Dimensions Counted Cross Stitch ''Santa's Arrival'' Personalized Christmas Stocking Kit, 14 Count White Aida Cloth, 16''

I purchased this exquisitely detailed Santa and Toys Christmas stocking in May, 2025. I’ve worked on it pretty regularly, several hours a week for 5 months, and I’m thrilled to have completed it today, for my 8.5 month old grandson! It is really gorgeous! I needlepointed 2 personalized Christmas stockings for my adult son and daughter years ago. I wanted to continue the tradition for my first grandchild. It was a labor intensive project, which I found enjoyable, but not suitable for first time needlepointers. I’m delighted with the finished product!

I got this kit for a great deal through Amazon Warehouse. I had never purchased a Warehouse item before but decided to roll the dice. The description said the kit was slightly damaged...it was literally a small cut in the cellophane packaging. Did not affect the contents at all! What a deal for an intricate, absolutely beautiful stocking. To give you a sense of the difficulty level, his hat alone took about 16 hours...lots of shades of gray and white in that furry brim! But soooo worth it. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the hardest needlepoint out there, this one is about a 7.5. There are a lot of colors going on in the toys, his beard and face, his sleeve, and his cuff. That's why he is so richly textured and vibrant. The floss was neatly separated and labelled, and the instructions and diagrams were clear and easy to follow. I ignored the instructions to separate individual strands to "fluff" the floss; instead, I just pay close attention to stitch tension and don't pull each one too tightly, and take care not to twist the strand as I work. The end result is a full, stunning, heirloom-quality stocking that my adult kids are fighting over. Prettiest stocking I've ever made, and this is my sixth.

When my oldest son was born, we were buried in medical debt due to a needed surgery. The first Christmas was difficult. I decorated a stocking with fabric that was a winter scene. Over the following years, we had 2 more children and I bought stocking kits for my 2 new children. I always intended to make a new stocking for my oldest son that was better quality. My son is now 36 and last fall he asked if he could have his Christmas stocking. I pulled it out and realized what a sad state it was in. So I ordered this kit. The red truck was a perfect choice for my mechanic son. I cross stitched day and night (literally) to try to get that stocking done. At one point I was cross stitching at 2 am and did some back stitching in my sleep. lol The family decided it added nice character to the piece. lol At any rate, this is a very nice quality kit. The colors are beautiful. There is a lot of contrast due to the fact that there are so many different colors of thread. The level of difficulty was a bit advanced, but it added to the beauty of the finished project. I highly recommend this kit, but also suggest that you don’t wait until October to start on it. My son loves this new stocking.

I'm pretty crafty (just not a lot of cross stitch experience,) so I was confident I could tackle this kit. But when I got started, it was overwhelming. Why? The pattern is not stamped on the fabric, so you have to figure out exactly how to start in the center and every exact stitch from there. I started the kit in late November, work on it about 1-2 hours/night. It's now early March and I'm only about halfway done! So if you want to make this project in time for Christmas, don't wait! The kit itself includes everything you need and the product itself it great.... just not for a beginner, or someone in a rush to complete!

This is a gorgeous stocking! There are many shade variations which make it beautifully detailed. I have done an extensive amount of cross stitching and this was a bit of a challenge with the small stitches and intricate color variations. It really keeps you on your toes and I would not recommend it for beginners. In addition to the cross stitches, there are half stitches, back stitches, French knots, couching and sequin attachment. Also, not only do you use two stands, there are half stitches requiring two, three, four and even five strands. This leads to my only complaint, and that is I ran out of numerous strands of the frequently used colors such as green shades, burgundy, etc. Using five strands quickly depletes the thread even though I followed directions and didn't waste any thread. Luckily, I was able to find comparable thread to use. Also, there are stitches that require a mixture of two colors, which really adds to the beautiful detailing. The picture I took shows my work for 3.5 months, working numerous hours per day. I have to finish the top with name as soon as the baby is born, as well as the outlining and details, which will make this even more gorgeous! Also, as many people have stated, the white felt backing included in the kit is poor quality. After spending so much time creating this beautiful piece, backing it with this cheap, white felt would not do it any justice. I bought a nicer quality red felt for the back (shown in the picture), which will compliment the beauty. The instructions suggest separating each six-strands into single strands. I thought it was a waste of time and it was so much easier to separate as needed, rather than putting single strands together. I also put each color in an envelope labelled with the number. Filed numerically, it was organized and much easier to use.

UPDATE: I finished the stocking and am so happy with how it turned out. It took me about 5 weeks working on it literally every day (about 3 hours total most days). I had plenty of floss left over (at least one full piece of each color), even with modifying the border colors and my boy's longer name. I assembled it according to plans I had from my husband's stocking I made last year, so I didn't use the felt. I also opted to not make the braided yarn hanger - even though it's a cute touch, I think my fabric tab will hold up better over time. Overall very happy with this kit. I hope my son will appreciate this when he's older as I do the one my mom made for me 30 years ago. I received this kit today to make for my baby, and it looks like it will be fun to complete. The written instructions are clear, and the pattern is colored, which makes it much easier to read. The floss is well labeled and organized, and it includes the aida, a needle, and felt for the backing. I will update my review once I've finished the stocking, which will hopefully be before Christmas!

Update: started in August, finished end of November:) Definitely not for beginners. Not stamped, but I knew that. This is the third stocking I have done so I knew what I was getting myself into. Starting in August, hopefully done by Christmas. Plenty of good quality threads. Aida is quite small squares and super stiff. I gave it a good rinse and let it dry flat overnight on a towel. Do yourself a favor and start with a dark color, it's easier to see, when counting, to get your pattern going. I also don't use the felt backing it comes with. I use a regular cotton fabric and do tight stitches but keep the fabric loose.. Santa likes to fill the stockings and he said the felt starts to fray and doesn't stretch ;)

Beautiful stocking but it does not bring enough thread at all… having to buy a second kit just for the thread. Also use a different backing.