Christmas lights are the hallmark of the holiday season, bringing warmth and lighting up the chilly nights of December. They transform the outsides of ordinary homes into charming attractions that make everyone want to stop and take in their beauty.
So why not make some ‘forever’ fairy lights to add to your festive decor every year? Make good use of those cosy evenings with a bit of crochet, making the bulbs one-by-one to create a retro-inspired festive lights garland.
Crochet Christmas by Jacki Donhou, Josephine Laurin & Angel Koychev, GMC Publications, RRP £16.99, available online and from all good bookshops.
This project has been kindly provided by the authors of Crochet Christmas, which is a fantastic craft book packed full of festive makes.
The finished size of the garland is 90 x 3in (228 x 7.5cm) and you can download the printable instructions here or follow the project steps below:
You will need
- Hobbii Rainbow 8/6 100% cotton (approx 115yd/105m per 50g)
- 1 x 50g ball in 54 Yellow (A) 1 x 50g ball in 100 Deep Jungle Green (B)
- 1 x 50g ball in 31 Blue (C) 1 x 50g ball in 84 Green (D)
- 1 x 50g ball in 58 Red (E)
- 3mm (US C/2 or D/3) crochet hook
- Silver or gold crochet thread (optional)
- 2mm (US B/1) crochet hook
- Stitch marker (optional
- Darning needle
- Polyester filling
- Scissors
Pattern Note
The Christmas Lights are worked in rounds. Stuff as you crochet.
For the Garland String all stitches are worked in a chain. The tension on the chain stitches needs to be tight to ensure the bulbs are evenly spaced.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Rnd 1: With A, working into MC, 6 dc (6 sts).
Rnd 2: 1 dc in each st around (6 sts).
Rnd 3: (Dc2inc) 6 times (12 sts).
Rnd 4: 1 dc in each st around (12 sts).
Rnd 5: (Dc, dc2inc) 6 times (18 sts).
Rnd 6: 1 dc in each st around (18 sts).
Rnd 7: (Dc, dc2inc, dc) 6 times (24 sts).
Rnds 8-10: 1 dc in each st around (24 sts).
Rnd 11: (3 dc, dc2inc) 6 times (30 sts).
Rnds 12-16: 1 dc in each st around (30 sts).
Rnd 17: (3 dc, dc2tog) 6 times (24 sts).
Rnds 18 and 19: 1 dc in each st around (24 sts).
Rnd 20: (Dc, dc2tog, dc) 6 times (18 sts).
Fasten off and weave in the extra yarn end into the piece.
Attach B to the back of the light bulb on the last st of
rnd 20.
Rnd 21: 1 dc in each st around (18 sts).
Rnds 22-24: BLO dc in each st around (18 sts).
Rnd 25: BLO (dc, dc2tog) 6 times (12 sts).
Fasten off, weave the yarn under each FLO and pull tight to close the hole.
Make one more Christmas Light in A, then six more Christmas Lights: two in C, two in D and two in E.
This completes a full set of eight Christmas Lights
to attach to the garland.
GARLAND STRING
Step 1: With A, start the Garland String with a long tail to add a loop for hanging, then 100 ch. Choose the first Christmas Light to secure to the Garland String.
Step 2: Sl st to the FLO of rnd 24 on the top of the Christmas Light, 4 ch, sl st to the FLO on rnd 24 directly across from the first sl st. Make sure there are 8 FLO sts on either side of the sl sts. This will ensure that the Christmas Light is attached evenly. 25 ch before attaching the next Christmas Light.
Repeat step 2 until there are seven Christmas Lights on
the Garland.
Step 3: Sl st to the FLO of rnd 24 on the top of the last Christmas Light, 4 ch, sl st to the FLO on rnd 24 directly across from the first sl st. Make sure there are 8 FLO sts on either side of the sl sts. 100 ch to end the Garland String, leaving a long tail to add a loop for hanging.
Ornament option
If you choose to make the Christmas Lights in the smaller ornament size, omit the Garland String instructions. Instead, with the darning needle and either silver or gold crochet thread, add a large loop at the top of each Christmas Light to hang it from the Christmas tree.
Enter the needle on the right side of rnd 25 and exit on the left side of the same rnd. Tie the two yarn ends together to complete the loop.
You can buy Crochet Christmas from Gifts to Me for only £13.5 (+P&P)! Usual RRP £16.99
Visit giftstome.co.uk and use the offer code R5771. Offer ends 21st February 2025
Pin it for later
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
