Woo that special someone the old-fashioned way. You might be thinking ‘cassette tapes, do they still make those?’, and the answer is: Yes! And they're making a comeback. Love them or hate them, there’s something romantic about receiving a homemade mixtape, even if sometimes you do have to wind them back up with a pencil.
To make your mixtape extra special add your very own cross stitch cover using these bright and retro cross stitch motifs of colourful tapes. Once you’ve stitched it onto your aida, it’ll slip right into the cassette tape case!
Made up of four designs, you can arrange them any way you like on your aida, as long as the aida is the same dimensions, or slightly smaller than a cassette case. The standard cassette case measures approximately 4.25 x 2.75 inches.
The designs are all made using whole cross stitch and a little backstitch, so are simple to stitch and you can work up each motif in just a few hours. This project is also great for stash busting, as you can mix up the colours of the tapes using any threads you might have left over from another project.
These retro cross stitch designs were created by Cheryl McKinnon and were originally published in The World of Cross Stitching magazine issue 279. They are part of a set of 40 retro motifs and if you would like the full set you can purchase a digital edition of the magazine. Here’s a sneak preview of the rest of the set:
Retro cross stitch pattern
Key features of retro cross stitch
- Stitch time: Approx. 2-3 hours each
- Stitch Types: Cross stitch, backstitch
- Ease of Stitching: Beginner
What you’ll need to make the retro cross stitch
- 14-count aida
- Threads: Stranded cotton as listed in the key
- Needle: Size 24 tapestry needle
- Extras: Cassette tape case
Download retro cross stitch pattern
Add a handmade Valentine’s day card to accompany your mixtape?
Let them know how ‘nuts’ you are about them with this cute cross stitch pattern for Valentine’s.
Make it retro with your next Valentine’s gift
A mixtape is a low-cost and old-fashioned romantic way to impress someone special. Give them a mix of your favourite tunes that you think they’ll love, complete with their own cross stitch tape cover.
Keep it sweet this Valentine’s day with cute cross stitch
If you want to go the extra mile with your Valentine’s Day stitch, work up this adorable panda cross stitch designed by Sosae and Dennis Caetano.
