SaveOrnaments are the one Christmas project you can start in December and still finish. Most take under an hour, almost all of them use scraps you already have, and a tree hung with things you made yourself looks entirely different from a tree hung with things you bought.
Part of our seasonal library.
Everything here is worked in DK or worsted cotton unless it says otherwise. Cotton holds a crisp edge and takes stiffener properly, which matters for anything flat. Acrylic goes soft and will not hold a blocked shape, so save it for the stuffed ones where softness does not show.
Work a hook size smaller than the yarn band suggests for anything stuffed. A tight fabric keeps the stuffing invisible, and an ornament that shows its filling looks homemade in the wrong way.
Classic six-point snowflake
Beginner30 min
Worked in the round from a magic ring, six chain spokes, then picots along each arm. In white cotton thread it is the ornament everyone recognises. Stiffen it flat or it curls within a week.
Stuffed bauble cover
Beginner45 min
A crocheted sleeve worked over a cheap glass or plastic ball. Increase to the widest point, work straight, then decrease. Slip the ball in before the last few rounds close.
Mini Christmas tree
Beginner40 min
A flat cone worked in the round and seamed up the back, stuffed lightly so it stands. Green worsted, a gold bead at the top, done.
Candy cane
Beginner25 min
A long tube in red and white stripes, stuffed with a pipe cleaner running through it so it holds the hook shape. The pipe cleaner is the whole trick.
Gingerbread man
Easy50 min
Two flat pieces in tan worsted, sewn with a little stuffing between them, then white chain stitch piped on as icing. Embroider the face rather than using beads if children are about.
Star, flat and stiffened
Beginner20 min
Five points worked in the round in cotton thread. Stiffen it hard so it hangs flat rather than folding in on itself, which is what an unstiffened star always does.
Wreath, miniature
Beginner35 min
A ring of double crochet worked around a plastic curtain ring, then tiny red beads sewn on as berries. The ring underneath is what stops it going oval.
Stocking, tiny
Easy40 min
Worked in the round from the cuff down, heel turned the same way as a sock but at a quarter of the size. Fits a chocolate coin, which is the point.
Reindeer head
Intermediate1 hour
An amigurumi head in tan with brown antlers worked separately and sewn on. The antlers are fiddly and the only genuinely awkward part of this list.
Holly leaf and berries
Beginner20 min
Two green leaves with picot edges and three red bobbles. Pin them together at an angle rather than flat, which is what makes it read as holly.
Snowman
Easy55 min
Two white balls, the smaller on top, with a scrap of orange for the nose. Black French knots for eyes and buttons.
Angel
Intermediate1 hour
A cone body in white, two flat wings, and a small ball head. The wings want stiffening; everything else stays soft.
Gift parcel
Beginner30 min
A small stuffed cube with a contrast ribbon worked in surface slip stitch across two faces. Fast, and it uses almost nothing.
Peppermint swirl
Beginner25 min
A flat spiral in red and white worked in the round, changing colour every half round. It looks much harder than it is.
Icicle
Beginner15 min
A long thin tapered tube in white or silver thread, stiffened. The fastest thing here and you will want six of them.
Bell
Easy35 min
A flared cone worked from the top down, with a small bead inside so it actually rings. Use cotton so the shape holds.
Penguin
Easy50 min
A black and white egg shape with an orange beak and feet. No legs, no arms, which is why it is quicker than it looks.
Christmas pudding
Beginner40 min
A brown ball with white icing dripping over the top, worked as a separate piece with uneven edges, and a green holly leaf on top.
Mitten pair
Beginner35 min
Two flat mitten shapes joined by a length of chain so they hang over a branch. Stripe them if you have odd scraps.
Nordic heart
Beginner25 min
A flat heart in red and white with a simple two-colour repeat. Sits well against a plain tree.
Sprig of mistletoe
Beginner20 min
Two small leaves and a cluster of white bobbles on a short stem. Hang it from a doorway rather than the tree.
Wrapped sweet
Beginner20 min
A small stuffed tube with the ends gathered and left frilled, like a twisted wrapper. Bright colours work better than tasteful ones here.
Robin
Intermediate1 hour
A brown body with a red breast worked as a colour change rather than a sewn-on patch, which is what stops it looking like a badge.
Initial letter
Easy30 min
A single letter worked flat in double crochet and stiffened, one per person in the house. The curved letters are harder than the straight ones, so start with an L or a T.
Stiffening, which decides how long they last
Anything flat needs stiffening or it curls. There are three options and they are not interchangeable.
| Method | Lasts | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar solution | One season | Snowflakes you are happy to compost |
| Diluted PVA, one part to one | Years | Most things, and it dries clear |
| Commercial stiffener | Years | Anything you want rigid rather than firm |
Pin the piece out flat on a foam board while it dries, and use rustproof pins. An ordinary steel pin leaves a brown mark on white cotton that does not wash out.
Questions
What yarn is best for crochet Christmas ornaments?
Cotton in DK or thread weight. It holds a crisp edge, takes stiffener and does not go fuzzy. Acrylic is fine for stuffed shapes where the edge does not matter.
How do I stiffen crochet ornaments?
Diluted PVA glue, one part glue to one part water, then pin flat on foam until dry. Sugar solution works for one season if you would rather avoid plastic.
How long does a crochet ornament take?
Fifteen minutes for an icicle, about an hour for anything with separately sewn pieces like a reindeer or an angel.
Can I make these with leftover yarn?
That is most of the point. Almost everything here takes under 20 grams, and the small ones take under 5.
Are crochet ornaments safe near children?
Embroider faces rather than using beads or safety eyes, and skip the pipe cleaner in the candy cane for a toddler household.
How do I hang them?
A loop of the same yarn is neatest. Thin ribbon looks better on flat stiffened pieces because it does not twist the way yarn does.