The white cross

The goal is four white edges around the white centre, on the bottom — and each one matching the centre next to it. That last part is what people get wrong.

The daisy

The easiest route for a first solve is to build the cross upside down and then drop it into place. Hold the cube with yellow on top. Find the four white edges and bring each one to the top face, around the yellow centre. That gives you a white "daisy" with a yellow middle.

Getting an edge up there needs no algorithm — turn the face it is on until the edge is somewhere you can lift it, then lift it. The only rule is not to knock a white edge back out of the daisy while fetching the next one. If you do, turn the top face to move the finished ones out of the way first.

1. Hold the cube with yellow on top and white on the bottom.
2. Find a white edge. If it is in the bottom layer, turn that side face twice to bring it straight up to the top.
   F²
3. If it is in the middle layer, turn the face it sits on so it lands in the top layer, taking care not to disturb daisy petals you already have.
   RUR^'
4. Repeat until all four white edges are around the yellow centre.

Dropping the petals into place

Now each petal gets turned down into the cross. Take one white edge in the top layer and look at its other colour — the one that is not white. Turn the top face until that colour sits directly above the matching centre. Then turn that whole face twice, and the edge drops to the bottom, correctly placed.

1. Pick a white edge in the top layer. Say its other colour is green.
2. Turn the top until that edge sits directly above the green centre — the green sticker will be facing you on the front face.
   U
3. Turn the front face half a turn. The edge swings down into the cross, green matching green.
   F²
4. Repeat for the other three. Each one is the same idea on a different face.

When an edge is already at the bottom

Sometimes a white edge is already in the bottom layer, but under the wrong centre, or with white facing sideways instead of down. Do not try to fix it in place. Turn that face twice to send it up to the top, and treat it like any other petal.

Checking your work

Turn the cube over and look at the bottom: a white cross. Now look at the four sides. Each cross edge should form a matching vertical pair with its centre — a green sticker under the green centre, and so on all the way round. Cubers call this the "T" check, because each side should show a T shape of colour.