It’s time to start decorating our Christmas trees! This year, these Eulah crochet Christmas baubles will make an excellent complement to your crochet Christmas ornaments.
I like the idea of delicate, lovely Christmas ornaments that appear to be expertly designed and wonderfully executed. Though they weren’t baubles, my grandma was the queen of crocheted Christmas ornaments.
Every year as we took out the tree to decorate it, I marveled at the miniature doilies, snowflakes, and stars that were clearly created from thread but were structured and strong enough to stay solid.
Of course, Mom starched them to keep them open and attractive while hanging, but little me who didn’t know how to crochet didn’t realize that.
Crochet Christmas Baubles
So, when I was inspired to design a crochet Christmas baubles ornament pattern, I was reminded of these wonderful jewels produced by my grandma. I wanted to pay homage to a lace crochet pendant from her era while also bringing it to life in our present, modern aesthetic.
I chose to crochet over a plastic Christmas bauble to avoid having to starch and shape the work. This saves us from having to mess with a number of processes to build a structured orb while also giving the work the wonderful Christmas ornament form that we love to see on our trees.
I must confess… I’m not a huge fan of traditional “Christmas colors” like red, green, and white. I’ve liked watching the style of Christmas decorations evolve over the years to incorporate more colors that aren’t really “holiday” hues, such as blues and yellows.
Crochet Christmas Baubles Technique and Information
These crochet Christmas baubles are made by crocheting around a transparent plastic ball ornament. While all of the rounds until the last one are crocheted independently, the finished item will fit snugly over the ball ornament without the need for seaming.
This crochet Christmas baubles design is made with 2 strands of fine (sport) yarn and a certain size ornament. If you had some 1 – Super Fine (Fingering) weight yarn lying around, you could probably double it, but I haven’t checked the details of using fingering weight doubled.
It is critical to check your gauge before working with this design to ensure that the work will fit over the bauble. Your work should fit snugly against the Christmas ball ornament, but not so tightly that you have to struggle to slip it over.
Basic stitches such as slip stitch, chains, and double crochets are required for this crochet Christmas baubles design. It is also necessary to understand how to establish chain spaces, recognize and work into them, work in closed rounds, and verify gauge.
This design should be doable for Advanced Beginners. The last cycle is the most difficult, since we work while the item is ON the ball ornament. This is a tricky round to work if you’ve never done it before, but it’s otherwise a simple round.
MATERIALS
Yarn
- Fine (Sport Weight – 2) weight yarn of your choice in any color you prefer.
You will need approximately:
- 0.5 oz/ 10 g/ 30 yards
Yarn Used
- Brand: Yarn Bee Yarntopia
- Blue – Colorway: Cerulean Sea
- White – Colorway: Ivory
- Yellow – Colorway: Gold
REQUIRED ADDITIONAL MATERIAL/ITEM
- You will also need Plastic Christmas Baubles with a diameter of 258 inches, as many as you want to build. Using a cotton measuring tape, the diameter of the widest part of the bauble is roughly 8 12 inches.
- I used ball ornaments that I bought as single baubles from Hobby Lobby last year, but I’m not sure whether they’re still available.
- I would suggest using plastic rather than glass. While the work isn’t so tight that it would shatter the ornament, plastic is safer in general – especially if you have children!
TOOLS
- 4 mm (G-6) Hook (Or hook size needed to achieve gauge) – I used my favorite Furls Streamline Swirl in Cookies and Cream!
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch Markers
GAUGE
- Your work after Round 4 should measure approximately 2 ½ inches across (in diameter).
Note:
- I’m a tight crocheter, but I made a conscious effort not to crochet as tightly for these ornaments. If your work is too large, try a smaller hook size. If your work is too tiny, increase the hook size.
- If you’re around 2 1/2 inches tall, your work should fit perfectly over the bauble.
FINISHED SIZE
- This crochet project fits a plastic Christmas Bauble that is approximately 2 ⅝ inches in diameter.
ABBREVIATIONS
- Ch – Chain
- Sl St – Slip Stitch
- Dc – Double Crochet
- Spc(s) – Space(s)
- St(s) – Stitch(es)
- (…) – Stitch counts are listed at the end of row in ( ) and bold italics.
- […] – Pattern repeats are listed within brackets.
- (…Instructions…) – Instructions written within parentheses indicate to work all stitches in the same indicated space.
NOTES
- This design employs the “V” stitch in two variations to gradually rise and diminish. There’s a “regular” V stitch with one chain spacing between double crochets and a “wide” V stitch with two chains between double crochets.
- While this is the stitch used in the project, the pattern instructions will indicate the exact stitches to be worked rather than referring to it as a “V” stitch. For example, in some rounds, it says “(1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc)” and in others, “(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc)”. These are the many variants.
- To minimize misunderstanding, the pattern specifies each step. These numerous V stitch variants are used to gradually increase and decrease as needed.
- This pattern is done entirely in closed rounds.
- Chain 2 does not count as a stitch.
- Chain 3 counts as a double crochet and a chain 1 gap at the beginning of each round.
- Chain 4 counts as both a double crochet and a chain 2 gap at the beginning of each round.
- All stitches are worked into chain spaces. You will never stitch over the top of another stitch.
How to Make Crochet Christmas Baubles
- Round 1 – In magic circle, ch 3 (counts as dc + ch 1 here and throughout), [place 1 dc, ch 1]. Repeat inside brackets 5x. Sl st to 2nd ch of ch 3 to close. (6 dc, 6 ch 1 spc)
- Round 2 – Sl st into ch 1 spc. Ch 3, in same ch 1 spc, work (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc). [sk 1 st, work (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in ch 1 spc]. Repeat inside brackets 5x. Sl st to 2nd ch of ch 3 to close. (18 dc, 12 ch 1 spcs)
- Round 3 – Sl st into ch 1 spc. Ch 4, (counts as dc + ch 2 here and throughout), dc same ch 1 spc. Sk 1 st, work (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in ch 1 spc. [Sk 2 sts, work (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in ch 1 spc. Sk 1 st, work (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in ch 1 spc]. Repeat inside brackets 5x. Sk last st, sl st to 2nd ch of ch 4 to close. (24 dc, 12 ch 2 spcs)
- Round 4 – Sl st into ch 1 spc. Ch 4, dc same ch 2 spc. [Sk 2 sts, work (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in ch 2 spc]. Repeat inside brackets 11x. Sl st to 2nd ch of ch 4 to close. (24 dc, 12 ch 2 spcs)
- Stop here and check gauge!
- Round 5 through Round 7 – Repeat Round 4.
- Round 8 – Sl st into ch 1 spc. Ch 3, dc same ch 2 spc. [Sk 2 sts, work (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in ch 2 spc]. Repeat inside brackets 11x. Sl st to 2nd ch of ch 4 to close. (24 dc, 12 ch 1 spcs)
- Place bauble inside of work with the right side of work facing out. The final round is worked with the bauble inside. There should be about an inch of space left between the work and the “stem”.
- Round 9 – Sl st into ch 1 spc. Ch 2 (doesn’t count as a stitch), place dc in same ch 1 spc. [Sk 1 st, 1 dc in ch 1 spc]. Repeat inside brackets 11x. Sl st to the top of the first dc to close. (12)
Trim yarn, leaving a 3-4 inch tail for cinching top closed and weaving ends.
Your last round should be tight against the bauble’s stem. By cinching the top, we can assure a tight fit. Weave the yarn in and out of the tops of the stitches from Round 9 using your tapestry needle.
Pull tight once you’ve gone all the way around to guarantee a snug fit. Tie a knot to secure the yarn, then weave in the ends.
You’re finished!
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