Cozy knitted Christmas trees ornaments

December is slowly settling into our streets and homes with its lights, scents of cinnamon and orange, and the promise of precious moments to enjoy and share!

This year, I wanted to offer something to add a cozy and cheerful touch to your Christmas decorations, so I designed these little trees that are very easy to knit and embroider with a few leftover strands of yarn. The thickness of Ulysse is perfect for their size, and its carded texture gives them a charming rustic and soft look! You’ll need less than 5 g of yarn per tree to make them, so it’s a perfect little project for using up leftover balls of yarn or discovering this yarn by using one or two balls.

They make very cute decorations to hang on the tree or on a door handle and can be strung together to create a pretty, soft garland!

They are knitted in the round using the magic loop method, starting at the bottom of the central section with a Turkish cast-on, as when knitting socks starting at the toe. The body of the tree is then knitted slowly with a few decreases, gradually stuffing it until the final tip, which is finished with a small crocheted loop for attaching.

The stitches of the foot are then picked up on either side of the base of the tree and also knitted in the round using the magic loop method, but without stuffing. The base of the foot is finally closed with a three-needle bind-off.

You can then choose to leave the little tree plain or decorate it with embroidery. I recommend choosing a few coordinating colors and varying them for the body of the tree, the stars, the branches, and the fruits to create a harmonious whole.

Finished measurement: 6 cm / 2.4 ” at its widest point and approximately 12 cm / 4.7″ high, including the foot, without the tie.

Yarn and materials:

Yarn left-overs:
- approximately 4 g of Ulysse for each tree (the trees pictured were knitted using Ulysse in “cèdre”, “poivre”, “poivre blanc” and “granit”)
- a few meters/yards of Ulysse or other coordinating scrap yarns for embroidery (the embroidery on the photographed trees was done using Ulysse “cèdre”,“poivre blanc”, “sel”, “doré” and “aubépine”)
A few grams/ounces of stuffing (unspun wool, synthetic stuffing, or small pieces of cut wool)
3 mm (US 2) circular needles with a 60 cm / 24″ cable for magic-loop
Stitch marker
Tapestry needle to thread and embroider the motifs
Optional: removable stitch marker, a 3 mm crochet to work the tie

Abbreviations:

CO = Cast-on

k = knit

k2tog = knit 2 stitches together (one decrease).

rd, rnds = round, rounds

ssk (slip, slip, knit) = slip one stitch as if to knit, slip one stitch as if to purl, knit these 2 stitches together through their back loop (= one decrease).

st(s) = stitch(es)

Gauge: 24 sts x 36 rnds = 10 x 10 cm / 4 x 4 inches in Stockinette stitch

Note: the gauge is an indication and corresponds to the final measurements given; just make sure that the stitches are tight enough so that the stuffing remains invisible.

INSTRUCTIONS

Body of the Christmas tree:

With circular needles and using Turkish cast-on as described below, CO 30 sts (15 sts + 15 sts):

Start by making a slip knot on the right needle.

2. To cast-on the 30 sts, wrap the working yarn around the two needles 15 times counterclockwise. Each wrap corresponds to 2 sts.

3. Secure the thread by sliding it between the two needles and turn the work.

4. While holding the loops with your left hand, gently pull the right needle.

5. Knit the first loop on the left needle as if it were a stitch, passing the yarn under the cable of the circular needle.

6. Knit the 15 stitches of the left needle. (The stitches are formed along the cable of the circular needle.) At the end of the row, slide the right needle to place the stitches you have just knitted on the cable and the remaining stitches to be knitted on the left needle.

7. The slip knot is at the beginning of the row. Carefully undo it by dropping it off the needle.

8. Knit the next 15 stitches in the same way as the previous ones.

9. You now have 15 sts on each needle, or 30 sts in total.

Using the magic loop method, knit these 30 sts in stockinette stitch for 7 rnds.

Dec rnd 1: Work (k1, ssk, k9, k2tog, k1) twice = there are 13 sts left on each needle at the end of the rnd, or 26 sts in total.

(You can mark each decrease round with scrap yarn or a removable marker).

Knit 7 rnds.

Dec rnd 2: Work (k1, ssk, k7, k2tog, k1) twice = there are 11 sts left on each needle at the end of the rnd, or 22 sts in total.

Knit 7 rnds.

Dec rnd 3: Work (k1, ssk, k5, k2tog, k1) twice = there are 9 sts left on each needle at the end of the rnd, or 18 sts in total.

Knit 7 rnds.

Start inserting the stuffing.

Dec rnd 4: Work (k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1) twice = there are 7 sts left on each needle at the end of the rnd, or 14 sts in total.

Knit 2 rnds.

Dec rnd 5: Work (k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1) twice = there are 5 sts left on each needle at the end of the rnd, or 10 sts in total.

Knit 2 rnds.

Dec rnd 6: Work (k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1) twice = there are 3 sts left on each needle at the end of the rnd, or 6 sts in total.

Complete the stuffing, using a knitting needle if necessary.

Break yarn to 15 cm / 6″ and pull it through the remaining stitches, pulling tightly.

Foot of the tree:

With circular needles, pick up the 5 central stitches of the base on each side of the tree and knit these 10 sts in the rnd using magic-loop.

Knit 2 rnds.

On the next rnd, bind-off all stitches 2 by 2 with a third needle: using the third needle, knit together the first stitch on each end of the circular needle; *knit together the next stitch of each needle and pass the stitch from the right needle over the stitches knitted together. Repeat from * until all stitches are worked.

With a tapestry needle, weave in all ends.

The hooked tie:

Insert the 3.5 mm hook into 2 stitches on either side of the tip of the tree and crochet 10 chain stitches with the remaining end of the yarn. Using the tapestry needle, attach the last chain stitch to the tip of the tree to form a small loop. Pull tight and weave in the end of the yarn.

Et voilà !

Now you can have fun embroidering your little trees. The embroidery in the pictures was done using Ulysse and a tapestry needle, using straight stitches for the stars, whipped back stitches for the branches, lazy daisy stitches for the leaves, and French knots for the berries.

The remaining ends of the threads are simply tucked into the thickness of the stuffing.

Here are a few motifs ideas:

The small stars are embroidered using the straight stitch.

On the left: Christmas tree in Ulysse “granit” and stars in Ulysse “poivre blanc” ; at the center: Christmas tree in Ulysse “poivre blanc” and stars in Ulysse “doré” ; on the right, Christmas tree in Ulysse “cèdre” and stars in Ulysse “sel”

The central part of the branch is embroidered using a back stitch. The leaves are made using Lazy daisy stitches or Lazy daisy stitches + straight stitches. The fruits are embroidered using French knot stitches with 3 wraps.

On the left: Christmas tree in Ulysse “poivre”, branch and leaves in Ulysse “doré” and fruits in Ulysse “poivre blanc” ; at the center: Christmas tree in Ulysse “poivre blanc”, branch and leaves in Ulysse “cèdre” and fruits in Ulysse “doré”; on the right, Christmas tree in Ulysse “cèdre”, branch and leaves in Ulysse “poivre blanc” and fruits in Ulysse “aubépine”

The branches are embroidered using a back stitch. The leaves are made using Lazy daisy stitches or Lazy daisy stitches + straight stitches. The star is embroidered using straight stitch.

On the left: Christmas tree in Ulysse “cèdre”; at the center: Christmas tree in Ulysse “poivre”, branch in Ulysse “poivre blanc”, leaves and stars in Ulysse “doré”; on the right, Christmas tree in Ulysse “cèdre”, branch in Ulysse “poivre”, leaves and stars in Ulysse “poivre blanc”