Materials
Green cotton yarn, red cotton yarn, white cotton yarn, yellow or gold yarn, beige or brown yarn, black yarn, 2.0–2.5 mm crochet hook, tapestry needle, fiberfill, small gold bells, small red and green pom-poms, tiny Christmas charms, white hanging cord, 2 black beads for Santa’s eyes and 1 red bead for his nose.
Abbreviations
MR = magic ring, ch = chain, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, dc = double crochet, sl st = slip stitch, inc = increase, dec = decrease, FO = fasten off.
Main Spiral Ribbon
With green yarn, ch 9. Sc in the 2nd chain from the hook and across for 8 sc. Ch 1, turn, and sc across for the next 2 rows. Change to red yarn and work 3 rows of sc. Change back to green and work 3 rows of sc. Continue alternating 3 rows green and 3 rows red until the strip measures approximately 150–170 cm. For a larger tree, continue to approximately 200 cm. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
White Border
Attach white yarn to one long side of the ribbon. Work 1 sc along the entire edge, placing one stitch into each row. At the end, continue around the short end and work along the opposite long edge. Add 2–3 sc around each corner so the border remains neat. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Forming the Spiral
Lay the ribbon flat. Starting from the top, form gradually larger loops. Make the top loop approximately 8–10 cm wide, the second loop 12–14 cm, the middle loop 18–20 cm, the lower loop 22–25 cm and the bottom loop approximately 25–30 cm. Temporarily secure the crossings with pins or clips. Using white yarn and a tapestry needle, make a few small stitches at the crossing points to hold the spiral in position. Do not sew the entire spiral together.
Hanging Cord
Cut approximately 30 cm of white cord. Fold it in half and attach the folded end securely to the top of the spiral. Tie a strong knot to create the hanging loop.
Crochet Star
Using yellow yarn, make an MR and work 10 sc into the ring. Join with a sl st. Round 2: ch 1 and work 2 sc in each stitch around for 20 sc. For each of the 5 points, sl st into the next stitch, ch 3, work dc, hdc and sc into the same starting stitch, ch 3 and sl st into the same stitch. Repeat around until you have 5 points. Fasten off. Add a small hanging loop and sew the star securely to the top of the spiral.
Mini Santa Head
Using white yarn, make an MR with 6 sc. Round 2: inc around for 12 sc. Round 3: repeat sc, inc around for 18 sc. Round 4: repeat 2 sc, inc around for 24 sc. Rounds 5–8: sc around. Round 9: repeat 2 sc, dec around for 18 sc. Add a small amount of fiberfill. Round 10: repeat sc, dec around for 12 sc. Round 11: dec around for 6 sc. Fasten off and close the opening. Sew on two small black eyes and a small red nose. Add a fluffy white beard using white yarn.
Santa Hat
Using red yarn, make an MR with 5 sc. Round 2: inc around for 10 sc. Round 3: sc around. Round 4: repeat sc, inc around for 15 sc. Round 5: sc around. Round 6: repeat 2 sc, inc around for 20 sc. Continue increasing gradually until the hat fits the Santa head. Work 2–3 rounds without increasing. Change to white yarn and work 2 rounds of sc. Add a small white pom-pom to the tip. Sew the hat onto Santa’s head.
Santa Body
Using red yarn, make an MR with 6 sc. Round 2: inc around for 12 sc. Round 3: repeat sc, inc around for 18 sc. Rounds 4–7: sc around. Add fiberfill. Round 8: repeat sc, dec around for 12 sc. Round 9: dec around. Fasten off and sew the head onto the body. Add a white belt and a small yellow button.
Santa Arms
Make 2 arms with red yarn. MR with 6 sc. Work 4–5 rounds of sc. Add a tiny amount of stuffing. Fasten off and sew the arms to both sides of the body. Add white cuffs at the wrists.
Santa Legs
Make 2 legs with red yarn. Ch 6 and work sc around the chain to create a small tube. Continue for approximately 5–6 rounds. Stuff lightly and fasten off. Sew the legs underneath the body and add small black or red boots.
Santa Gift Bag
Using brown yarn, make an MR with 6 sc. Round 2: inc around for 12 sc. Round 3: repeat sc, inc around for 18 sc. Rounds 4–7: sc around. Add fiberfill. Round 8: repeat sc, dec around for 12 sc. Fasten off and close. Add a small brown strap and sew the bag to Santa’s hand or back.
Red Christmas Bauble
Using red yarn, make an MR with 6 sc. Round 2: inc around for 12 sc. Rounds 3–4: sc around. Round 5: repeat sc, dec around for 12 sc. Add a small amount of stuffing. Round 6: dec around for 6 sc. Fasten off and close. Add a small gold or white hanging loop. Make several in different sizes.
Green Christmas Bauble
Follow the same bauble pattern using green yarn. Add a small red or white stripe if desired. Attach a hanging loop.
Mini Christmas Present
Using red yarn, ch 10 and work sc around the chain to create a small rectangular shape. Continue sc for approximately 5–6 rounds. Shape the piece into a tiny box and sew the corners together. Wrap it with white yarn and add a small red bow. Attach a hanging loop.
Crochet Candy Cane
Create a narrow crochet cord approximately 8–10 cm long. Alternate 2–3 stitches of red and 2–3 stitches of white to create the striped effect. Bend the top into a hook shape and sew the curve in place. Add a hanging loop.
Mini Bell
Using gold yarn, make an MR with 6 sc. Round 2: inc around for 12 sc. Round 3: repeat sc, inc around for 18 sc. Rounds 4–6: sc around. Round 7: repeat sc, ch 2, sc in the same stitch around to create a scalloped edge. Fasten off. Add a tiny bead or small bell inside and attach a gold hanging loop.
Crochet Snowflake
Using white, gold or brown thread, make an MR. Repeat 6 times: ch 3, 2 dc into the ring, ch 3, sl st into the ring. Pull the ring closed and fasten off. For longer snowflake arms, use ch 4–5 with a small picot in the center. Block the snowflake flat and attach a hanging loop.
Christmas Flower
Using green yarn, make an MR. Repeat 5 times: sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st. Pull the ring closed and fasten off. Add a small red bead in the center and sew the flower onto the ribbon.
Decoration Placement
Attach the yellow star at the top. Place small bells, red baubles, green baubles, snowflakes, Christmas flowers, candy canes and presents at different points along the spiral. Place the mini Santa approximately in the middle of the tree. Keep the decorations spaced apart so the spiral remains clearly visible.
Attaching the Decorations
Make a small hanging loop on every decoration. Using strong white thread, attach each loop to the white border of the spiral. Make 2–3 secure stitches and leave each decoration hanging freely so it can move naturally.
Final Assembly
Check that the top of the spiral is narrow and the lower loops gradually become wider. Make sure the ribbon is not twisted and that the white borders remain visible. Center the star at the top and distribute the decorations evenly around the spiral. Straighten the ribbon and lightly block it so the tree keeps its shape.
Finished Size
The finished Christmas spiral tree will be approximately 45–60 cm tall, depending on the length of the ribbon. For a larger decoration, simply crochet the main ribbon longer and make the lower spiral loops wider.