Day of the Dead ofrenda altar with a sugar skull cross stitch pattern

63 × 60 stitches 7 colors 4.5 × 4.3 in on 14-count

A PDF for 14-count on US Letter paper: overview, symbol charts and thread list. Change the count or paper

You will need

Fabric: 14-count Aida, cut 11 × 11 in (the design is 4.5 × 4.3 in; 14-count has 14 squares to the inch)
Needle: Tapestry, size 24
Thread: 7 DMC colors, 2 strands at a time (DMC is the thread maker whose color numbers charts use)

Your thread palette: 7 threads ↓

DMC 553 Violet
DMC 310 Black
DMC 3810 Dark Turquoise
DMC 3853 Dark Autumn Gold
DMC 3822 Light Straw
DMC 3865 Winter White
DMC 321 Red

Want to make it yours? opens this chart in the pattern maker, where every stitch can be changed too. Or download it just as it is.

Fabric count and finished sizeCount is the number of squares per inch. Higher count makes the same design smaller; the stitches and thread colors stay the same. Sizes shown are the stitched area; allow extra fabric for finishing.

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About this pattern

A Day of the Dead altar in two steps, seen from the front. On the teal upper step a pale yellow picture frame holds a plain dark head-and-shoulders portrait with no face, between two white candles with orange flames. A white sugar skull with a small orange cross on its brow sits at the front of the step, with an orange and red marigold at each side. The table below is covered by a purple cloth with an orange band, a row of seven pale yellow diamonds and a scalloped hem. The design mirrors left to right. Black outline. Full crosses only. It is 63 by 60 stitches and uses seven thread colors.

63 stitches wide by 60 high: 2,670 full cross stitches in 7 DMC colors (Violet 553, Black 310, Dark Turquoise 3810 and 4 more).

Finished size by fabric count
Fabric	Inches	Centimeters
11-count Aida	5.7 × 5.5	14.5 × 13.9
14-count Aida, or 28-count over two	4.5 × 4.3	11.4 × 10.9
16-count Aida, or 32-count over two	3.9 × 3.8	10.0 × 9.5
18-count Aida	3.5 × 3.3	8.9 × 8.5
22-count Hardanger	2.9 × 2.7	7.3 × 6.9

Sizes are the stitched area. Add about 3 inches (7.5 cm) on every side when you cut your fabric.

The fabric color changes the preview only: every cross matches your chart.

Thread list & pattern notes

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“Find it” opens a search for that thread on Amazon, in a new tab. Floss Field is not affiliated with DMC or Amazon.

Symbol	Thread	Stitches	Buy
●	DMC 553 Violet	819	Find it
X	DMC 310 Black	611	Find it
▲	DMC 3810 Dark Turquoise	362	Find it
+	DMC 3853 Dark Autumn Gold	359	Find it
■	DMC 3822 Light Straw	237	Find it
O	DMC 3865 Winter White	218	Find it
◆	DMC 321 Red	64	Find it

Suggested DMC colors. Screen colors are approximate. Previews show the exact chart.

Print the chart (opens the PDF in a new tab)

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New to cross stitch? How to cross stitch

Count is the number of squares to the inch: 14-count fabric has 14, and a higher count makes the same design smaller. DMC is the thread maker whose color numbers most charts use.