Day of the Dead papel picado banner with a skull cross stitch pattern

63 × 26 stitches 5 colors 4.5 × 1.9 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 × 8 in (the design is 4.5 × 1.9 in; 14-count has 14 squares to the inch)
Needle: Tapestry, size 24
Thread: 5 DMC colors, 2 strands at a time (DMC is the thread maker whose color numbers charts use)

Your thread palette: 5 threads ↓

DMC 3865 Winter White
DMC 310 Black
DMC 553 Violet
DMC 3853 Dark Autumn Gold
DMC 3810 Dark Turquoise

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

Three sheets of papel picado, the cut paper banners hung for the Day of the Dead, hang side by side from a string. The purple sheet has a flower cut out of it as a ring of small holes, the teal sheet in the middle has a white skull and the orange sheet has a white heart. Each sheet has a row of small slots under its top edge and above its foot, and its foot is cut into three points. No lettering is drawn. Black outline. Full crosses only. It is 63 by 26 stitches and uses five thread colors.

63 stitches wide by 26 high: 1,168 full cross stitches in 5 DMC colors (Winter White 3865, Black 310, Violet 553 and 2 more).

Finished size by fabric count
Fabric	Inches	Centimeters
11-count Aida	5.7 × 2.4	14.5 × 6.0
14-count Aida, or 28-count over two	4.5 × 1.9	11.4 × 4.7
16-count Aida, or 32-count over two	3.9 × 1.6	10.0 × 4.1
18-count Aida	3.5 × 1.4	8.9 × 3.7
22-count Hardanger	2.9 × 1.2	7.3 × 3.0

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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Symbol	Thread	Stitches	Buy
●	DMC 3865 Winter White	271	Find it
X	DMC 310 Black	260	Find it
▲	DMC 553 Violet	247	Find it
+	DMC 3853 Dark Autumn Gold	211	Find it
■	DMC 3810 Dark Turquoise	179	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.