There are two ways to make a crochet Christmas ornament, and most tutorials only give you one. This guide covers how to crochet Christmas ornaments both ways, so you can pick whichever suits your tree.
The stuffed ball is the version everyone knows — increase out, work straight, decrease in, stuff, close. It’s a good beginner project and it gets you a soft, light ornament.
The bauble cover is the one worth knowing about. You crochet a case around an existing plastic bauble, which means you get a perfectly round result without any shaping skill at all — the bauble does the shaping for you. It’s also unbreakable, which matters if there are children, cats, or a tree that gets knocked.
Both are here. Twenty minutes each.
From the shop · New pattern
A sweet cat-ear coaster in just 5 rounds. Beginner friendly, printable 7-page PDF for $4.99.
See the pattern →What you need to know first
- Single crochet
- The magic ring
- Working in a continuous spiral
- Increasing and decreasing
What you need
DK (3) or worsted weight (4) yarn. Cream, deep red, forest green, gold or charcoal. Cotton gives crisper stitch definition; acrylic is softer and cheaper.
A hook one or two sizes smaller than the label — 3.0mm for DK, 3.5mm for worsted. Tight fabric, so nothing shows through.
For the stuffed version: polyester stuffing.
For the cover version: plastic baubles, around 6 cm across. Not glass — the whole point is that it doesn’t break.
A stitch marker, a tapestry needle, and scissors.
About 20 metres per ornament.
From the shop · New pattern
A sweet cat-ear coaster in just 5 rounds. Beginner friendly, printable 7-page PDF for $4.99.
See the pattern →Cathrinee’s Supply Kit
Everything you need for this project
Terms
US crochet terms.
- MR = magic ring · ch = chain · sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet (UK double crochet)
- inc = 2 sc into the same stitch · dec = decrease
How to crochet Christmas ornaments: the stuffed ball
Worked in a continuous spiral. Keep a marker in the first stitch of every round.
- R1: 6 sc in MR — (6)
- R2: inc in each st — (12)
- R3: (sc, inc) x6 — (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) x6 — (24)
- R5–R9: sc in each st around, five rounds — (24)
- R10: (2 sc, dec) x6 — (18)
- R11: (sc, dec) x6 — (12)
Stuff firmly now. Firmer than feels reasonable — a soft ornament sags into an oval within a season.
- R12: dec x6 — (6)
Fasten off with a 20 cm tail, run it through the front loop of each remaining stitch, and pull tight to close.
The hanging loop
Thread the remaining tail onto your needle and bring it out at the very top of the ball.
Ch 12, then sl st into each chain back down to the ball. Secure with a few stitches and push the needle through the ball to hide the end.
Slip stitching back down doubles the loop so it holds its shape instead of stretching thin.
Version 2: The bauble cover
The same first rounds, then you stop increasing, slip the bauble in, and decrease around it.
- R1: 6 sc in MR — (6)
- R2: inc in each st — (12)
- R3: (sc, inc) x6 — (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) x6 — (24)
- R5: (3 sc, inc) x6 — (30)
- R6–R11: sc in each st around, six rounds — (30)
Check the fit now. The cover should stretch snugly over the widest part of the bauble. If it’s loose, work one fewer increase round next time; if it won’t go on, work one more.
- R12: (3 sc, dec) x6 — (24)
- R13: (2 sc, dec) x6 — (18)
Insert the bauble now, with its metal cap facing the opening.
- R14: (sc, dec) x6 — (12)
- R15: dec x6 — (6)
Work the last rounds snugly around the neck of the bauble. Fasten off, run the tail through the remaining stitches, and pull tight around the cap.
The bauble’s own hanging loop comes through the opening, so there’s nothing else to make.
Sizing note: those numbers suit a 6 cm bauble in DK cotton on a 3.0mm hook. For a different size, work increase rounds until the flat disc is roughly the diameter of the bauble, then work straight rounds until it reaches the widest point, then mirror the increases as decreases.
Troubleshooting
My stuffed ball is oval, not round. Under-stuffed, or the stuffing is unevenly distributed. Push it out toward the sides before closing.
I can see stuffing through the fabric. Hook too large. Go down a size — this can’t be corrected afterwards.
The bauble cover is too loose. One increase round too many. Rip back and try again a round shorter.
The bauble cover won’t stretch over the bauble. One increase round too few, or your tension is very tight. Add a round.
The hanging loop stretches out. You chained but didn’t slip stitch back down.
The colour changes leave bumps. Change colour on the last step of the previous stitch, not at the start of the new round.
It sags after a few weeks. Stuffed ornaments need more stuffing than people expect. The bauble version doesn’t have this problem at all, which is one of its advantages.
Variations
Striped. Change colour every two rounds. Because it’s a spiral, the stripes will spiral too — which looks deliberate.
Textured. Work rounds 5 to 9 in back loops only for horizontal ridges.
A set in one colour family. Twelve ornaments in cream, oatmeal and pale gold looks considerably better than twelve in assorted colours.
Metallic. Hold a metallic thread alongside your yarn. Harder to work with — make two or three, not twelve.
Gift tags. Attach a small ornament to a parcel instead of a bow. It’s the present and the decoration.
Mini baubles. Stop the increases at round 3 and work three straight rounds for a 4 cm ornament. Good in a group of nine.
Why the cover version is worth making
Three practical reasons, beyond it being easier to get round.
It won’t break. A dropped glass bauble on a tiled floor with a child or a cat nearby is the one genuinely hazardous Christmas decoration. A covered plastic one is not.
It uses no stuffing and holds its shape permanently.
It rescues ugly baubles. A pack of cheap plastic ones becomes a set of handmade ornaments for the cost of the yarn.
What’s next
Hang these alongside a set of crochet snowflakes in the same colour family.
More seasonal ideas: Easy Christmas Crochet Patterns for Beginners →
Frequently asked questions
How do you crochet a Christmas ornament?
Either work a stuffed ball from a magic ring — increase out, straight rounds, decrease in — or crochet a cover directly over a plastic bauble, which gives a perfectly round result without shaping skill.
Can you crochet over a bauble?
Yes, and it’s easier than making a stuffed ball. Work the cover to the bauble’s widest point, insert it, then decrease around the neck.
What size hook for crochet ornaments?
One or two sizes smaller than the yarn label — 3.0mm for DK, 3.5mm for worsted — so the fabric is dense.
How much yarn does a crochet ornament use?
About 20 metres. It’s a scrap project.
How do you make a hanging loop for a crochet ornament?
Chain 12, then slip stitch back down every chain before attaching. The doubled cord holds its shape; a single chain stretches.
Why is my crochet ornament not round?
Under-stuffed, or the stuffing has bunched. The bauble cover version avoids the problem entirely.
Are crochet ornaments safe around children and pets?
More so than glass. The bauble cover version is unbreakable, which is its main practical advantage.
How do you crochet Christmas ornaments?
The two easiest methods are covering a plain bauble with a crocheted cotton cover worked in rounds, or making two flat shapes and joining them around the edge with a light stuffing inside. Both use only basic stitches.
What yarn is best for crochet Christmas ornaments?
Cotton. It holds a crisp shape, blocks well, and gives the stitch definition that makes an ornament look finished rather than fuzzy. A metallic or sparkle yarn used as an accent round is worth buying one ball of.
How do I hang crochet ornaments?
Attach yarn at the top, chain 10 to 15, then slip stitch back along the chain to make it firm, and secure it to the same point. A plain chain twists and stretches, so always work back down it.
How long does a crochet ornament take?
Between twenty minutes and an hour depending on the design. Flat shapes like stars and hearts are quickest; covered baubles take longest. A full tree set is realistically a few evenings.
Can crochet ornaments be stored year to year?
Yes, and they last for decades. Store them flat or loosely boxed rather than crushed, and use cotton or acrylic rather than wool so moths are not a concern.
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