A crochet tree skirt is the kind of Christmas project that comes out of the box every December for the next twenty years. These 18 free crochet Christmas tree skirt patterns go from a two-evening chunky skirt worked on a jumbo hook to a six-hexagon heirloom, and they include a few mini skirts for tabletop trees. Every pattern is written out in full on the designer's own site, rounds and stitch counts included, with no signup.
Start now if you want it under the tree by December. Most full-size skirts take 700 to 1,600 yards, which is a real project, although the super bulky ones go much faster. Each entry below gives the finished diameter, so measure your tree stand and the floor space around it before you choose. Most skirts are worked flat in rows or as joined motifs and left open at one side, so you can slide them around the trunk once the tree is up. If a stitch name stops you, check the crochet abbreviations list.
Granny squares, hexagons and granny stars
These are traditional and colourful, and a good way to use up a red, green and white stash.
Granny Square Christmas Tree Skirt — Petals to Picots. Six oversized nine-round granny squares joined only at the corners around a crocheted centre star, which makes a six-pointed red-and-white skirt about 46 inches point to point. The first and last squares are left unjoined for the opening. It uses worsted cotton on a 5mm hook and comes with schematics and stitch diagrams. Intermediate.
Granny Hexagon Tree Skirt — Petals to Picots. Six big 14-round granny hexagons, slip-stitched together with an inner and outer edging, about 55 inches across. It's worsted in two colours on a 5.5mm hook. The designer notes you can use five hexagons instead of six so the centre cones up slightly around the stand. Intermediate.
Starlight Tree Skirt — Pattern Paradise. A five-pointed granny-cluster star worked in joined rounds, 49 inches point to point, in a self-striping bulky yarn on a 6mm hook. Removable tassels hang on lobster clasps. There's no slit, so you thread the trunk through the centre before the tree goes up.
Granny Stitch Star Tree Skirt — My Merry Messy Life. Granny-stitch rows with increases that form the star points, in stripes of white, red, white and green. It uses soft worsted on a J hook, with a touch of metallic yarn for sparkle. Because it's worked in rows, the opening is built in.
Stars, points and ripple peaks
6-Day Holiday Tree Skirt with Candy Cane Edge — Betty McKnit. A nine-point chevron star about 32 inches across, easy to make bigger, with a twisted two-colour candy-cane edge. It takes about 1,100 yards of worsted on a 6mm hook, and the page has tips on stopping the two strands from tangling. The designer rates it easy but not for a first project.
Poinsettia Style Star Tree Skirt — Fosbas Designs. Worked in panels with triangles set into the gaps, so the finished piece curls at the points like poinsettia petals. It's 54 inches across in worsted cotton on a 5mm hook. Intermediate.
Crochet Christmas Tree Skirt — Cosy Rosie Crochet. A ripple skirt worked flat in rows, with peaks that make a star edge. It comes in four sizes from a 20-inch tabletop to a 56-inch floor skirt, uses aran or worsted yarn on a 5mm hook, and closes with chain ties spaced every few rows. Beginner-friendly.
Chunky, cozy and farmhouse
These are the fastest skirts on the list: thick yarn, big hooks and simple stitches.
Farmhouse Crochet Tree Skirt — Handy Little Me. A ribbed strip of back-loop single crochet in jumbo blanket yarn on a 30mm hook that wraps around the stand like a thick knit collar. It's about 70 inches around and 16 inches deep, and you can adjust it to fit. The yarn is too thick for a needle, so you weave the ends in with your fingers. Beginner.
Farmhouse Christmas Tree Skirt — You Should Craft. Half double crochet rows in super bulky yarn on a 12mm hook, trimmed with white faux fur and closed with eight wooden buttons. It's 45 inches across.
Snow Drift Tree Skirt — Lulo Stitch Co. Two strands of worsted held together on a 10mm hook, in half double crochet and back-loop rows. It comes in 32-inch and 45-inch sizes and closes with three or four wooden buttons, and the stitches are loose enough that you don't need buttonholes. Beginner.
Snuggle Season Tree Skirt — MJ's Off The Hook Designs. Puff-stitch increase rows with linked stitches between them and a ribbed border joined as you go. It's about 42 inches across in bulky wool held double on a 9mm hook, with a buttoned opening. Intermediate.
Alpine Tree Skirt — Bella Coco Crochet. Faux-fur yarn in turned treble crochet rounds, which leave a slit, on a 10mm hook. It comes in three sizes from 37.5 to 61 inches, with right- and left-handed video tutorials. From a distance it looks like a sheepskin rug.
Big Bauble Tree Skirt — February Sky Designs. Rows of double and single crochet with rows of bobbles that look like baubles. It uses six balls of Thick & Quick on a 12mm hook and makes a 45-inch skirt, and you can stop early for 34.5 inches or keep going to about 50. Pom-poms are optional.
Modern texture and classic stripes
Holly Jolly Christmas Tree Skirt — Left in Knots. Two Caron Cakes held together so the colours blend into soft red and green stripes, on an 8mm hook. It's 38 inches across, with tips for holding the two cakes so the colour changes line up.
Poinsettia Christmas Tree Skirt — A Crocheted Simplicity. An oatmeal and white skirt in single and double crochet rows, 56 inches across, with twelve appliqué poinsettias, each finished with three jingle bells. It closes with eight chain ties.
Crochet Tree Skirt: Easy Pattern — Learn to Crochet (i-crochet.com). Classic green, white and wine stripe blocks in worsted on a 5.5mm hook, 49 inches wide. It uses stacked single crochet in place of double crochet so there are no gaps, and buttons are optional.
Mini tabletop tree skirts
Mini skirts suit a tabletop tree, a small apartment, or a quick gift.
Ruffled Mini Tree Skirt — Stitches n Scraps. Short-row wedges in alternating metallic colours with a ruffled edge, 12 inches across on a 5mm hook. If you sew the opening closed, it doubles as a trivet. Easy.
Mini Bauble Christmas Tree Skirt — February Sky Designs. A 19-inch skirt in super bulky yarn on a 12mm hook, with bobble rows every fourth row. One ball of chunky yarn fits a two-foot tree. Very beginner-friendly.
Tips for a tree skirt that lies flat
- Check the diameter against your tree. A 6 to 7 foot tree usually wants a skirt at least 45 inches across. A tabletop tree needs 12 to 20 inches.
- Block before the first use. Big flat pieces ripple and curl. Pin the skirt out damp on blocking mats or a rug and let it dry flat once, and it will lie better every year after.
- Choose a closure you can live with. Ties are easiest to adjust. Buttons look tidier. Skirts with no slit have to go on before the tree does.
- Pick yarn that can take pine needles. Smooth acrylic or cotton shakes clean. Fuzzy and faux-fur yarns look lovely but catch every needle.
- Buy all the yarn at once. A tree skirt uses several skeins, so buy from the same dye lot to avoid a visible colour band.
To finish the look, add a crocheted Christmas stocking for the mantel, a crochet Christmas garland for the tree, and a set of crochet Christmas ornaments. Snowflake ornaments and Christmas gnomes make good small projects to work between skirt rows. For evenings spent crocheting by the tree, the cozy crochet slipper patterns keep your feet warm. For a second, smaller tree on the mantel or a side table, try one of our free crochet Christmas tree patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much yarn do I need for a crochet tree skirt?
A full-size skirt of 40 to 55 inches usually takes 700 to 1,600 yards of worsted, or five to seven skeins of super bulky yarn. Mini tabletop skirts need as little as 140 to 160 yards.
What size should a Christmas tree skirt be?
Measure the width of the tree's lowest branches and choose a skirt about the same width or a little wider. That's roughly 45 to 55 inches for a 6 to 7 foot tree, and 12 to 20 inches for a tabletop tree.
What is the fastest crochet tree skirt to make?
A chunky skirt worked in rows on a big hook, such as the Farmhouse, Snow Drift or Big Bauble skirts above. With super bulky yarn and a 10mm to 30mm hook, most people finish in a weekend.
How do I close the opening on a crochet tree skirt?
Most patterns use chain ties sewn along both edges of the slit, or buttons on one edge with the stitches or chain loops on the other edge as buttonholes. Ties are the easiest to adjust around a thick trunk or stand.
