Right, people. Just this once, I’m going to break the habit of a lifetime, and mention Christmas before mid-December. This really doesn’t fit with my miserable, curmudgeonly ol’ personality, but I have things to show you, pretty Christmassy things, and they won’t wait. Also, we normally have nine of us gathering here at our old brewery for Christmas, and my lack of prior festive organisation is impressing no-one.
So. Decorations. What are yours like? Obviously, you need some knitted or crocheted ornaments with which to adorn your beautiful home. There are gorgeous fairisle bauble patterns out there (Arne and Carlos, I’m looking at you), but this post is all about ideas that, (i) are so simple that even a child could make them, (ii) are quick, and (iii) dropped out of my leaky brain and onto this screen on a wet Wednesday afternoon.
There’ll be a ‘part two’ to this post, because this fearless first festive article covers just one thing: knitted Christmas trees. These chaps are super-easy to make, and you can either stand a small plantation of them on your mantelpiece, or hang them from ribbons. Look!
Would you like to make some of these? Yes? OK, first to the knitting. ‘Tis simple, my fine fibrous friends. Here are the instructions:-
Fetch some green yarn, DK or aran weight. I used Fyberspates Vivacious’s appropriately named ‘Deep Forest’, because the subtle shifts of green are delightfully leafy but honestly, use anything green. Grab some needles, 5.0 or 5.5 mm – no need to be strict about it.
Right, you – or the small but enthusiastic child beside you – are going to knit a simple square in garter stitch. See how simple this is?
If you’re making a few of these, it’s best if they’re all slightly different sizes. So cast on a different number of stitches each time – anything between 20 and 35 stitches is fine. You’re aiming for squares of between 10 and 15 cm along each side.
Now, knit every row to create a nice garter stitch, until you’ve achieved a perfect square, then cast off, leaving a long tail. OK, you done? Was that not the simplest knit ever? Good. Now to roll up your little tree. First fold it not-quite-in-half, like this:-
And then begin to roll the blighter up. You’re aiming for approximately a cone shape, although it won’t look properly gorgeous until you’ve sewn it up. If it’s wriggly and recalcitrant and generally annoying, don’t worry, that’s normal at this stage. Here, have some cake.
You can choose how tightly your tree is wound at its base, according to whether you want a thin tree or a fat tree. For a thin tree, make a fairly tight coil, like the photo below, then sew through it a few times with the shorter tail of yarn.
For a wider tree base, curl it around more loosely, and sew a flap of the knitted fabric across the base. If you’re making a chunkier tree, you’ll need to push some stuffing into the base of the tree as well as into the rest of its height, but if you’re making a thin tree, then you’ll only need a smidgeon of toy stuffing near the top:-
Ah, that brings me on to the next part: sewing this critter up. Use the long tail of yarn to sew up your conical tree. Consider the shape you’re making as you work: it’s likely that the line you sew will be curved like this, but it’ll be at the back when you display your tree, so nobody will see:-
Hurrah! You’ve made the basic shape! Now, drag your children away from their electronic gizmos (if they haven’t already helped you with the knitting), and get them to help you stick pretty things on the tree, such as these:-
I recommend thin metallic pipe cleaners to look vaguely like tinsel. You can poke the ends into the tree to fix them. And sew metallic-looking beads on as pretend baubles, and sew a tiny sparkly pompom on top. You get the gist.
Just go find your inner ten-year-old and make them pretty, people! And then it’s time to adorn your mantelpiece. (Yes, that is the knitted mandala picture beside the trees. I still haven’t moved it to its permanent home.)
And you’re done! Wa-hey! It really is that simple. Finally, may I respectfully direct you towards a real pro, who does festive makes properly, with a colourful twist from her native Norway: EclecticHomeAndLife. She also happens to be a ridiculously lovely person. 🙂 ‘Til next time, knitters. More is to come…
OMG I’m totally making these for my friends at work for Christmas! What a perfect idea!
Glad you like ’em. 🙂
Super cool. Super quick. Super idea. Super that you are thinking about Christmas now let alone making things for it. Oh what a difference a year makes. I am happy. Happy. Happy I tell you. Welcome, I hope to the Christmas brigade.
Yup, you’ve definitely won. ? ??? But you still do it with so much more style than I’ll ever manage.
These might actually give me some Christmas spirit. Thank-you!!
You’re more than welcome. ?
Once again you have out done yourself with cuteness and fun. I’m going to make one these cute trees. Thanks for sharing your ideas and feel free to add more ornaments. ?
Thank you. ?
Love the design. Tempted to make one larger than you have tried. Will let you know what happens,
Yes please, do let me know if it works. Have fun. ??
What a lovely idea. They look great, thank you for sharing and I look forward to seeing more of your Christmassy things.
Thank you muchly. You’re very kind. ?
This is a fabulous idea. I’m going to show it to my 7 year old and see is she would like to make some (she’s just learning to knit).
Thank you. Hopefully it’s the perfect skill level for her, because the knitting is so easy and the decorating is fun. She might need help with the sewing-up, though. I hope she has fun. ?
Genius!
*blushes* Thank you. ?
Fab-u-lous!! One could have a veritable forest of tiny Christmas trees!
I think we are going to have a White Christmas this year so we had better put away our shorts and jandals and get our yule logs, mulled wine and woolies with pictures of reindeer on the front out and just go with it! I wonder if I could make a hat out of your tree, if I knitted it big enough – just for something a little different and to keep me warm…..
Tee he, I hope your fellow New Zealanders don’t mind the cancellation of their lovely sunny Christmas. Now, I NEED to see you in your splendid and mighty tree hat!
These are lovely. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, and you’re welcome. 🙂
These totally need to happen over here with me too! They’re brilliant
Thank you. Enjoy. ?
These are cute! I ‘don’t do’ Xmas myself, but they are lovely!
Thank you. ?
Twisted, you’re a genius. I need MANY of these for my mantelpiece. Now I just need a mantelpiece… *looks wildly round tiny 1980’s shoebox with no chimney or fireplace*
Right, that’s it: we’ll KNIT a mantelpiece. WE CAN DO THIS!!
Bahahaha *imagines husbands face* *sniggers immoderately*
When I saw the first picture I had to do a double take to see whether it was really knitted. Really wonderful and it looks so simple, thanks for sharing!
Thank you muchly. And it really is very, VERY simple. 🙂
Good heavens. I think I may be able to make this! I have lots of squares lurking about doing nothing useful.
Enjoy!
I’m the biggest Grinch when it comes to starting Christmas in November (or June according to some advertisers) but I will forgive you because this is such an ingenious idea. Lovely wool, too. 🙂
Thank you. I am honoured. 🙂
Oh my goodness those are so cute. Thanks so much for finding one mire thing to add to my Christmas to do list. Less than five weeks to go.
Yes, no pressure…. I’m sure there’s LOADS of knitting time left….
Those are so darling! Now I need to find some scrap green……
Thank you…. enjoy!
Love these – and quick and easy sure helps.
Thank you. 🙂
Very clever! I can see my daughter really enjoying this project. Thanks for sharing!
I hope she enjoys it. 🙂
I just fell sideways off my chair twitching Ms Twisted…broadsided by the “C” word in the middle of November at 4.12am I can’t even begin to imagine how the rest of my day is going to pan out now! ;). OOO Lovely knitted “C” word trees! I am going to have to wrangle out grandma’s knitting needles and work out my left from my right, how to “purl” again and give them the old college try :). Green? Now you are spoiling the fun! I was going to make rainbow Christmas trees…I suppose I had best stick to the brief at least for the prototype (now to look up garter stitch…er…”HOORAY! I don’t even have to remember purl!” 🙂 ). I can DO this! I even have my darning needle handy (may as well use it for SOMETHING 😉 ). I just hope Earl doesn’t think that they are ice cream cones…my inner 10 year old (oh NO not again!) once released it is very hard to catch my inner 10 year old and cram her, protesting, back inside. She wants to run and jump and get out the crayons…
Righto, so I am going…”I am GOING”…to make some knitted (NO PURL!) “C” word trees and as many of those corky sweet beanie Santa’s as I can entice Steve to drink top shelf “cork” wine to produce. “C”…it’s beginning to look a lot like “C” on Serendipity Farm…here I COME!
I love your comments (nearly as much as I love your blog). I hope I didn’t utterly ruin your day by mentioning the C-word in November?! There ought to be some sort of internet filter thingy available….
My brain usually sets its own filter early November but I have been beavering away working on my secret “C” word business for my daughter (Top secret with a capital “squirrel”!) and that has allowed some degree of the “C” word to filter in. I think it is acceptable to start allowing a bit to trickle in about now as there is only a month to go till it lobs on our doorsteps, all red, white and expensive and demands our immediate attention.
Such a good idea. Might have to make some myself.
LOVE! Maybe this would be a good to master consistent tension on continental-style knitting – good excuse to make lots. And then make some more!
Adorable! Thanks for sharing!!!
Wonderful idea! So cute! And I love the way you give directions. Knitting and cake, yes!
Terrific! Brilliant! And hilariously written tutorial…so fun! I’ve been enamored with crochet lately and have made a tree lot full of crochet Christmas trees, but I gotta try these! Thank you!
you are forgiven 🙂 … it’s a clever idea
Fun! I am impressed with how tidy the edges of your garter square are.
Cute trees. Last Christmas my aunt and I started work on a knitted Christmas wreath. We didn’t come close to finishing. That’s about as close as I’ve come to knitting Christmas decorations.
Great decorations. Thanks for sharing.
These look great! We’ve featured them on our blog 🙂
That’s pretty cool but I’ll have to use the crochet version.
That’s pretty cool. I will have to use the crochet version.
These are very very cute, and the perfect answer to what to do with that gauge swatch I did with a gorgeous green yarn…. thank you for sharing!