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Knit Christmas ornaments are a great addition to your tree. They’re generally quick and easy to make, and it’s fun to have things you made on your holiday tree.
If you’re also a crocheter, be sure to check out my posts on crochet Christmas ornaments and crochet Christmas decorations for more handcrafted ideas.
Christmas Ball Ornament Knitting Patterns
If you ask me, the classic knit Christmas ornaments are balls. I have a set I made on a circular knitting machine but you can do the exact same thing knitting by hand.
In fact if you like the look of character balls, and aren’t afraid of a little extra knitting and finishing to jazz them up, check out the baubles from Bizzy Bee Patterns. These include a snowman, Santa, bird, reindeer and Christmas pudding, all worked in DK weight yarn.
Maybe the easiest knit ball pattern out there is the beginner level classic knitted Christmas ornament from My Knit Spot. This simple striped pattern looks like it might use worsted weight yarn but in any case is quick and easy to knit.
Looking for a basic ball shape you can customize lots of different ways? The Balls Up pattern (free on Ravelry from General Hogbuffer) includes instructions for the plain ball, adding stripes and a few Fair Isle pattern bands, though you can also use different ones or draw your own. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and a 7 inch foam ball.
Who says Christmas ornaments have to be Christmas colors? Use your scraps from projects from throughout the year to make the Holly Jolly Knit Baubles from Holly Woodward Designs. These candy colored balls are sure to bring a smile to your face as you knit them and on the tree. The pattern includes 12 designs to choose from. Or knit them all!
The stars and balls ornament pattern from Yarnspirations includes both a few basic two-color balls and a set of knit stars (stars shown above. The patterns use worsted weight yarn and the colorwork is charted but the patterns are rated easy.
DROPS Design has so many great holiday patterns, and their knit balls called New Traditions are no exception. This set offers six colorwork options also shown in charts, and it calls for sport weight yarn.
Eunny Jang’s Cabled Globe Ornament is worked in a single color in worsted weight yarn, with simple braid cables worked around the bauble. It comes out to 9 inches around when stuffed, and you can grab the free pattern on Ravelry.
Another pretty one that uses a single color are these textured ornaments from Gnomes All the Way. This set of three designs is so pretty and the designs are similar so they will look harmonious on the tree. These use worsted weight yarn.
I love the rustic look imparted by the multicolored yarn used on these baubles from Emma Crochet Design 4U, though of course you can use solid colors instead. The patterns include a heart, tree and deer head, as well as a checkerboard pattern. They’re worked in fingering weight yarn.
This three-color spiral ball from Andrea Wong Knits looks like a log of fun, and its knit flat, which makes it even easier. It uses three colors of fingering weight yarn and a 2.5 inch plastic ball ornament.
Knit Christmas Ornaments for Clothing
Little sweaters, hats, stockings and more are super cute to knit for the tree. Personalize them with family initials or the year you made them and they become an even more treasured keepsake.
Yarnspirations has a whole set of adorable mini ornaments that look like clothes, including sweaters, hats and mittens. These use worsted weight yarn and the details make them: tiny stripes and pompoms, a colorwork tree, even a little crochet string to hold the mittens together!
Snuffle Bean Yarn has these cute beanie style hats with pompoms. Make them look like Santa hats or use any two colors from your stash of DK weight yarn leftovers to stitch them up in no time.
And A Box of Twine made these cute tiny knit stocking caps. They use about 10 yards each of worsted weight yarn so they’re perfect for using those little leftovers.
Speaking of adding initials to ornaments, you can see that on this set of tiny knit sweaters from Nourish and Nestle. The lettering is added with cross stitches after the knitting is done so it’s super easy to do. The originals were worked in worsted weight yarn but the pattern includes stitch counts for other weights as well so you can use your stash.
Prefer using duplicate stitch to add your letters? That’s shown in this pattern from Knit and Hygge, which makes tiny raglan sweaters using worsted weight yarn. This would actually be a great learning project if knitting a person-sized sweater feels too intimidating.
Take your knit sweater ornaments into ugly Christmas sweater territory with these ideas from Chatty Cathy Knitting. These are made with fingering weight yarn and the pattern includes lots of charts and ideas for decoration, from a snowflake to a hat embellished with a tiny bell!
The tiny tree socks from Summer Lee are another great way to use little bits of leftover sock yarn or part of a mini skein. Each one uses just 26 yards of yarn, and you can change up the colors as often as you want to use what you have. This pattern is free on Ravelry.
Gina Michele’s mini knit mitten ornaments have the option of being worked in DK or worsted weight to make different sized mittens. And they’re worked flat so they’re pretty easy even for beginners.
More Christmas Ornament Knitting Patterns
This section of knit Christmas ornaments is kind of like a bonus round for other cute things you might like to knit.
Starting out with a few of my knit Christmas ornaments. I love these little knit cord trees, which you can make in minutes whether you knit them by hand or use other ways to make a knit cord. These are fun with beads sewn in or just stitch the cord into a tree shape.
This little knit mini snowman can be a knit Christmas ornament or it can stand on a table. The little knit scarf is a lot of fun and could also be embellished with tassels, stripes or anything else you like. This one uses worsted weight yarn.
And if you want to skip the needles all together, make some finger knit wreath ornaments. These take just minutes to make and are fun for kids and adults alike.
These teensy house ornaments from Gray Bear Askwokrat are so sweet, and would be great to mark moving to a new house (stitch the year on them for extra cuteness). These are knit flat so there’s a bit of finishing to make them so adorable, but worth the effort I think.
Knit Christmas trees to add to the tree or make into a garland to hang elsewhere are always a good idea. These from DROPS Design use sport weight yarn and are just little triangles worked in the round so you can add your own embellishments or use their ideas. Note these patterns are charted including the decreases, but it’s still a pretty easy pattern.
I love a good holiday light garland, too, and this knit one from Purl 4 Fun is so colorful and lovely. The bulbs are worked flat and use a DK or light worsted weight yarn, or use whatever scarps you have to make bulbs in different sizes.
Frankie Brown has such great patterns, especially for seasonal stuff. This candy cane pattern (free on Ravelry) was designed as part of a Christmas wreath, but you can make them separately and tuck them into the branches of your tree like knit Christmas ornaments. They call for DK weight yarn but use whatever you have to make canes of different sizes.
And of course there are all sorts of characters and knit amigurumi you can make into ornaments, but to get you started there’s this adorable reindeer pattern from South Stitch Girls. It uses worsted weight yarn an I just love all the details on it.
