Penguin and snowman christmas tree decoration

Since its almost Christmas I thought it would be nice to publish a pattern for this little Christmas tree decoration I made.



Difficulty: 

Medium - Difficult (Very fiddly)

You will need:

• regular sewing thread in black, white, orange, red, and brown
• A 0.6mm crochet hook
• A small amount of black and white felting wool (You can use regular stuffing if you wish but I find that for the penguin it tends to show through the stitches and interfere with your crocheting)
• A regular sewing needle
• A 2.5mm hook
• White chunky yarn 
• Some 0.5mm craft wire
• A small amount of PVA glue and a fine paintbrush
• A darning needle with a large eye

Note:

• To make my patterns easier to read, in most cases instead f writing'sc in the next ... sts' I have just written 'sc...' Eg. 'sc12' means 'sc in the next 12 sts'
• 'fasten off neatly' refers to a special way of fastening off which is neater and makes it easier to see where you should be crocheting on the next round (also known as invisible fastening off). This involves pulling up your yarn through your stitch, threading the yarn underneath the second stitch from where you pulled your yarn up, then threading your yarn back through the top of this stitch and down through the back of the work. There is a very helpful site that explains it clearly found here. Just make sure when you do this that you thread your needle through the SECOND stitch after the last stitch you made, otherwise you will end up with an extra stitch which may mean that all of the following rounds are out of line with each other.

For the bauble:

With a 2.5mm hook and white chunky yarn make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
Round 3: (Sc2, 2sc in the next st) 5 times, sc3 (23sc)
Round 4: Sc, (2sc in the first st, sc3) 5 times, sc2 (28sc)
Round 5: (2sc in the first st, sc8) 3 times, Sc (31sc)
Round 6: Sc5, (2sc in the first st, sc9) twice, 2sc in the next st, sc5 (34sc)
Round 7: Sc17, 2sc in the next st, sc16 (35sc)
Round 8: 2sc in the first st, sc34 (36sc)
Rounds 9 - 10: (2 rounds) Sc in each st
Round 11: Sc26, sc2tog, sc8 (35sc)
Round 12: Sc12, sc2tog, sc21 (34sc)
Round 13: Sc, (sc2tog, sc9) 3 times (31sc)

Fasten off neatly

For the base:
With chunky yarn make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
Round 3: sc in the first 2sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (24sc)
Round 4: sc in the first 3sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (30sc)
Fasten off

For the penguin:

Use a 0.6mm hook throughout

For the body:

With black sewing thread make a magic loop with 6sc

Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: 18
Round 3: 24
Rounds 4 - 13: (10 rounds) sc in each st
Round 14: sc6, sc2tog, rep to end (21sc)
Round 15: sc5, sc2tog, rep to end (18sc)
Round 16: sc4, sc2tog, rep to end (15sc)
Round 17: sc3, sc2tog, rep to end (12sc)

Stuff with black needle felting wool
Round 18: sc2, sc2tog, rep to end (6sc)
Fasten off

For the head:

With black sewing thread ch6
Round 1: Sc in the 2nd chain st from hook, sc in each of the next 3 chain sts, 3sc in the last chain st (the first one you made), sc in the back loop of each of the previous 3 chain sts you crocheted into in turn, then make 2sc in the back loop of the first chain st you crocheted into (12sc)
Round 2: 2sc in the first st, sc3, 2sc in each of the next 3sts, sc3, 2sc in each of the following 2 chain sts (18sc)
Round 3: sc, 2sc in the next st, sc4, (2sc in the first st, sc) 3 times, sc3, 2sc in the next st, sc, 2sc in the last st (24sc)
Round 4: sc2, 2sc in the next st, sc5, (2sc in the first st, sc2) 3 times, sc3, 2sc in the next st, sc2, 2sc in the last st (30sc)
Rounds 5 - 8: (4 Rounds) sc in each st
Round 9: (Note: this is slightly more than 1 round) Sc3, sc2tog, sc3, (sc2, sc2tog) 3times, sc3, sc2, sc2tog twice (24sc)
Round 10: Sc, sc2tog, sc3, (sc, sc2tog) 3 times, sc3, (sc, sc2tog) twice (18sc)
Round 11: sc in each st
Round 12: (Note: this is slightly less than 1 round) sc17 

Round 13: sc2tog, Sc7, sc2tog, sc7 (16sc)

Round 14: sc2tog, sc7, sc2tog, sc5 (14sc)

Suff with black needle felting wool

Round 15: sc, sc2tog, sc3, sc2tog 4 times (9sc)

Round 16: sc2tog 3 times (6sc)
Fasten off

Sew this to the body of your penguin

For the flippers (make 2):
With black sewing thread make a magic loop with 4sc
Round 1: (sc, 2sc in the next st) twice (6sc)
Round 2: (sc2, 2sc in the next st) twice (8sc)

Round 3: (sc3, 2sc in the next st) twice (10sc)

Round 4: (sc4, 2sc in the next st) twice (12sc)
Rounds 5 - 10: (6 rounds) sc in each st
Round 11: (sc2, sc2tog) 3 times (9sc)
Fasten off

Sew these to the sides of the body

For the face patch:

With white sewing thread make a magic loop with 4sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (8sc)

Round 2: sc in each st
Round 3: Sc3, 2sc in each of the next 2sts, sc3 (10sc)
Fasten off

With white sewing thread make a magic loop with 4sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (8sc)

Round 2: sc in each st

Round 3: 2sc in the first st, sc6, 2sc in the last st (10sc)
Round 4: Sc5, ch1, sc in the st after the 'new' st of the previous section (the one that tightens if you pull the loose end), sc10 around this section, ch1, sc 5 around the first section (22sc)
Rounds 5 - 6: (2 rounds) sc in each of these 22 sts
Round 7: Sc2tog, sc7, sc2tog twice, sc7, sc2tog (18sc)
Round 8: Sc2tog twice, sc, sc2tog 4 times, sc, sc2tog twice (10sc)
Round 9: Sc2tog, sc, sc2tog twice, sc, sc2tog (6sc)
Fasten off

Sew this to the face of your penguin

For the belly patch:

With white sewing thread ch6
Round 1: Sc in the 2nd chain st from hook, sc in each of the next 2 chain sts, 3sc in the last chain st (the first one you made), sc in the back loop of each of the previous 2 chain sts you crocheted into in turn, then make 2sc in the back loop of the first chain st you crocheted into (10sc)
Round 2: 2sc in the first st, sc3, 2sc in each of the next 2sts sc3, 2sc in the last st (14sc)
Round 3: 2sc in the first st, sc5, 2sc in each of the next 2sts, sc5, 2sc in the last st (18sc)
Rounds 4 - 9: (6 rounds) sc in each st
Round 10: Sc2tog, sc5, sc2tog twice, sc5, sc2tog (14sc)
Round 11: Sc2tog, sc3, sc2tog twice, sc3, sc2tog (10sc)

Fasten off
Sew this to the front of your penguin


For the feet (make 2):
With orange sewing thread make a magic loop with 4sc
Round 1: (sc, 2sc in the next st) twice (6sc)
Round 2: (sc2, 2sc in the next st) twice (8sc)
Rounds 3 - 4: (2 rounds) sc in each st
Round 5: (sc3, 2sc in the next st) twice (10sc)
Round 6: Ch1, skip6, slip1
Fasten off
Rejoin yarn to the next st of round 5, sc in this st, ch1, skip4, sc, slip1 in the stitch you made before last (the one you crocheted into the same st as you fastened on)
Fasten off
Rejoin yarn to the next st of round 5, sc in this st, sc3, slip1 in the first st of this little section (the one you crocheted into the same st as you fastened on)
Fasten off

Sew these to the base of the body

For the beak:
With orange sewing thread make a magic loop with 4sc
Round 1: (sc, 2sc in the next st) twice (6sc)
Round 2: Sc in each st
Round 3: (sc2, 2sc in the next st) twice (8sc)
Fasten off

Use black or orange sewing thread to sew the penguin to the base of the bauble

For the snowman:
Use a 0.6mm hook throughout

For the head and body:
Make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
Round 3: sc in the first 2sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (24sc)
Round 4: sc in the first 3sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (30sc)
Rounds 5 - 18: (14 rounds) sc in each st
Round 19: sc3, sc2tog, rep to end (24sc)
Round 20: sc2, sc2tog, rep to end (18sc)
Round 21: sc, sc2tog, rep to end (12sc)
Round 22: sc2tog 6 times to end (6sc)
Round 23: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 24: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
Round 25: sc in the first 2sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (24sc)
Rounds 26 - 33: (8 rounds) sc in each st
Round 34: sc2, sc2tog, rep to end (18sc)
Round 35: sc, sc2tog, rep to end (12sc)
Round 36: sc2tog 6 times to end (6sc)

For the nose:
With orange sewing thread make a magic loop with 4sc
Round 1: sc in each st
Round 2: (sc, 2sc in the next st) twice (6sc)
Round 3: sc in each st
Round 4: (sc2, 2sc in each next st) twice (8sc)
Round 5: sc in each st
Fasten off
Sew this to the face

For the scarf:
With red sewing thread ch5
Row 1: sc in the second chain st from hook, sc in every following chain st to end. ch1, turn (4sc)
Rows 2 - 49: (48 rows) sc in each st. ch1, turn
Row 50: sc in each st
Fasten off
Tie this around the snowman's neck and sew in place

For the hat:
With black sewing thread make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 2: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 3: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
Rounds 4 - 9: (6 rounds) sc in each st
Round 10: sc in the first 2sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (24sc)
Round 11: sc in the first 3sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (30sc)
Fasten off
Stuff and sew to the head of the snowman

For the eyes and buttons:
With black sewing thread sew dots onto the face and chest of the snowman to act as eyes and buttons

For the arms:
Cut a length of wire 4cm long and thread it through the body of the snowman.
Cut two 2cm lengths of wire and leave them to the side for the minute (these will form the cross section of the amrs)

Attach a length of brown thread to the body of the snowman next to where one side of the wire comes out using a needle and thread. Wind this length of thread around the wire, covering it as much as possible, until you have covered around 1cm of this arm section.


After you have done this you need to attach the centre of one of the 2cm long pieces of wire to this arm 1cm out from the centre (i.e. the position where your thread should now be. This is done by winding the yarn around the join between them multiple times in as many different ways as possible to try to secure it. After it is reasonably secure add a dab of PVA glue to the join and leave to dry.

Once this is dry you will need to cover all of the 3 remaining sections of wire on this arm with the brown thread. Wind it round so it reaches as close as possible to the end. You may want to add PVA glue to the ends of the arms to keep the thread in place. After you add this glue leave the snowman to dry before continuing. If you struggle to get the thread right to the ends of the arms, wind it round as far as possible, glue it in place, leave it to dry, then trim the bare ends of the wire.

Repeat this process with the other arm.


Use white thread to sew the base of the snowman to the base of the bauble.

Sew the base of the bauble (with the penguin and snowman on) to the bottom of the inside of the bauble. You may want to turn the bauble inside out as you do this to make it easier to sew the back edge in place.


Sew a length of yarn approx. 20m long to the top of the bauble and tie the ends in a bow to allow you to hand your decoration.


I hope you have enjoyed this pattern. Please feel free to contact me either below or via my 
Instagram or Ravelry pages if you have any queries or suggestions for future patterns. You are very welcome to sell finished products but I do ask that you don't re-post this pattern or claim it as your own. Thank you!