Christmas Granny Square: Easy Red, Green and White Pattern
A classic four-round granny square in red, green and white, with five color orders to try and simple ways to turn the squares into a garland, a stocking panel or coasters.
Tutorial at a glance
Materials
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
- Blocking pins (optional)
- Fabric for lining a stocking (optional)
A Christmas granny square is the classic four-round cluster square worked in red, green and white. Nothing about the stitches changes; the season comes entirely from the color order. That makes it a good holiday project for beginners and a fast one for anyone who already knows the basic square, and a small pile of squares can become a garland, a stocking front or a set of coasters.
The pattern below is written in US crochet terms (US double crochet is the same stitch as UK treble). It changes color every round, so each round starts with new yarn joined in a corner.
Materials
- Worsted weight (4) yarn in three colors: red (A), white (B) and green (C). Acrylic or wool for decorations and stockings, cotton for coasters.
- US H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook, or the size recommended for your yarn
- Yarn needle and scissors
Small amounts of each color are enough for a few squares. Use either a bright white or a soft cream, but not both in one project.
Abbreviations
- ch = chain
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- sp = space; ch-1 sp, ch-2 sp = space made by 1 or 2 chains
- rnd = round
- rep = repeat
- RS = right side
- Cluster = 3 dc worked into the same space
Christmas Granny Square Pattern
The ch 3 at the start of every round counts as the first dc. Work all rounds with the RS facing you and do not turn.
- Rnd 1 (A, red): Ch 4, sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 3, 2 dc in ring, ch 2, [3 dc in ring, ch 2] 3 times, sl st in top of ch 3. Fasten off A. (12 dc in 4 clusters, 4 ch-2 sps)
- Rnd 2 (B, white): Join B with a sl st in any ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, ch 1, [(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, ch 1] 3 times, sl st in top of ch 3. Fasten off B. (24 dc in 8 clusters, 4 ch-2 sps, 4 ch-1 sps)
- Rnd 3 (C, green): Join C with a sl st in any ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, [(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1] 3 times, sl st in top of ch 3. Fasten off C. (36 dc in 12 clusters, 4 ch-2 sps, 8 ch-1 sps)
- Rnd 4 (A, red): Join A with a sl st in any ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, [ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp] 2 times, ch 1, *(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, [ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp] 2 times, ch 1; rep from * 2 more times, sl st in top of ch 3. Fasten off A. (48 dc in 16 clusters, 4 ch-2 sps, 12 ch-1 sps)
Weave in all eight tails. In worsted weight with a 5 mm hook the square may come out at roughly 5 in (13 cm) across, but that depends on your yarn and tension, so make one and measure it before planning anything that has to fit.
Tip
Start each new color in a different corner from the one where the last round ended. Spreading the joins around the square keeps one corner from becoming thick with knots and tails.
If joining new yarn in a corner space is new to you, how to change colors in a granny square shows the join step by step, along with ways to keep the color changes tidy.
Color Order Options
The same four rounds look very different when the colors are shuffled. Each option below uses the pattern exactly as written and changes only which yarn is used in which round.
| Look | Rnd 1 | Rnd 2 | Rnd 3 | Rnd 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Red | White | Green | Red |
| Candy cane | Red | White | Red | White |
| Wreath | Red | Green | Green | White |
| Snowy | White | White | Green | Red |
| Evergreen | White | Green | Red | Green |
Where two rounds in a row share a color, as in the wreath and snowy versions, there is no need to fasten off between them. Finish the round, then sl st across the next 2 dc and into the corner ch-2 sp, and begin the next round there with ch 3.
What To Make With Christmas Granny Squares
A Garland
Make as many squares as you like; seven to nine is a reasonable number for a mantel, depending on its width and the size of your squares. Then hang them from a crocheted cord:
- With white, ch 30 for the first tie.
- Holding a square with the RS facing you, sc in a corner ch-2 sp, sc in each of the next 3 dc, [sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in each of next 3 dc] 3 times, sc in the next corner ch-2 sp. (17 sc across the top of the square)
- Ch 10, then rep step 2 on the next square. Continue until every square is attached.
- After the last square, ch 30 for the second tie and fasten off.
A Stocking Panel
Four squares arranged in an L shape make a simple, boxy stocking front: three stacked in a column for the leg, and one more beside the bottom square for the foot. Make a second L that mirrors the first for the back, so you need eight squares in all. Join the squares of each panel, then seam the two panels together around the outside, leaving the top edge open. Any of the seams in how to join granny squares will do. Add a short chain loop at the top corner for hanging, and a fabric lining if the stocking will be filled, because small gifts can poke through the open clusters.
Coasters
Worked in cotton, a single square is a festive coaster. Stop after Rnd 3 for a smaller mat, and consider one round of sc around the edge to firm it up: sc in each dc and each ch-1 sp, with (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner ch-2 sp. On the four-round square that gives 68 sc and 4 ch-2 sps. More advice on fiber and sizing is in the guide to granny square coasters.
Watch out
Strong reds can bleed onto white when wet. Before washing or wet blocking a finished piece, dampen a scrap of the red yarn, press it against a scrap of the white, and check for color transfer. Follow the care instructions on the yarn label.
Finishing
Squares for a garland or stocking look sharper when their corners are pinned out square, so block all the squares to the same size before joining. The same square in an orange, black and purple palette is covered in Halloween granny squares.
Frequently asked questions
What colors do I need for a Christmas granny square?
Red, green and white are the usual three. Use either a bright white or a cream throughout a project, and keep all three yarns the same weight so the rounds stay even.
How many squares do I need for a Christmas garland?
It depends on the size of your squares and the length you want. Seven to nine squares is a reasonable starting point for a mantel; measure one finished square and the space to work out your own number.
Can I make the square bigger or smaller?
Yes. Stop after round 3 for a smaller square, or keep adding rounds in the same way, with one more side cluster per side in each new round.
Will red yarn bleed onto the white?
Some strongly dyed reds can transfer color when wet. Test damp scraps of red and white pressed together before washing or wet blocking, and follow the yarn label's care instructions.
