Learning how to make a Crochet Christmas Ball Ornament will be a breeze with this easy crochet pattern and video tutorial! Once you have your beautiful ornament crocheted, you can adorn it with ribbon, greenery, bells, berries, and more. The options are endless.
The Crochet Christmas Ball Ornament Pattern is worked in a continuous round, using the spike single crochet stitch, and then stretched around a clear glass or plastic ball ornament, and cinched closed. It’s a very easy technique that gives a little wiggle room to play around with.
If you’re looking for a unique ornament design, to add to your tree this year, this one is for you!
Hey crafty friends! I’m super excited to share one of my favorite holiday DIY projects with you today. As someone who’s made dozens of these gorgeous Christmas ball trees, I can tell you they’re not just beautiful – they’re also really fun to create! Let’s dive into this festive craft that’ll add some serious sparkle to your holiday decor.
What You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll want to gather before starting:
- Christmas ornament balls (various sizes)
- A sturdy base board (2ft x 2ft works great!)
- Strong adhesive (E6000 or hot glue gun)
- Styrofoam vase filler balls
- Paint or stain (optional)
- Marker or pencil for marking
- 1-inch dowel rod or chopstick (for 3D version)
Two Amazing Ways to Make Your Tree
I’m gonna share two different methods – a flat wall version and a 3D standing version You can pick whichever matches your style better!
Method 1: Flat Wall-Mounted Ball Tree
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Prep Your Base
- Sand your board if needed
- Paint or stain it (I luv using Minwax Special Walnut – gives such a nice rustic look!)
- Let it dry completely (super important for glue to stick!)
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Create Your Tree Shape
- Find center point at top of board
- Mark 2 inches in from sides for bottom corners
- Draw lines to connect points into triangle shape
- Add trunk measurements at bottom
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Start Gluing
- Begin at top point
- Work your way down the outline first
- Fill in with different sized balls
- Use smaller balls to fill gaps
- Add styrofoam balls for trunk
Pro tip: Layout your ornaments before gluing to test the pattern – trust me, this saves lots of headaches!
Method 2: 3D Standing Ball Tree
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Prep Your Support
- Cut dowel/chopstick to desired height
- Add extra inches at bottom for stability
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Stack Those Balls!
- Start with largest ball at bottom
- Work up with progressively smaller balls
- Use strong adhesive between each layer
- Hold each ball for 30 secs while glue sets
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Display Setup
- Place in tall vase or cylinder
- Add rocks/marbles in base for stability
- Let dry 24 hours before moving
Creative Ideas to Make Your Tree Extra Special
- Mix metallic colors (silver & gold look amazing together!)
- Hide special themed ornaments within design
- Add sparkly garland between gaps
- Top with a star ornament
- Use vintage ornaments for unique charm
- Try dollar store ornaments to save $$
Tips for Success
- Don’t rush the gluing process – patience is key!
- Vary ornament sizes for interest
- Keep ornaments pointing upward for best look
- Not every spot needs to be filled
- Let each layer dry before adding more
Common Questions I Get Asked
Q: How many ornaments do I need?
For a 7ft tree, you’ll want:
- Minimal look: 80-100 balls
- Medium fullness: 120-150 balls
- Super full look: 200-250 balls
Q: Can I use plastic ornaments?
Yep! Just make sure to use stronger adhesive like E6000 for lightweight balls.
Why You’ll Love This Project
I gotta tell ya, this has become one of my fave holiday projects! It’s perfect for:
- Family craft night
- Holiday party activity
- Handmade gifts
- Small space decorating
- Budget-friendly decor
Making these trees has become such a fun tradition in my house. My kids love helping choose colors, and friends always ask where I bought it (love telling them it’s homemade!).
So grab those supplies and get crafting! Trust me, once you make one, you’ll probably end up making several – they’re kinda addictive! And don’t forget to show me your creations in the comments below.
Happy crafting, friends! ✨
Note: This post was last updated January 2025 with fresh ideas and tips from our crafting community!
Would you like me to explain any part of these instructions in more detail?
Styling Ideas For The Crochet Christmas Ball Ornament
The Crochet Christmas Ball Ornament, not only looks beautiful hanging on a Christmas tree, but amazing styled on a beautiful mantle, stairway, or grouped in a pretty bowl. I styled mine around a mantle, hanging from a pretty faux greenery garland.
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The Crochet Christmas Ball Ornament Pattern is written using Bernat Maker. This is a size 5, bulky, tube style yarn, made of cotton on the outside and nylon in the center of the tube. I love using this yarn, as it has some stretch to it, making it easy to fit around the ball ornaments, with a little wiggle room. The colors shown are Cream, Clay, and Lichen.
I tried a few different yarns, and found most are pretty forgiving, with some small adjustments. As long as the yarn has some stretch, it’s fine if the gauge turns out a little smaller than I have listed.
Feel free to experiment with different yarns, but please note the gauge may turn out slightly smaller or larger depending on what you use. If you change the yarn size of the project, be sure to adjust your hook size accordingly. Some of my favorite yarn alternatives for The Crochet Christmas Ball Ornament Pattern are as follows:
Chenille Home Slim, By Loops & Threads from Michaels This is a size 6 yarn, that I tried for fun, using an L hook. The thicker yarn changed the entire look of the pattern, but it turned out amazing! I used the size small pattern, as is, but wrapped it around the larger ornament. It was a little snug, but I was able to fit in in place nicely. If using chenille or velvet yarn, be gentle when weaving the ends in, and cinching the top closed, as it has a tendency to break. I recommend using the alternative method listed, as opposed to the magic circle.
The color shown is Fog.
Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me This yarn is also a size 5 yarn, but worked up quite a bit larger with the L hook. It didn’t have as much stretch, so I was able to follow the pattern instructions below, but skipped several rounds of the spike stitch (I made 13 rounds total for size small), before fastening off. The color shown is Fatigues.
Yarn Bee Velvety Smooth Sparkle from Hobby Lobby This yarn is a size 4 yarn, therefore, I used two strands held together. I was able to follow the pattern instructions, as is, for both sizes, but skipped three rounds before fastening off. The color shown is Olive, and if you look closely, it has beautiful gold flecks in it.
For The Crochet Christmas Ball Ornaments, I used clear plastic ball ornaments that I found at Hobby Lobby. I prefer glass over plastic, because it’s a little sturdier, but I couldn’t find glass this year. You can find clear ornaments just about anywhere around Christmas time. Target, Michaels, Walmart, and Amazon are all great options. I used 8cm(3.15”) & 10cm(3.94”).
Adorn the outside of your crochet Christmas ornament however you’d like. It’s adorable as is, but I like to use greenery, berries, bells, and twine. I purchase floral picks and greenery from Hobby Lobby and Michael’s (in their Christmas section). I then use wire cutters to disassemble the picks into individual pieces, and then hot glue them in place.
I recently created a blog post on the different crochet tags I use. The full post with extensive detail can be found here. – The seasonal wooden tags, shown below, are from Savlabot.
Gauge | Working in the Round
1st 3 rounds of pattern (size small) = Just under 3 Inches with L Hook 1st 3 rounds of pattern (size large) = Just under 3.5 Inches with L Hook
Please be sure to check your gauge before starting, as tension can vary greatly from person to person and depending on the yarn used.
Spike Single Crochet (spk-sc)The spike single crochet stitch is worked following the same steps as a regular single crochet stitch, but instead of working into the current round/row, the hook is inserted 1 or more rounds/rows below the working round/row. The lower you go, the longer the stitch. In this pattern we’ll be working in one round below.Step 1: Insert your hook into the next stitch, 1 round below the current round.Step 2: Pull up a loop the same height as your current round.Step 3: Yarn over and pull through both loops on hook (just like a regular single crochet).
