One of the best things about being a knitter is how we can create our own decor items during the holiday season, as as festive times are fast approaching, I thought I would have a play and see where my needles took me! I am a dedicated fan of Chrsitmas, and, as a family, we love spending time planning our Christmas meals, organising decor, and creating our own cosy traditions like our Monolpoly championship (that I never win) and making sure everything is as warm and inviting as possible. And, of course, aing sure I have a brand-new festive pattern ready is the icing on the cake!

So, here’s Crimbo-loving me sharing my latest design with you – the Nordic Tree – Easy Flat Knit Christmas Tree Pattern!

Design wise, My plan was to make something that was a quick stash buster, used muted tones and had a couple of different design options to switch things up a bit, so, I came up with this modern tree that’s only perfect as an ornament on its own, but it can also be used as a unique and reusable gift tag, as part of some Christmas bunting…

The options are endless, and I’ve given you some ideas on how to use yours further down this post, as well as tips on embellishing them (if you like your decor to be a bit extra), as well as some colour palette inspiration. I’m sure you’ll come up with some amazing ideas of your own, too! I made mine to match the colours I love my own own home furnishings, and I’m looking forward to seeing what gorgeous colour combinations you all come up with.

Nordic Tree - Easy Flat Knit Christmas Tree Pattern

The Nordic Tree is a sweet and simple design that is very approachable for beginners, as well as being a cool palate cleanser for more experienced makers. I really adore the slip stitch detailing and smooth ic-ord edging, so new knitters will get to practice these two useful techniques on a small scale that works up in no time.

This pattern offers two styles: the first is a plain garter stitch tree that is the perfect base for sewing on buttons and embellishments – or just keep it plain and Scandi, wheras the second features gorgeously textured slip stitches that mimic the lines of a pine tree.

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Table of Contents · Nordic Tree – Easy Flat Knit Christmas Tree Pattern

What You Can Use Your Nordic Tree – Easy Flat Knit Christmas Tree Pattern for…

These charming little trees are wonderfully versatile and make a fantastic stash-busting project for the festive season. Because they knit up quickly and lie flat, you can incorporate them into your holiday decorating in several creative ways.

Festive Garlands: String several trees together along a length of natural jute twine or contrasting yarn to create a Scandinavian-inspired mantlepiece or window garland.
Tree Ornaments: Hhang them directly from the branches of your main Christmas tree.
Gift Toppers: Tie a single miniature tree onto the ribbon of a wrapped holiday present as a keepsake gift tag that the recipient can keep and display for years to come. Use plain coloured wrapping paper for a clean look, and why not team them up with my origami paper pouches?
Table Place Settings: Prop them up or lay them flat beside dinner plates on Christmas Day with a guest name tag attached to the trunk – I love this idea!
Free-Standing Mantel Display: Block them firmly so they stand upright on a wooden shelf alongside fairy lights and pinecones for a cosy winter village scene.

Colour Palettes for Your Nordic Tree – Easy Flat Knit Christmas Tree Pattern

The Nordic Frost Palette: Keep things crisp and minimalist using muted silvers, soft greys, and snowy whites, paired with a rich ash brown trunk for an understated winter wonderland look.
The Traditional Forest Palette: Go full-on classic woodland by pairing deep pine greens with earthy sage tones and a dark bark brown trunk, like I have.
The Earthen Clay Palette: Mix things up with warm terracotta, muted mustard, and oat shades for a modern, earthy take on holiday decorating that works year-round.
The Monochrome Minimalist: Work entirely in black and cream, or various shades of charcoal, for a striking contemporary look.

Pattern Details

Skill Level: Confident beginner friendly
Finished Size: 5 inches by 2.5 inches wide (approximately 12.5 cm by 6.5 cm, including trunk).
Yarn: 30-40 metres of DK cotton of your choice that works to a gauge of approximately 20 sts × 26 rows = 4″ (10 cm) on 3.75 mm needles. I used Hobbii Friends Cotton 8/8 (100% Cotton, 75 m per 50g ball). Main tree colour and oddments (less than 10g) of Colour 58 (Dusky Mauve) for the trunk. The plain grey version uses Hobbii Friends Cotton in the shade 117 (Light Gray).
Needles: 3.75mm straight or circular knitting needles.
Notions: Tapestry needle, removable stitch marker, length of jute twine (1 mm thickness is ideal), one 10 mm wooden craft bead, blocking board or foam mat with pins (important for shaping).
Gauge: N/A for this decorative project.

Which Yarn Should I Use?

I used 100% cotton for this pattern and always suggest using the same, or even 100% wool for a rustic look – especially cosy at Christmas. I would avoid using acrylic or artificial fibres (although I am a huge fan of acrylic yarn for a lot of projects, I prefer natural materials for these kind of makes) to really pile on the hygge/Scandi charm and texture. Also, blocking is essential here, and man-made fibres do not block well (if at all), so go natural for this one, craft friends.

I always recommend using scrap yarn for this kind of quick pattern, but if you feel like treating yourself to some new gorgeous yarns, here are my favourites.

Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK: Budget-friendly and available in a stunning spectrum of modern shades, offering wonderful stitch definition – just what’s needed for this pattern.

Gründl Cotton Quick: An unmercerised cotton providing a lovely matte, contemporary finish.

Tahki Yarns Cotton Classic Twist: Get Funky with this cool yarn that combines two colours in one strand. Great if you want a maximalist look to your tree.

Stylecraft Naturals Pure Wool DK: If you feel like going wooly, this is one of the best wool yarns I have tried. Soft but firm, it also comes in a good range of earthy to bright and neutral shades that would make your trees stand out beautifully.

Abbreviations

alt: alternate
bo: cast off
co: cast on
k: knit
kfb: knit front and back (increase made)
p: purl
rep: repeat
RS: right side
sl: slip stitch purlwise with yarn in front
st(s): stitch(es)
WS: wrong side
wyif: with yarn in front

Special Stitches: Wrriiten Instructions

Special Stitches and Techniques

Sl 1 wyif (Slip 1 Purlwise with Yarn in Front): With the yarn held to the front of your work, slip the first stitch from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle purlwise. This forms the foundation of your neat chain edge.
Kfb (Knit Front and Back): Knit into the front of the next stitch as normal, but do not slip it off the left-hand needle. Instead, insert your right needle into the back loop of the same stitch and knit it again, creating two stitches from one and increasing your count by one.

Special Stitches: Video Tutorial

If you prefer a visual walkthrough or want to see how the edge and shaping come together smoothly, you can watch the video tutorial right here:

Video Tutorial: Sl 1 wyif

Video Tutorial: knit front and back (increase made)

Designer Notes · Nordic Tree – Easy Flat Knit Christmas Tree Pattern

By slipping the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in front, you will create a wonderfully smooth chain edge that gives this tree a clean finish.
If you find it hard to keep track of your increase side, clip a removable stitch marker onto that edge so you never miss a shaping row.
Always wet block your trees by saturating them in water and pinning into shape on your blocking board. When you case off they might look a bit wonky, but bloxking will even them out beautifully.

Design One: Textured Tree – Pattern Instructions

Using your main tree shade, cast on 2 sts.

Row 1 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, k to end. [2 sts] Row 2 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb. [3 sts] Row 3 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, k to end. [3 sts] Row 4 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k1. [4 sts] Row 5 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, k to end. [4 sts] Row 6 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, kfb, k1. [6 sts] Row 7 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, k to end. [6 sts]

Shaping Section

From now on, you will work increase rows on the Right Side and plain stocking stitch rows on the Wrong Side, increasing by two stitches on every RS row until you reach 20 stitches total, ending after a WS row to keep the smooth side facing forward.

Row 8 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. [8 sts]

Row 9 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, p to end. [8 sts]

Row 10 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. [10 sts]

Row 11 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, p to end. [10 sts]

Row 12 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. [12 sts]

Row 13 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, p to end. [12 sts]

Row 14 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. [14 sts]

Row 15 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, p to end. [14 sts]

Row 16 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. [16 sts]

Row 17 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, p to end. [16 sts]

Row 18 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. [18 sts]

Row 19 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, p to end. [18 sts]

Row 20 (RS): Sl 1 wyif, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. [20 sts]

Row 21 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, p to end. [20 sts]

Cast off all stitches loosely.

Trunk

With the Right Side facing, skip the first 6 stitches along the bottom cast-off edge, then pick up and knit the next 6 stitches using oddments of Hobbii Friends Cotton 8/8 in Col 08 (Ash Brown).

Work in stocking stitch (knit on RS, purl on WS) on these 6 stitches until your trunk measures approximately 2cm (0.75 inches), or to your preferred length. Cast off loosely.

Making Up and Finishing

Darn in all remaining loose ends securely on the wrong side of your work. Pin your knitted tree carefully to measurements on a blocking mat, mist thoroughly with water, and leave to dry completely into shape.

Once dry, thread a length of natural jute twine through the very top point of the tree, secure with a knot, and attach a wooden craft bead just above the peak as a rustic hanging loop and decorative topper.

Design Two: Grey Tree – Pattern Instructions

Note: This version is worked up identically to the Textured Tree but skips the textured bottom section and brown trunk colour change.

Using your main tree shade (I used grey DK yarn), cast on 2 sts.