Turn a photo of your dog into a cross-stitch pattern

Updated 3 November 2026

Short answer: choose a sharp, close photo of your dog's face on a plain background, make the pattern about 80 to 120 stitches wide with 12 to 18 colours, and check the eyes and nose in the preview before you buy.

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A golden retriever photo used as a cross-stitch example — The example on our home page: this photo at 48 × 60 stitches and 12 colours.

Which photo works best

Close and clear: the face fills most of the frame, in focus.
Even light: daylight from a window, no harsh shadows across the face.
A plain background that contrasts with the subject. It becomes a simple area of stitches, not hundreds of tiny colour changes.

Fur colour matters too. Golden, brown and black dogs stitch well on a light or blue background. A white dog needs a darker background, or the outline disappears into the fabric.

Size and colours

Small patterns, around 50 stitches wide, show the shape of the dog but not much detail. At 80 to 120 stitches the eyes, nose and fur texture start to read. More colours help with fur; 12 to 18 is a good range for a dog portrait.

What to check in the preview

The eyes have a dark centre and a light highlight.
The nose is dark, not merged with the background.
The ears are separated from the background by at least one colour.

Make a pattern from your dog's photoUpload a photo, choose the size and colours, and see the full pattern before you pay. Your photo never leaves your device.Make my pattern

Questions people ask

How big should a dog portrait cross-stitch be?

About 80 to 120 stitches wide shows the face clearly. On 14-count Aida that is roughly 6 to 9 inches wide.

Can I use a phone photo?

Yes, if it is sharp and close. The pattern uses far fewer pixels than any phone photo has.