Free Crochet Christmas Tree Pattern – Rainbow Ruffle Tree

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Every year I tell myself I don’t need another crochet Christmas tree pattern and every year a new idea sneaks onto my hook. This time it’s a Rainbow Ruffle Christmas Tree: stacked, wavy layers of ruffles, a sturdy little brown trunk, and a tiny star with a bow on top.

This free crochet Christmas tree pattern is perfect if you love:

• Using up tiny scraps of DK yarn in coordinating colors
• Fast but impressive Christmas gifts and table decorations
• Projects that can be turned into ornaments, mini trees for your mantel, or even a whole rainbow forest

The tree is worked in seven separate ruffled rings that you stack on a stuffed trunk, so you don’t have to fight with shaping a big cone. If you can make a magic ring, double crochet, and treble crochet, you’ve got everything you need.

If this cute rainbow tree is close to your first amigurumi, you can quickly skim my beginner-friendly first amigurumi step-by-step guide so you feel extra confident before starting.

In the steps below I’ll walk you through:

• Materials and yarn choices for a sturdy mini tree
• The full Rainbow Ruffle Christmas Tree pattern (US terms)
• How to turn your tree into ornaments, garlands, and Christmas decorations
• Troubleshooting tips and more free Christmas crochet patterns to try next

When you’re ready, grab your favorite festive colors and let’s crochet a whole forest of rainbow ruffle trees together. 🌲✨

Pattern Snapshot, Materials & Abbreviations

Pattern Snapshot

• Pattern type: 3D free crochet Christmas tree pattern (amigurumi-style)
• Height: approx. 13–15 cm (5–6 in) including trunk and star
• Skill level: Advanced beginner – you should be comfortable working in the round, counting stitches and changing colors
• Yarn weight: DK / Light Worsted (size 3)
• Hook size: 3.0–3.5 mm (US D–E)
• Construction:
  • 7 ruffled rings (tree layers), all worked in joined rounds of double crochet
  • A stuffed trunk worked in continuous single crochet rounds
  • Two flat stars sewn together for the topper
  • Optional bow and hanging loop

If you’re not sure about DK yarn or hook size, my detailed yarn weight, gauge and hook size guide will help you choose the best combo for your personal tension.

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Materials

• Yarn (DK / Light Worsted, size 3) – cotton or acrylic
  • 3–4 shades of yellow/orange for the main tree layers
  • Cream or white for the top ruffles (optional)
  • Brown for the trunk
  • Yellow for the star
  • Red for the bow and hanging loop
• Hook: 3.0 mm or 3.5 mm
  • If you crochet loosely, go down to 3.0 mm so your crochet Christmas tree pattern stays firm and stands up straight.
• Stuffing: small amount of polyester fiberfill for the trunk and star
• Notions: tapestry needle, stitch marker, scissors
• Decorations: tiny pom-poms, beads or buttons, and optional mini Christmas charms

This Christmas tree crochet pattern free version is very scrap-friendly—each ruffle ring uses only a little yarn, so it’s perfect for using up leftover DK bits from other projects.

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Abbreviations (US Terms)

• MR – magic ring
• ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet
• tr – treble crochet
• sl st – slip stitch
• inc – increase (2 sts in same st)
• dec – decrease (sc2tog)
• BLO – back loop only
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• rep – repeat

All instructions are written in US crochet terms. If you usually follow UK patterns, my US vs UK crochet terms conversion chart will keep everything clear.

Need a quick refresher on the main stitches used in this free crochet Christmas tree pattern?

• Double crochet: how to double crochet step-by-step
• Treble crochet: how to treble crochet (US triple crochet)

Ruffle shell note: Each ruffle is made from one special shell:
(sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the same stitch, worked in BLO.
This little shell is what creates the wavy rainbow ruffle edge on every tree layer.

Rainbow Ruffle Free Crochet Christmas Tree Pattern (US Terms)

This is the full Rainbow Ruffle free crochet Christmas tree pattern. It’s written in US terms and built from seven ruffled rings, a stuffed trunk, a star and a bow.

If the magic ring still feels tricky, you can compare it with a simple chain-circle start in my magic ring vs chain circle guide and use the method you like best.

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Tree Layers – 7 Separate Ruffled Rings

All layers are worked in joined rounds of dc.

At the start of each dc round:
ch 2 (does NOT count as a stitch), dc in same st, then continue around, join with sl st to first dc.

Ruffle shell: (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the same stitch, worked in BLO.
This is the little shell that gives your crochet Christmas tree those wavy ruffles.

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Layer 1 (smallest, top)

Color: lightest cream / yellow shade

• Rnd 1: MR, ch 2, 6 dc into ring, tighten, join. (6)
• Rnd 2: ch 2, 2 dc in each st around, join. (12)

Rnd 3 – Ruffle in BLO:
Working in BLO only, in one stitch work (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc).
Skip 0–1 sts between shells as needed so you get 12 shells total around.
Fasten off, leave a tail for sewing.

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Layer 2

Color: second light shade

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 dc, join. (6)
• Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st around. (12)
• Rnd 3: dc in next st, 2 dc in next st – rep 6× around. (18)

Rnd 4 – Ruffle, BLO:
BLO, work 12 shells of (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc in the same st) spaced evenly around.
Fasten off, leave tail.

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Layer 3

Color: slightly darker

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 dc. (6)
• Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st. (12)
• Rnd 3: dc, 2 dc in next st – rep 6×. (18)
• Rnd 4: dc, 2 dc in next st, dc – rep 6×. (24)

Rnd 5 – Ruffle, BLO:
BLO, 12× around: (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc in one stitch), spacing evenly.
Fasten off, leave tail.

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Layer 4

Color: move toward warm golden / orange

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 dc. (6)
• Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st. (12)
• Rnd 3: dc, inc (2 dc in next st) – 6×. (18)
• Rnd 4: dc, inc, dc – 6×. (24)
• Rnd 5: 3 dc, inc – 6×. (30)

Rnd 6 – Ruffle, BLO:
BLO, work 12 shells of (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) evenly around.
Fasten off, leave tail.

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Layer 5

Color: deeper orange

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 dc. (6)
• Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st. (12)
• Rnd 3: dc, inc – 6×. (18)
• Rnd 4: dc, inc, dc – 6×. (24)
• Rnd 5: 3 dc, inc – 6×. (30)
• Rnd 6: 2 dc, inc, 2 dc – 6×. (36)

Rnd 7 – Ruffle, BLO:
BLO, 12× (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) evenly around.
Fasten off, leave tail.

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Layer 6

Color: darkest orange / light red

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 dc. (6)
• Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st. (12)
• Rnd 3: dc, inc – 6×. (18)
• Rnd 4: dc, inc, dc – 6×. (24)
• Rnd 5: 3 dc, inc – 6×. (30)
• Rnd 6: 2 dc, inc, 2 dc – 6×. (36)
• Rnd 7: 5 dc, inc – 6×. (42)

Rnd 8 – Ruffle, BLO:
BLO, 12× (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) around.
Fasten off, leave tail.

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Layer 7 (largest, bottom)

Color: richest orange / red (your “deep base” stripe)

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 dc. (6)
• Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st. (12)
• Rnd 3: dc, inc – 6×. (18)
• Rnd 4: dc, inc, dc – 6×. (24)
• Rnd 5: 3 dc, inc – 6×. (30)
• Rnd 6: 2 dc, inc, 2 dc – 6×. (36)
• Rnd 7: 5 dc, inc – 6×. (42)
• Rnd 8: 3 dc, inc, 3 dc – 6×. (48)

Rnd 9 – Ruffle, BLO:
BLO, 12 shells of (sc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) evenly around.
Fasten off, leave a longer tail – this layer is heavy and will carry a lot of the Christmas tree’s weight.

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Trunk (continuous rounds of sc)

Use brown yarn. Work in a spiral, do not join. Mark the first st of each round.

If you want to quickly review neat, even single crochet in the round, my how to single crochet tutorial has close-up step photos.

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around. (12)
• Rnd 3: sc, inc – 6×. (18)
• Rnd 4: sc, inc, sc – 6×. (24)
• Rnd 5: 3 sc, inc – 6×. (30)
• Rnd 6: BLO sc in each st around. (30)
• Rnd 7–21: sc in each st around. (30 each rnd)

You can lightly stuff the trunk as you go so it stays firm and straight.

• Rnd 22 (BLO): 3 sc, dec – 6×. (24)
• Rnd 23: sc, dec, sc – 6×. (18)
• Rnd 24: sc, dec – 6×. (12)
• Rnd 25: dec around – 6 sc.

Fasten off, close the hole neatly, leaving a long tail for sewing. Shape the trunk into a smooth cylinder.

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Star (make 2)

Use yellow yarn. Work in joined rounds.

• Rnd 1: MR, 10 sc, join with sl st to first sc. (10)
• Rnd 2 – 5 points:
  (ch 4, working back along ch: sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, tr in last ch, sl st in next st of Rnd 1) – rep this sequence 5× around to make 5 points.

Fasten off. Make a second star.

Place the 2 stars wrong sides together, lightly stuff if you like, and sew around the edges so your star is slightly puffy and sits nicely on top of your crochet Christmas tree.

If you need a refresher on forming neat chains for the points, you can peek at my how to crochet a chain stitch tutorial.

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Bow & Hanging Loop

Use red yarn.

1. ch 50 (or longer if you want a bigger hanger).
2. Tie the chain into a bow, leaving a loop in the middle or sew the chain ends together into a loop and tie a short bow on top.
3. Sew the bow and loop right under the star on the front of your tree.
4. Optional: add 1–2 tiny jingle bells in the center of the bow.

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Assembly

1. Prepare the trunk
   • Stuff and shape the trunk so the bottom is flat and the sides are even.
   • If you’d like to make the base extra sturdy, you can slip a small flat disk or coin into the bottom before closing (only for decorative trees, not baby toys).
2. Stack the ruffle layers
   • Start with Layer 7 (largest) at the bottom and work upwards to Layer 1 (smallest).
   • Center each ring on top of the trunk.
   • Stitch around through the BLO base round of each layer (the round before the ruffle) so the ruffles stay free and fluffy. Work slowly and keep everything straight – the layers should nestle into each other like a little rainbow skirt.
3. Attach star and bow
   • Sew the double-sided star firmly to the top of the tree, making sure it’s centered and doesn’t wobble.
   • Sew the bow/loop right in front of the star so the hanging loop sits behind.
4. Decorate your Rainbow Ruffle tree
   • Sew or glue small pom-poms, beads, or tiny charms onto the ruffles.
   • Follow the sample model (white and yellow balls on the cream/yellow layers, green pom-poms and tiny Santa charms on the lowest orange ruffle) or invent your own color story.

If little children will play with your decorations, treat this like any amigurumi toy: sew embellishments very securely and avoid very small loose parts. For general toy-safety guidance, you can also check the American Academy of Pediatrics advice on buying safe toys.

Once you’ve finished assembling, you’ve got a sturdy, textured crochet Christmas tree pattern free that you can turn into ornaments, table centerpieces or a whole forest of rainbow ruffle trees.

Variations: Ornaments, Garlands & Rainbow Christmas Decor

Now that your Rainbow Ruffle free crochet Christmas tree pattern is complete, let’s play with different ways to use it. One base pattern = lots of Christmas decorations.

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Turn Your Tree into a Hanging Ornament

To transform your tree into crochet Christmas tree ornaments, you don’t need to change the main pattern at all—just how you finish it.

For a hanging ornament:

1. Work the pattern exactly as written, but you can stop after Layer 5 or 6 if you want a smaller ornament.
2. Use the red chain loop + bow you already made and keep the loop a bit longer so it hangs nicely.
3. Make sure the trunk is lightly stuffed, not too heavy, so the ornament doesn’t flip upside down.
4. If your tree still leans forward, add one or two extra stitches when you sew the star so the hanger sits directly above the tree’s center of gravity.

If you like your ornaments flatter, block the finished tree very gently with steam or a spritz of water so the ruffles open up instead of curling too much.

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Make a Crochet Christmas Tree Garland

A crochet Christmas tree garland looks adorable over a fireplace, window or kids’ room.

To make a garland:

1. Crochet several trees in different color stories:
   • One in the original rainbow ruffle colors
   • One in all greens (light to dark)
   • One in icy pastels (mint, lilac, soft blue)
2. Stop at Layer 5 or 6 for most of them, so they’re lighter and hang well.
3. Instead of a bow + loop on each tree, make a long red or cream chain and sew each tree to the chain across the back of Layer 7 (or your largest layer).
4. Space them evenly (for example, every 8–10 chains) so the garland drapes smoothly.

If you’re changing yarn colors a lot for your ruffles, it really helps to use neat color changes. I show my favorite method (with no weird jogs) in changing colors in amigurumi.

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Mini Forest & Table Centerpiece Ideas

You can also use this crochet Christmas tree pattern as a base for a whole mini forest:

• Make 3–5 trees in different heights by stopping after Layer 4, 5, 6 or 7.
• Keep one in rainbow ruffles, one in green ombré, and one in cream + gold for a neutral look.
• Arrange them on a tray with fairy lights, pine cones and tiny amigurumi friends (reindeer, snowmen, etc.) for a magical table centerpiece.

For a more textured forest, you can occasionally swap a ruffle round for a simpler round of hdc or dc and then add beads as “lights”. If you need a quick refresh on hdc, there’s a full photo tutorial in how to half double crochet.

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Flat Version & Kids’ Craft Adaptation

If you want a flatter Christmas tree for cards or wall decor:

1. Crochet Layer 5–7 only, but skip the trunk.
2. Lightly block the ring so the ruffles open up.
3. Sew or glue the ring onto felt or fabric, add a tiny star button at the top, and trim the felt into a triangle tree shape.
4. Kids can decorate the ruffles with buttons, sequins or pompoms.

This is a great project to let children “decorate” a safe tree while you work on the full 3D version.

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Tips for Sizing, Shaping & Neat Finishing

A few practical tips to get the cleanest result from this free crochet Christmas tree pattern:

• Row counting: With seven layers plus the trunk, it’s easy to lose track. If you struggle with counts, my guide on how to count rounds in crochet can save you from frogging later.
• Keeping the trunk straight: When you shape the trunk, you can swap regular decreases for invisible ones near the top if you like a smoother look. The technique in invisible decrease crochet works beautifully in single crochet.
• Sewing layers & star: Treat each layer a bit like a limb on an amigurumi. Pin or clip them in place and then sew slowly through the BLO base rounds. The tips from attach amigurumi limbs evenly also apply when centering your star on top of the tree.
• Avoiding common mistakes: Uneven tension, loose stuffing in the trunk, or very floppy ruffles are all easy to fix. If you want a checklist of what to watch out for, I’ve collected my best warnings in top 10 amigurumi mistakes to avoid.

Once you make one or two trees, the pattern becomes almost meditative—and you might find yourself making a whole rainbow forest “just one more tree” at a time.

📌 Pin for later 💾

FAQs – Free Crochet Christmas Tree Pattern

More Free Christmas Crochet Patterns to Make Next

Once you’ve hooked a whole forest of Rainbow Ruffle trees, you can build out your Christmas village with these free patterns:

• Free Grinch crochet pattern – a mischievous little green friend to stand next to your rainbow tree.
• Free crochet reindeer pattern – perfect as a companion for your forest of Christmas trees.
• Free crochet gingerbread man pattern – a classic cookie cutie that looks adorable beside this crochet Christmas tree pattern.
• Free crochet snowman pattern – soft, squishy snowman to match your winter décor.
• Mini Santa hat crochet pattern – tiny hats you can hang on the tree, use as keychains, or scatter around your display.
• Crochet pattern for candy corn – originally Halloween, but in Christmas colors these make cute filler ornaments.
• Crochet ghost pattern – free variations – switch to white and pastel yarns and your “ghosts” become sweet winter spirits.
• Free crochet pumpkin pattern – ideal if you like to decorate right from fall into Christmas without packing everything away.

Each of these free crochet patterns uses similar stitches and techniques as your Rainbow Ruffle free crochet Christmas tree pattern, so you can reuse your yarn basket and skills across the whole holiday season.

Now grab your DK scraps, put on your favorite Christmas playlist, and enjoy crocheting “just one more tree”… and then another. 🌈🌲