‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’, as one of the most famous Christmas carols says. The cities light up and the houses get warm with Christmas decorations and typical culinary preparations. It’s time to plan holidays, buy gifts, and organize reunions with friends and family.
Waiting for December 25th, we want to give away some decorations to make this Christmas special. We will use the two techniques, needles and crochet, and our Aladino yarn, in the most characteristic colors of this celebration. Follow step-by-step instructions, some accompanied by photo, and create little trees and sweaters!
Christmas decorations, 3D saplings
Let’s start with the first decorations, 3D saplings. You will need:
- a small amount of Aladino yarn in following colors: white, green or red
- a 5.00mm crochet hook
- a few white or transparent little beads for garnishment
- wooden sticks and wooden bases to set finished saplings
- glue
- white pom poms
- a yarn needle.
Each sapling is made up of seven rings, bigger and bigger in size, worked separately into a spiral shape, i.e. without closing rounds with a slip stitch (ss), and superimposed around a wooden stick.
Choose the color you like from those suggested.
For 1st ring, start with a magic loop and work 8 double crochet (dc) into ring. End with a ss into first dc. Fasten off.
For 2nd ring, start with a magic loop and work 16 double crochet (dc) into ring. End with a ss into first dc. Fasten off.
For 3rd ring, start with a magic loop and work 16 double crochet (dc) into ring. Cont to work 2 dc into each st of previous round. There are 32 dc. End this 2nd round with a ss into first dc. Fasten off.
For 4th ring, start with a magic loop and work 16 double crochet (dc) into ring. Cont to work 2 dc into each st of previous round. There are 32 dc. Then, for 3rd round, work 2 dc into each st of previous round. There are 64 dc. End this 3rd round with a ss into first dc. Fasten off.
For 5th ring, work first 3 rounds as 4th ring: there are 64 sts. Then, for 4th round, cont to work 2 dc into each st of previous round. There are 128 dc. End this round with a ss into first dc. Fasten off.
For 6th ring, work first 4 rounds as 5th ring: there are 128 sts. Then, for 5th round, cont to work 2 dc into each st of previous round. There are 256 dc. End this round with a ss into first dc. Fasten off.
For 7th ring, work first 5 rounds as 6th ring: there are 256 sts. Then, for 6th round, cont to work 2 dc into each st of previous round. There are 512 dc. End this round with a ss into first dc. Fasten off.
Finishing. Set rings around a wooden stick, starting from bigger one, at the base, and cont to superimpose the other rings, from largest to smallest.
Set beads on rings and a pom pom on sapling point. Glue sapling on wooden base.
2D saplings to decorate Christmas tree
The next decorations are 2D saplings. You will need:
- a small amount of Aladino yarn in your favourite colors: we have chosen for this work white, green, red, beige, grey, and black
- a 3.00mm crochet hook
- wadding for padding
- small ribbons for garnishment
- a yarn needle
Make 2 saplings. For each one, start with a magic loop and work back forward rows.
Row 1: ch3 (corresponding to first treble) and 8 tr into into magic loop, turn.
Row 2: ch3 and 1 tr into first st, 1 tr into each of next 3 sts, 5 tr into next st (= centre st), 1 tr into each of next 3 sts, 2 tr into last st; turn.
Rows 3-6: ch3 and 1 tr into first st, 1 tr into each st until to centre st, 5 tr into centre st, 1 tr into each st until to last st, 2 tr into last st, turn.
Row 7: 1 ss into each of first 11 sts, ch3 and 1 tr into 11th st, 1 tr into each of next 7 sts, 5 tr into next st (= centre st), 1 tr into each of next 7 sts, 2 tr into last st, turn leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 8: ch3 and 1 tr into first st, 1 tr into each of next 10 sts, 5 tr into next st (= centre st), 1 tr into each of next 10 sts, 2 tr into last st; turn.
Row 9: 1 ss into each of first 10 sts, ch3 and 1 tr into 10th st, 1 tr into each of next 4 sts, 5 tr into next st (= centre st), 1 tr into each of next 4 sts, 2 tr into last st, turn leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 10: ch3 and 1 tr into first st, 1 tr into each of next 7 sts, 5 tr into next st (= centre st), 1 tr into each of next 7 sts, 2 tr into last st. Fasten off.
Finishing. Overlap the saplings one on the other and, using crochet hook, slip stitch around all edges, working through both thicknesses: start from a bottom corner and continue towards upper point, then work down and, before closing the base, insert padding, then fasten off.
For upper loop, with crochet hook and contrasting color, ch40. Fasten off. With yarn needle, insert loop into sapling point and secure it with a knot. Tie loop ends to close loop. Tie the ribbons in a bow and sew in the middle of sapling base.
Christmas mini sweaters for cheerful decorations
And we come to the latest decorative proposal, the Christmas mini sweaters. You will need:
- a small amount of Aladino yarn in cream and in red
- a 3.25mm circular needle
- a 3.00mm crochet hook
- a yarn needle
Work back forward rows.
Striped mini sweater 1. With circular needle and red yarn cast on 16 sts and work 3 rows K1,P1 rib.
Change color and work 12 rows in stocking st as follows: (2 rows in cream, 2 rows in red) 3 times. Cont with cream and work in stocking st. Work 2 rows, then casting on 10 new sts at end of next 2 rows to create sleeves. There are 36 sts.
Work first and last 2 sts in garter st (sleeve edges) and continue to work rem 32 sts in st st. Across 7th row from new cast-on sts, cast off centre 8 sts for neck and cast on these 8 sts above the previous on next row. There are 36 sts.
Work other 4 rows, then cast off 10 sts at end of next 2 rows.
Cont to work in st st alternating colors as before to have same height as Front, then work 3 rows K1,P1 rib. Cast off in rib.
Finishing. Fold sweater, sew side and sleeve seams.
Striped mini sweater 2. Work as striped mini sweater 1, but inverting the two colors.
Plain-colored mini sweaters. Using only cream yarn (or only red yarn) work and sew as Striped mini sweater. Then, using crochet hook and red yarn for cream sweater (or white yarn for red sweater) work around neckedge a round double crochet (dc) and around each cuff 6 or 7 rounds dc. Using same colors as crochet finishing, make a collar. Ch16 and work as follows: 3 half trebles (htr) into 2nd ch from hook, 1 slip stitch (ss) into each of next 2 ch, * 3 htr into next ch, 1 ss into each of next 2 ch; rep from * to end. Fasten off. Sew Collar Front neckedge.
Concept, works and photographic steps made by:
Barbara Mazzi and Elisa Mezzani, Filofilò – Merceria Creativa
Piazza IV Novembre, 10 – Villafranca di Verona (VR)
