Visit the embroidery floss page for a video showing a simple way to separate the strands without getting in a tangle. By separating and then recombining the strands you will get a smoother stitch.

You may also like to try using a laying tool to improve the finished effect.

Step down/up one thread for each subsequent stitch.

Begin at the top with the dark green triangle (500), then by establishing the darkest blue (930) zigzag row. Leave spaces to add the gold stitches later. Change to the next lighter shade of blue (931) for the next row, missing out the green stitches of the treetops. Continue in this manner to the base of the bell.

Little Ones booklet

Looking for more festive designs to stitch? Christmas Teddies is a booklet of nine small cross stitch teddies in Christmas outfits, from Santa to a teddy tucked in a stocking, sized for cards, gift tags and the tree. Choose your Christmas teddy (£6.95 PDF)