Sometimes it’s nice to have a crafty project to work on with your hands, either to unleash your creativity or to help take your mind off the stress of work. We tried the Enjoy The Ride Cross Stitch Kit for beginners as a way to pass the time. It’s affordable, easy to learn, and the perfect distraction or way to de-stress. It’s inexpensive, provides a good amount of entertainment, and took us about seven or eight hours to finish the piece.
Ease of Use: Easy to learn
We were excited when we learned we’d be able to review the Enjoy The Ride Counted Cross Stitch Kit. It was nice to have a creative outlet like this beginner sewing kit. When we opened the package, we learned it was a bit more complicated than we were anticipating. There are three different kinds of stitches to learn, plus the squares you need to count across are very, very tiny. Threading the needle takes a minute or two. Rather than jumping in, we read the directions from start to finish. We were glad we did as we probably would have made mistakes otherwise. The included instructions are very clear and have both visual and written out descriptions of how to make each kind of stitch. There’s a square-by-square fold-out document that shows you exactly which stitch to make where, as well as a full-color image of what the final product should look like. It was hard at first to get started and our first stitches were slow, taking about a minute to make five stitches. However, it’s easy to learn and we picked it up quickly, managing to make closer to 20 stitches per minute when we were on a roll. Once we made the first few stitches and started outlining the bicycle on the fabric, it was easier to see where future stitches should go. We also found that making a blue pen mark on the areas we’d already stitched helped us to keep track of where we were in the pattern, at least at the beginning. As this was our first time cross-stitching, we made a few mistakes. Our back wheel outline wasn’t perfect, but we improved our technique by the time we outlined the second tire. We also made a few errors with where we placed the pink flowers and the size of the bird on the back wheel, but they’re not going to be noticeable to anyone but us. The hardest part was stitching the letters at the top; we made a few mistakes with spacing. But it’s still easy to read, and realistically, you could probably stitch whatever small message you liked there instead of the words “Enjoy the ride.”
Quality Tools and Materials: Great for the price
For an inexpensive kit, the materials are surprisingly high quality. There are more than enough strands of each kind of string, and they’re even attached to a foam holder to keep them from getting tangled. The frame held the cross stitch fabric very tightly and didn’t to be readjusted at all during the stitching process, and even the instructions are printed on paper that can be folded and refolded many times without ripping. Our only complaint was with the included needle, which broke about halfway through the stitching process (it got snagged). Instead of buying a new needle, we grabbed a needle out of a hotel sewing kit we had on hand. It would be nice if the kit came with an extra needle just in case. The threads come attached to a foam holder designed to keep them from getting tangled, so don’t remove the threads until you’re ready to use them. Fortunately, we read the directions before starting. The threads should be cut in half to make each one shorter and easier to work with. We strongly advise following the instructions. The threads are thin and lightweight, and it’s quite difficult to untie knots once they occur.
Entertainment Value: Surprisingly relaxing
Of the various craft kits we tested, this one was the most relaxing. It was pretty easy to do once we got the hang of it. It was a nice activity to do while watching TV or chatting with someone. It’s small and doesn’t have any messy parts. There’s no set-up required. You can pick it up for a few minutes before setting it down for the rest of the evening. It could be a nice way to pass the time on a long flight if you’re tired of reading or do not want to watch a B-list movie.
Price: An affordable hobby
Of the craft kits for adults that we tested, this was the most affordable. This particular kit retails for around $7 and includes almost everything you need (you need your own pair of scissors). We found dozens of additional cross-stitch kits online at a similar price point. If this kit gets you into the hobby, it’s an affordable activity to pursue.
Competition: Several adult crafting kit options
Nature’s Blossom Soy Candle Making Kit: We preferred the cross stitch kit to the candle making kit, but it’s rather like comparing apples to oranges. If the hobby kit’s point is to spend hours on an entertaining activity, then the cross stitch kit is a better bet since candle making takes no more than an hour. If you want to have a more usable product at the end, then the soy candle kit results in a set of three nice, fragrant candles. The candle kit is much more expensive, costing about $50. Colour Talk DIY Oil Painting Paint by Number Kit: When we first started the cross stitch kit, we enjoyed it off the bat. The paint kit was rather tedious at first and took some getting used to. The paint-by-number kit is better suited for someone with patience and steady hands. The painting kit grew on us after a while. We preferred the cross stitching, but if you’re more inclined to using a paintbrush, the resulting artwork you make is impressive. We liked the “Enjoy the Ride” cross stitch kit so much that we bought another kit from the same company for an upcoming plane flight. We would never consider ourselves very skilled with a needle, but the kit is a winner. Its small size makes it easy to pick up for just a few minutes at a time, making it a great way to take a mental break after a day of work. And for less than $10, it’s a real steal.
