Learning the basic cross-stitch is very simple. Just choose a beginner kit and the instructioins will be easy to follow, but they don't tell the whole story. Here are some tricks I learned along the way:

1. Make each cross-stitch "slant" the same direction. To do this, make your first stitch of each "cross" a diagonal line that should slant forward. The second part of the stitch goes on top of the first and should slant backward. When you create all the stitches exactly the same like this, you'll create a uniform, smooth appearance. If you change up the order of the two stitches as you go along, you'll end up with a rough, irregular finish. 

2. For an easier project, choose a pattern with large, even-shaped sections in the same color. It will be easier to follow the pattern and not make mistakes. If you choose an intricate pattern with lots of irregular lines and color changes, it is more difficult to follow the pattern. You'll also make many thread changes and this will slow you down.

3. Make an enlargement of your chart on a copy machine to make it easier to follow. I sometimes use a highlighter to mark areas I've stitched as I go along.

4. When in doubt, choose an easier pattern. It's such a shame to get part of the way through a difficult project and have to give it up. On the other hand, by completing simple projects, you'll be rewarded and motivated to continue cross-stitching!

5. Remember that you will always have a mistake or two in a large project. You'll look at the item a dozen times and then suddenly realize that a stitch is facing the wrong way or you completely left off a stitch in the middle of the pattern. Don't worry about it! No one will notice a tiny mistake when gazing at the finished product. I have an award winning project hanging in my parents' hallway that I gave them for their 35th wedding anniversary. There are 5 or 6 mistakes in it. I look for a new mistake each time I visit!