Every December I promise myself I will not add another decoration to the box in the attic, and every December a little handmade tree proves me wrong. There is just something about a crochet christmas tree that shop-bought decor cannot match: the soft stitches, the wonky-cute handmade charm, and the fact that you can make one to match your exact colour scheme, from classic forest green to blush pink and cream. Big or tiny, stuffed or flat, these are the decorations that get packed away most carefully each January.
So here is my forest of twenty, and every single pattern is genuinely free. You will find sweet amigurumi trees with smiling faces, flat appliqués and ornaments that take half an hour, a twine-strung garland of little trees, two cosy tree pillows, and even a tree that hides the tissue box. I have noted sizes, yarns and the honest little details for each one as we go. Pick your favourites, raid the green yarn stash, and let's grow a handmade forest.
1. The Mini Amigurumi Tree With the Sweetest Face
Stephanie at Grace and Yarn designed these little trees to be true last-minute makes, and at only about six inches tall and roughly thirty minutes each, they really are. They are worked in continuous rounds of simple single crochet with increases and invisible decreases, so they are a friendly first amigurumi project if you are new to stuffed makes. Stephanie adds little embroidered faces to hers, which turns each tree into a tiny character, but she is the first to say they are just as cute left plain for a more grown-up mantel. Use up scraps of any green worsted yarn, add a loop of ribbon, and they hang beautifully as ornaments too. The written pattern is free on her blog; if you prefer printing, she also sells an ad-free PDF version in her Etsy and Ravelry shops.
Pattern: Mini Amigurumi Christmas Tree by Grace and Yarn — Get the free pattern
2. Joy, the Baby Tree Dressed in Pom-Poms
Holly Lanier's baby tree is called Joy, and honestly the name fits her perfectly. She is a small, soft amigurumi tree with safety eyes, a tiny embroidered smile and a dusting of miniature pom-poms glued on as ornaments, so she looks like she has been decorated by a very enthusiastic toddler. Holly works her in a sparkle-flecked green worsted yarn, which catches the light like tinsel without any of the shedding. She is small enough to sit on a desk or a child's bedside table, and she makes the sweetest stocking-stuffer gift. The complete pattern is free on the Storyland Amis blog, with an optional printable, ad-free version available in Holly's shop if you like a paper copy.
Pattern: Joy, the Baby Christmas Tree by Storyland Amis — Get the free pattern
3. Soft Tiered Layers in Plush Yarn
If you like your amigurumi squishy, this tree from Rose and Lily Amigurumi is worked in a plush baby yarn that gives it a velvety, huggable finish. The clever part is the construction: rounds worked in the back loops only leave ridges of front loops behind, and those ridges become the tree's pretty tiered branches. A sprinkle of mini pom-poms stands in for baubles, and a tiny star finishes the top. The tree stands on its own as a tabletop decoration, and the squish factor makes it a lovely, safe decoration for a nursery shelf. The full written pattern is free on her site, and she includes a video walkthrough on the page as well if you like to watch a round or two before you start.
Pattern: Crochet Christmas Tree by Rose and Lily Amigurumi — Get the free pattern
4. Tiny Lights Twinkling All the Way Up
Agat Rottman of Made by Gootie had the genius idea of crocheting the fairy lights right into the tree, using little puff stitches in bright colours that pop against the green like real bulbs. Her Tiny Lights tree is worked from the bottom up in continuous rounds, in fine fingering yarn with a small 2.5 mm hook, and it finishes at a dainty four and a half inches tall. Because the yarn is so fine, the stitches look almost knitted, and the whole tree has a delicate, heirloom feel. It is the perfect size for a windowsill, a desk corner or a festive shelf vignette with a candle nearby. The pattern is free on her blog; an ad-free PDF with a full photo tutorial is available in her shops if you want the printer-friendly version.
Pattern: Tiny Lights Crochet Christmas Tree by Made by Gootie — Get the free pattern
5. A Bobble-Tree Ornament With a Golden Bead
Also from Agat's tiny tree series, this little ornament tree gets its fluffy texture from bobble stitches worked in a contrasting colour, so the "baubles" are part of the tree itself rather than sewn on afterwards. Like its Tiny Lights sister it is made in fingering yarn and finishes around four and a half inches tall, topped with a single golden bead where a star would go. Worked from the bottom up and lightly stuffed, it holds a plump, satisfying shape that looks adorable hanging from a branch or a door handle. Make a set of six in different greens and you have a whole mini forest for the mantel. The written pattern is free on Made by Gootie, with an optional ad-free PDF if you prefer to print.
Pattern: Bobble Christmas Tree Ornament by Made by Gootie — Get the free pattern
6. The Smooth Cone Tree With a Chain of Lights
For a cleaner, more modern look, the Akamatra tree is a smooth cone worked in steady rounds of single crochet, growing stitch by stitch from the tip down to a wide, sturdy base. Instead of separate branches, the decoration does the talking: a long crocheted chain in yellow is pinned and sewn around the tree in a spiral, just like a string of lights being wound on. A little crocheted star sits on top, and you can embroider extra ornaments in any colours you love. The designer even suggests tucking a small rattle inside before you close up if the tree is a gift for a baby, with the sensible reminder to always supervise little ones with handmade toys. The complete pattern, including the star and the lights, is free on the Akamatra blog.
Pattern: Amigurumi Christmas Tree by Akamatra — Get the free pattern
7. A Whole Forest From One DROPS Pattern
The Christmas Forest from DROPS Design gives you two stuffed trees in one free pattern, a large one and a small one, so you can crochet a whole tabletop forest in graduated sizes. The trees are worked from the top down in the round, then finished with a snowy white base worked around the bottom, which gives them a freshly-dusted look and helps them stand up straight once stuffed. They are made in a soft DK-weight yarn with a 3.5 mm hook, and the shaping is all gentle increases, so confident beginners can absolutely manage them. A row of these down the middle of the Christmas table, with a few candles tucked between, is honestly prettier than most centrepieces you can buy. As always with DROPS, the full pattern with all instructions is free on the Garnstudio site.
Pattern: The Christmas Forest (DROPS Extra 0-1398) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
8. Snowy Tips and a Double-Star Topper
Jess Crafting's little tree has my favourite finishing touch in this whole collection: after the tree is crocheted and stuffed, you go back with fine white lace yarn and a tiny hook and add frothy chain-loop edging along three of the rounds, so the branch tips look dusted with snow. The tree itself is a quick single-crochet cone in DK yarn, and the star topper is made twice and sewn together for a sturdy, padded finish. Tiny French knots dotted over the branches make perfect miniature baubles in any colour you fancy. Hang it from a loop as an ornament, or stand it on a shelf where the snowy edges catch the light. The full pattern, star and snow included, is free on her site.
Pattern: Crochet Christmas Tree by Jess Crafting — Get the free pattern
9. Two Button-Bright Tabletop Trees
When you want trees with a bit more presence, this Red Heart design makes a pair of eight-and-a-half-inch tabletop trees from simple crocheted panels sewn into cone shapes. The pattern uses two festive shades of Super Saver — a variegated green and a red-flecked mistletoe colourway — and the finished trees are decorated with rows of cheerful red buttons instead of baubles. Little wooden dowels or even chopsticks form the trunks, which is a satisfyingly thrifty trick. It is rated for intermediate crocheters, mostly because of the assembly, and the result is wonderfully sturdy decor that survives being packed away year after year. The complete pattern is free on FaveCrafts, where this Red Heart design is hosted in full.
Pattern: Crocheted Christmas Tree Duo by Red Heart Design Team at FaveCrafts — Get the free pattern
10. The Flat Puff-Stitch Tree, Ready in an Evening
Rachel at Desert Blossom Crafts designed this flat tree for her Christmas ornament crochet-along, and it has become a firm favourite for good reason. The tree is worked flat in rows with puff stitches scattered through it, which gives a lovely bobbly texture, and a simple little trunk is added at the base with a photo tutorial to walk you through it. In worsted yarn it takes well under an hour, so it is a true one-evening project. Add a hanging loop and it is an ornament; leave the loop off and it is an appliqué ready to sew onto a stocking, a cushion or a gift bag. The written pattern is free on her blog, and there is an optional printable ornament e-book if you fall for the whole set.
Pattern: Flat Christmas Tree by Desert Blossom Crafts — Get the free pattern
11. Four Tiers and a Tiny Trunk Appliqué
Jan Bay's tree appliqué is worked from the pointed top downwards in four shaped tiers, so the branches stack up just like a real little fir. It is made with simple stitches — chains, slip stitches and single crochet — in DK yarn, and it finishes at about five inches tall including its small brown trunk. Jan calls it advanced beginner level, and the shaping is gentle enough that I agree with her. Sew a row of them along the bottom of a Christmas blanket, dot one on a stocking cuff, or stitch them onto tote bags and pillows for an instant festive lift. The pattern is free in full on her site, with her usual clear, chatty instructions.
Pattern: Christmas Tree Appliqué by Jan Bay at Unique Baby Gear Ideas — Get the free pattern
12. A Neat Little Appliqué With Its Own Star
Melissa Hassler's appliqué at Lovable Loops is the tidy, classic kind: a neat triangle of branches worked top-down in rows, a trunk crocheted straight onto the bottom edge, and a tiny separate star sewn on top to finish it properly. It measures about four and a half by four inches in worsted yarn with a 3.5 mm hook, which is a just-right size for card-making, gift tags and embellishing handmade stockings. The pattern is written in friendly US terms with the stitch counts spelled out row by row, so even a newer crocheter can follow along with confidence. She also includes a video walkthrough on the page if you like to see the shaping before you try it. In red, gold and cream it looks gorgeous on a handmade Christmas card.
Pattern: Christmas Tree Appliqué by Melissa Hassler at Lovable Loops — Get the free pattern
13. The Fluffy Loop-Stitch Tree
This tree appliqué from Maria's Blue Crayon uses the loop stitch, where every other row is worked with yarn looped around your finger to create long, shaggy loops — and the effect is a tree that genuinely looks fluffy and full. It is part of her beloved Woodland Blanket series of animal and nature appliqués, and the tree pattern itself is written out in full, free, on the page. The loop rows alternate with decrease rows so the tree tapers to a point, and a small trunk is attached at the bottom. Make one as the centrepiece of a woodland blanket square, or use it alone on a cushion cover for a rustic Christmas look. Just so you know, the tree appliqué is free on the blog, while the complete Woodland Blanket pattern is sold as a PDF in her shop.
Pattern: Crochet Tree Appliqué by Maria’s Blue Crayon — Get the free pattern
14. A Granny-Style Tree With a Picot Edge
Granny stitch lovers, this one is yours: Lanie at Easy on the Tongue builds her flat tree from granny-style clusters worked in the round, so the little tree grows in quick, rhythmic rounds of doubles and chain spaces. It finishes at around five and a half inches, and she finishes hers with a picot edging worked around the sides, which gives the branches a pretty, frosted outline. The pattern includes two triangle sizes, so you can make a matching pair or a whole graduated set. Starch one lightly and hang it in a window, or sew a few onto a table runner for Christmas dinner. The full pattern, picots and trunk included, is free on her blog.
Pattern: Flat Granny Christmas Tree Ornament by Easy on the Tongue — Get the free pattern
15. Gift Me! A Little Pistachio Tree to Hang
DROPS calls this design Gift Me!, and the idea is a tiny crocheted tree, about eleven centimetres tall, that you can tie onto a present in place of a bow. It is worked in the round from the middle outwards following a chart, in their smooth Paris cotton — the sample is pistachio green, with moss and opal green listed as equally pretty alternatives. A slim silk ribbon is threaded through the top so it can hang on the tree or dangle from a gift bag handle. One tree weighs only about seven grams of yarn, so a single ball makes a whole bundle of them for all your wrapping. As with every DROPS pattern, the complete instructions are free on Garnstudio.
Pattern: Gift Me! (DROPS Extra 0-1449) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
16. The Dainty Flat Tree for Wall Hangings
Joanne Loh at Craft Passion keeps this little tree wonderfully simple: a flat triangle built row by row in back-loop-only single crochet, which leaves fine ridges running across the branches like real pine texture. At about three inches wide and four inches tall in cotton yarn, it is designed to be sewn or strung onto other projects — Joanne shows hers on a pretty wall hanging, finished with a decorative button at the top. Because it is worked in short rows with a simple three-stitch increase at the centre of every other row, it is genuinely beginner friendly and very fast. Make a string of them in ombre greens for a banner, or use singles as card toppers and gift embellishments. The complete pattern is free on Craft Passion.
Pattern: Easy Crochet Christmas Tree by Joanne Loh at Craft Passion — Get the free pattern
17. A Garland of Little Trees on Twine
Crystal at ChristaCoDesign strings her flat little trees along a length of twine, and the result is the kind of garland that makes a mantel look finished in about ten seconds. Each tree is a quick, beginner-friendly panel of half double crochet with a small trunk, finishing around five inches tall including the trunk. The clever thing is how adjustable it all is: make as many trees as your space needs, space them about five inches apart, and leave generous tails of twine at each end for hanging. Crystal used classic green and brown, but a cream-and-sage version would be beautiful in a Scandi-style room. The full pattern, trees and stringing instructions both, is free on her blog.
Pattern: Crochet Christmas Tree Garland by ChristaCoDesign — Get the free pattern
18. The C2C Tree Pillow for the Sofa
If your Christmas decorating leans cosy, Melissa Hassler's corner-to-corner tree pillow is the statement piece of this collection. The front panel is a C2C graph worked in white, green and brown blocks that build up into a bold, graphic tree, and there is a matching plain back panel; sew them together, stuff, and you have a pillow around fourteen and a half by seventeen and a half inches. Both the chart and the full written row-by-row colour instructions are included free on the Lovable Loops page, which makes following the colour changes much less daunting. It is an intermediate project, but C2C grows satisfyingly fast in worsted yarn. Melissa suggests gluing on mini pom-poms as ornaments, and against the white background they look like a snow-day postcard.
Pattern: Christmas Tree Pillow by Melissa Hassler at Lovable Loops — Get the free pattern
19. The Tree-Shaped Pillow With a Pom-Pom on Top
Sigoni Macaroni's pillow is the tree itself: two simple half-double-crochet triangle panels, whip-stitched together around the edges and stuffed as you go, so the finished cushion is one big soft evergreen. There are no colour changes and no charts — just two relaxing panels of the same easy rows, shrinking stitch by stitch to the tip. A big fluffy pom-pom perched on top stands in for the star and gives it a playful, modern finish. It is the kind of pillow that migrates around the house all December, from sofa to reading chair to the foot of a child's bed. One honest note from the designer: the pattern is for personal use only, though finished pillows may be sold with credit to her.
Pattern: Crochet Christmas Tree Pillow by Sigoni Macaroni — Get the free pattern
20. The Tree That Hides the Tissue Box
We are finishing with the most practical tree in the forest: Nicki's Christmas tree tissue box cover, which turns the inevitable winter-sniffles tissue box into a decoration. The plump tree is crocheted in the round from the top down in sparkle yarn, so it glitters like frost, and it is sized to slip over a standard cube tissue box with the tissues pulling up through the top. Mini pom-poms are dotted on as ornaments and a small crocheted star finishes the top, exactly where the tissues emerge. It is worked in easy single and double crochet rounds, so it is a relaxed weekend project with a big payoff. The full written pattern is free on Nicki's Homemade Crafts, with a video tutorial there too if you want company while you stitch.
Pattern: Christmas Tree Tissue Box Cover by Nicki’s Homemade Crafts — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty trees, my friend — miniature amigurumi forests, five-inch appliqués, a garland for the mantel, two pillows for the sofa and one very hardworking tissue box, every single one free. If you are short on time, the flat trees and appliqués will carry your cards, gifts and garlands in an evening or two; if you want a project to savour, pour the cocoa and start a pillow. My own plan this year is a little trio of the DROPS forest trees down the centre of the table, with the twine garland over the fireplace.
Now tell me — are you team tiny ornament tree or team big cosy pillow tree, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your forests!
