Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern - Free

My free Christmas Tree knitting pattern is a quick and easy make that uses up small scraps of yarn from your stash. Each little tree is knitted in garter stitch with yarn held double, then finished with a neat knitted trunk.

Nothing says Christmas quite like handmade decorations! 

You can make just one or two to use as gift tags, or knit a whole string of trees, then hang as festive bunting. It’s the perfect stash-busting project for cosy evenings, so grab your green and brown yarn oddments and let’s get started.

How to Get Your Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern

Free Pattern

The pattern is written out in full below — no need to sign up or log in, because it’s free right here on the blog.

Why You’ll Love This Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern

• It’s stash-friendly – only tiny amounts of yarn are needed.
• Each tree takes less than 30 minutes to make.
• Perfect for Christmas decorating or winter celebrations.
• A great beginner-friendly knitting project because it uses simple garter stitch.
• Uses up leftover yarn from your stash, so nothing goes to waste.

How to Use Your Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern

There are so many ways to enjoy your knitted trees:

• String them together for a cheerful festive garland.
• Hang a few on your Christmas tree as ornaments.
• Add one to a wrapped gift or Christmas card.
• Mix green trees with white, gold, or sparkly yarn for a snowy winter look.
• Attach to a wreath or display along your mantelpiece.

Copyright

Please read the copyright terms, which apply globally, before using or downloading your pattern:

The contents of this page, including the pattern instructions and images, are published under copyright to me ©Lynne Rowe 2025 under my brand Knit Crochet Create® and are for your own personal use only.

You are welcome to sell items made from this pattern for charity fundraising purposes, or to gift them to family and friends, but selling small numbers for profit is only allowed with permission. Please email lynne@knitcrochetcreate.com for permission.

By downloading or using this pattern, you therefore agree to these terms.

FREE Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern

Materials

Yarn

• Oddments of double knitting (light worsted weight) yarn in the following colours:
  • Green for the main tree.
  • Brown for the tree trunk.
• Note: You can use lots of different shades of Green and Brown, so this is perfect for small oddments.
  • I used: Stylecraft Life DK (75% acrylic, 25% wool); 1 x 100g (298m) ball in each of the following shades. Note that only a small amount of each ball is needed.
    • Olive (shade 2302)
    • Fern (shade 2311)
    • Chocolate Nepp (shade 2326)

Alternative Yarn

• Try a single strand of aran-weight (worsted) or light chunky (bulky) to create a similar sized tree. There's need to use two strands if you use a thicker yarn.
• Try using a single strand of Double Knitting weight (light worsted weight) with 3.25mm needles, for a small tree.

You will also need

• Selection of small buttons (5-6 per tree).
• Selection of larger buttons, approximately 2cm wide (1 per tree).
• 2-3 metres of 6mm or 7mm ribbon.
• Sewing needle and thread.
• Optional tin of spray starch (to stiffen the motifs).

Tension

Is not critical for this project, because it doesn't matter if your trees turn our slightly larger or slightly smaller than mine.

Finished Size of Christmas Tree

• Each tree measures approximately 8cm tall, using double knitting (8ply/light worsted weight yarn) held double, with 4.5mm (US 7) knitting needles.

Important Note

Yarn is used double throughout. To hold yarn double, you take two small balls of yarn then pull a strand from each ball. Hold them together as one strand as you knit, making sure that you always work into both of the strands of yarn when you’re knitting. For more information on how to knit with multiple strands of yarn, see my full post here.

Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern begins

Abbreviations for stitches used

• K – knit.
• K2tog – knit two stitches together as one stitch (to decrease 1 st).
• St(s) – stitch(es).

Instructions for Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern

Main Tree

With 4.5mm (US 7) needles and two strands of Green yarn held together as one strand, cast on 18 sts.

First row is right side of tree. Turn at end of each row.

Rows 1-4: Knit every row (this is 4 rows of garter stitch).

Row 5: K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (16 sts)

Rows 6-8: Knit every row (this is 3 rows of garter stitch).

Rows 9-20: Repeat rows 5-8, three times more. (10 sts)

Row 21: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (8 sts)

Rows 22-26: Knit every row (this is 5 rows of garter stitch).

Rows 27-32: Repeat rows 21-26 once more. (6 sts)

Row 33: K1, [k2tog] twice, k1. (4 sts)

Row 34: Knit 1 row.

Row 35: K1, k2tog, k1. (3 sts)

Row 36: K.

Row 37: K1, k2tog, then passed first stitch on right needle over second to cast off.

Cut yarn then pull through stitch. Weave all yarn ends into work then trim.

TRUNK (make 1 per tree)

There are 2 options for the trunk. You can either knit the trunk separately then sew it on. Or you can pick up stitches along the straight bottom edge of the tree (no sewing needed).

Option 1: Knit a separate trunk

• With 4.5mm (US 7) needles, and two strands of Brown yarn held together as one strand, cast on 8 sts.
• Knit 6 rows in garter stitch (every row knit).
• Cast off knitwise.
• Go to Finishing (scroll down page).

Option 2: Pick up stitches for trunk

• With 4.5mm needles, right side of tree facing, and two strands of Brown yarn held together as one strand, pick up 8 sts centrally across the bottom (straight edge) of the tree as follows:
• Locate the central 8 sts, and starting with first of these sts, *insert needle into st, yarn around needle, pull the loop through to front (1 st on needle); repeat from * a further 7 times, along next 7 sts.
• Knit 5 rows in garter stitch (every row knit).
• Cast off knitwise.

Finishing Your Christmas Tree

• For trunks knitted separately, stitch the cast-on edge of the tree trunk to the cast-on edge of the Christmas tree.
  • You can use a simple whip stitch (over-sewing) and catch the edges together on front and back (this will help to keep the trunk flat).
  • Weave yarn tails into work then trim.
• If necessary, block each tree so that the tree trunk lies flat.
• Stitch 5 or 6 buttons to the front of each tree so they are bright and colourful.
• Position each tree onto the long ribbon and stitch one large button to the point of each tree and also directly through the ribbon to attach the tree to the ribbon.

PATTERN ENDS

Share your creations

If you love this pattern and make lots of trees, I’d love to see your finished decorations! Tag me on Instagram [@knitcrochetcreate] so I can admire and share your projects.

If you enjoyed this easy Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern, check out my other stash-busting projects like the Easy Knitted Cowl or my Knitted Lace Fingerless Mittens – both free on the blog.

If you love using up oddments of yarn from your yarn stash, then explore more yarn stash ideas over on my Pinterest board here.