Cross Stitch Back Stitch: How to Outline Your Design

ByElla Schmidt

The back stitch is a line stitch. In cross stitch, you use it to outline shapes and add fine details, such as faces, stems, whiskers, and lettering. It sits on top of the cross stitches and makes the design look sharp. This guide shows you how to do it and when to add it.

A cross stitch cherry design in a wooden hoop. The left cherry and the leaf have a thin dark brown back stitch outline, and the right cherry has none
Back stitch adds a thin outline. The left cherry and the leaf have one, and the right cherry does not. Illustration.

When to back stitch

Add back stitch last. Finish all the cross stitches in an area first, then stitch the outlines over them. If you back stitch first, the cross stitches can push the lines out of place.

How many strands to use

  • Use 1 strand of floss for most outlines. This is the usual choice when the cross stitches use 2 strands.
  • Use 2 strands when you want a bolder line.
  • If your pattern gives a number, follow the pattern.

How to back stitch

Video: how to back stitch, step by step.

Each stitch runs from one hole in the fabric to the next. You move forward on the back of the fabric and stitch backward on the front.

  1. Bring the needle up one square ahead of where the line starts (1).
  2. Take it down at the start of the line (2). You have made the first stitch.
  3. Bring the needle up one square ahead of the first stitch (3).
  4. Take it down in the hole where the first stitch began (4).
  5. Keep going: come up one square ahead, then go back down into the end of the last stitch.
214365Back stitch under three cross stitches
Back stitch: up at 1, down at 2, up at 3, down at 4, up at 5, down at 6. Each new stitch shares a hole with the one before it. Black numbers show where the needle comes up, and white numbers show where it goes down.

How to read back stitch on a chart

Charts show back stitch as solid lines drawn over the grid. The key tells you which color each line uses. Make each stitch the same length as the line on the chart.

  • A line along the edge of a square runs from one corner hole to the next.
  • A diagonal line runs from one corner of a square to the opposite corner.
  • A curve is a series of short straight stitches that follow the line.

Tips for neat back stitch

  • Keep your stitches the same length. Uneven stitches make a wobbly line.
  • Do not pull tight. A tight line puckers the fabric.
  • Try a dark shade in place of black. A darker shade of a color already in the design gives a softer outline than black.
  • Use short lengths of thread. About 12 to 18 inches helps prevent tangles.
  • Start and end under your stitches. Run the thread under four or five stitches on the back, then snip it close.

Common mistakes

  • Back stitching before the cross stitches are done.
  • Using too many strands, which makes the lines heavy.
  • Skipping the back stitch. Many designs look blurry without it.
  • Carrying the thread a long way across the back, where it can show through.

Common questions

Is back stitch hard?

No. It is one of the easiest stitches. Reading the lines on the chart takes more care than making the stitch.

Do I have to back stitch?

If your pattern shows back stitch lines, the design needs them to look finished. Patterns without those lines do not need it.

What needle do I use for back stitch?

Use the same tapestry needle you use for the cross stitches. See cross stitch needles for sizes.

New to cross stitch? Start with cross stitch for beginners.

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