DMC 699 — Christmas Green

DMC 699 Christmas Green — The Other Half of the Holiday Palette

Every cross stitcher knows the pairing: Christmas Red and Christmas Green. DMC 699 is one half of the most iconic color combination in the entire craft. Paired with DMC 321 (Christmas Red) or DMC 498 (Dark Christmas Red), this shade defines the look of holiday cross stitch projects worldwide. If you stitch for the holidays — and most of us do — you will go through more skeins of 699 than you expect.

But calling 699 just a holiday color sells it short. Step back and look at it objectively: this is a strong, true, dark green with no blue and no yellow pulling it off center. The hex (#1A5C1A) shows equal red and blue components with green dominant — a pure, balanced dark green. That purity is what makes it so useful beyond December.

In botanical designs, 699 serves as the deep shadow tone for leaves and stems. It provides the darkest layer in a foliage gradient, typically stepping up through DMC 700 (Bright Christmas Green) and DMC 701 (Light Christmas Green) to create convincing depth. Without a true dark anchor like 699, leaf clusters can look flat and unconvincing.

The color also has real presence in landscape stitching. Dense forest areas, hedgerows, and evergreen trees all rely on deep greens like this to establish the weight and density of vegetation. Paired with DMC 986 (Very Dark Forest Green) for the deepest shadows and stepping through the 700 series for mid-tones, you can build lush, layered greenery.

Holiday timing is worth mentioning from a supply standpoint. Demand for 699 spikes in late summer and early fall as stitchers begin their Christmas projects, and it can occasionally sell out at popular retailers during peak season. If you have holiday stitching plans, stock up in spring or early summer when availability is high and you will not be scrambling in October.

On fabric, 699 provides excellent coverage with rich, even color. It is dark enough to show well against white and cream but maintains its green identity — it will not be mistaken for black or very dark brown the way some extremely deep greens can.