Christmas patterns

Make it by December

Handmade Christmas decorations take longer than you expect, so start with something small. A fuse bead ornament can be finished in an afternoon with children; a cross stitch ornament takes an evening or two; a knitted or C2C project needs a few weeks. Each pattern page shows the finished size and the materials to buy, so you can choose something that fits the time you have left.

Gifts and decorations

Small motifs make the best gifts: a stitched card, a set of bead tree ornaments or a bracelet in festive colours. Larger charts suit cushions, stockings and wall hangings. Every design can be opened in the editor and remade in a different craft, so a cross stitch snowman can become a bead magnet or a C2C blanket square.

Colours that say Christmas

Classic red and green read as festive straight away, but white, silver and pale blue give a cooler winter look, and gold adds sparkle. Use the colour tools to swap threads or beads for the ones you already own.

Fuse bead ornaments

For quick decorations with children, the Christmas Perler bead patterns gather every festive design that fits one pegboard, with bead counts.