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Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern

Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern
4.7★Rating
10-12 HoursTime Needed
3.0KMade This
✂️

Intermediate Level

Ideal for those with basic crocheting experience, featuring slightly more advanced stitches and techniques to expand your skills.

⏱️

Slow & Steady

A 10-12 hour project—great for savoring the process over several sessions.

🎄

Holiday Cheer

Festive fun for the season, bringing handmade magic to celebrations and creating new family traditions.

About This Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern

Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view

Lay it down the middle of your dining table for Christmas dinner, or wrap it up as a gift for a grandmother who loves handmade things. It also looks sweet draped over a sideboard or mantel.

Why You'll Love This Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern

Honestly, I fell for the trunk. That single red line running down each tree keeps my place in the chart without any fuss, so I can stitch while chatting and still know exactly where I am. I also love the tiny moment at the end when a pearl goes into each star, because that’s when the runner stops being a project and starts feeling like Christmas. I’ve made it twice now, and both went to friends who still bring it up.

Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern step 1 Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern step 2 Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern step 3 Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern step 4

Switch Things Up

The first time I tried filet crochet, I gave up after three rows because my mesh looked like a tangled fishing net. What fixed it was slowing down and counting squares aloud, which sounds silly, but it works. By the second tree I wasn’t counting anymore, my hands just knew the rhythm. If you’re nervous, put a stitch marker in square 17 on your first tree row. It’s the trunk anchor and keeps everything lined up.

One tip that saved me: when you switch to red for the blocks, change colors on the last yarn over of the stitch before, and keep the carried strand loose. If you pull it snug, the mesh puckers and no amount of blocking will fully fix it.

I made mine in a warm ivory and cranberry, but I’ve been daydreaming about a forest green runner with cream trees, or deep navy with silver-gray thread for a winter look. You could also stitch only one tree for a table topper or a mantel scarf.

When I finally pinned mine out, it grew by almost two inches and the border sat perfectly flat. That was the moment I knew I’d be making a second one.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ The red ornament blocks can pucker the mesh if you carry the cream thread too tightly behind them, so leave a relaxed strand and gently stretch the row before you turn.✗ It’s easy to drift off-center on the trunk after a row with wide ornament blocks, so check each row that the trunk block sits directly above the trunk block in the row below.✗ The border ripples along the long sides if you work too few sc into the row-ends, so stick to 2 sc per row-end and pin the runner flat to check.✗ The pointed end edging only lines up with the tassels if you begin on the very first stitch of the end, because a one-stitch slip shifts all seven peaks to one side.✗ Stars sewn on too low will cover the first trunk block, so pin each one over Tree Rows 1-3 and step back to check its position before you stitch it down.✗ If the final dc of a mesh row misses the 3rd chain of the turning chain, the panel loses a square on that side and the trunk no longer sits in the middle.

Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern

There’s something so calming about filet crochet. You pick up a spool of fine thread, settle into your favorite chair, and the design quietly appears row after row. This runner is exactly that kind of project, a long-weekend companion that rewards you each time a new tree takes shape. Put on a movie, pour something warm, and let the rhythm of chain one, double crochet carry you along. By the time the last tassel is tied, you’ll have a piece that feels like it came out of a family heirloom chest.

Intermediate 10-12 Hours

Materials Needed for Filet Crochet Christmas Tree Table Runner Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    About 50g (roughly 300 m) of fine cotton crochet thread, around size 10, in warm ivory cream for the filet mesh
  • 02
    About 45g (roughly 250 m) of the same fine cotton thread in deep cranberry red for the tree blocks, trunks, border, end edging, and stars
  • 03
    About 30g of cranberry red cotton thread or fine yarn for the 14 tassels (use several strands together for a full look)
  • 04
    14 wooden beads, roughly 8-10 mm, in natural light wood for the top of each tassel
  • 05
    3 small pearl beads, about 3-4 mm, in ivory for the star centers

— Tools Required

  • 01
    1.5 mm steel crochet hook (approximate size, adjust to match your thread)
  • 02
    Tapestry needle with a small eye
  • 03
    Sharp embroidery scissors
  • 04
    Stitch markers to mark the corners and the center square
  • 05
    Rust-proof pins for blocking
  • 06
    Blocking mat or foam boards
  • 07
    Spray bottle for wet blocking
  • 08
    Two pieces of cardboard, one about 3.5 in (9 cm) tall for winding the tassels
  • 09
    Sewing needle and matching thread for the pearls and stars
  • 10
    Row counter or paper and pencil for tracking all 100 rows

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— 1. Center Panel - Lead-In Rows :

Info :

Finished size is approximately 8 x 22 in (20 x 56 cm) including the border, with about 3 in (8 cm) of tassels at each short end. The panel is 33 squares wide and 100 rows long, worked flat in cream with red blocks added in the trees. The foundation chain is always 2 x the number of squares + 3. To make it longer, add 32 rows per repeat (one 20-row tree plus a 12-row gap). To make it wider, add 2 chains to the foundation for every extra square and add the same number of ms to each side of the trunk so it stays centered.

Info :

Order of work: Section 1 (8 rows), Tree 1 (Section 2), Plain Mesh Rows Between Trees (Section 3), Tree 2, Plain Mesh Rows Between Trees, Tree 3, then Closing Mesh Rows (Section 4). That adds up to 100 rows (8 + 20 + 12 + 20 + 12 + 20 + 8). At the end of every row, work the last dc of the final ms into the 3rd ch of the previous row’s turning ch.

Row 1 :

With cream, ch69. Dc in 5th ch from hook (square 1), then 32 ms across the chain (1 + 32 = 33 squares).

Row 2-8 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc (square 1), 32 ms (1 + 32 = 33 squares).

— 2. Tree Chart Rows (work 3 times, once for each tree) :

Info :

Each tree is 20 rows. Every row starts with: turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc (square 1). The remaining squares are listed after that. All ms are cream and all bl are red. Switch to red on the last yarn over of the stitch before a block, carry the unused color loosely along the top of the row and stitch over it, then switch back to cream the same way. The trunk is always square 17 and every row totals 33 squares. The star is made separately in Section 7 and sewn on top of Tree Rows 1-3.

Tree Row 1-3 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 32 ms, all cream (1 + 32 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 4-5 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 15 ms, 1 bl in red, 16 ms (1 + 15 + 1 + 16 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 6 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 15 ms, 1 bl in red, 16 ms (1 + 15 + 1 + 16 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 7 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 13 ms, 1 bl in red, 1 ms, 1 bl in red, 1 ms, 1 bl in red, 14 ms (1 + 13 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 14 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 8 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 12 ms, 2 bl in red, 1 ms, 1 bl in red, 1 ms, 2 bl in red, 13 ms (1 + 12 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 13 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 9 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 15 ms, 1 bl in red, 16 ms (1 + 15 + 1 + 16 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 10 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 11 ms, 2 bl in red, 2 ms, 1 bl in red, 2 ms, 2 bl in red, 12 ms (1 + 11 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 12 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 11 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 13 ms, 5 bl in red, 14 ms (1 + 13 + 5 + 14 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 12 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 10 ms, 2 bl in red, 3 ms, 1 bl in red, 3 ms, 2 bl in red, 11 ms (1 + 10 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 11 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 13 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 15 ms, 1 bl in red, 16 ms (1 + 15 + 1 + 16 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 14 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 9 ms, 3 bl in red, 3 ms, 1 bl in red, 3 ms, 3 bl in red, 10 ms (1 + 9 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 3 + 3 + 10 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 15 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 13 ms, 5 bl in red, 14 ms (1 + 13 + 5 + 14 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 16 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 8 ms, 3 bl in red, 4 ms, 1 bl in red, 4 ms, 3 bl in red, 9 ms (1 + 8 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 4 + 3 + 9 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 17 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 15 ms, 1 bl in red, 16 ms (1 + 15 + 1 + 16 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 18 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 7 ms, 4 bl in red, 4 ms, 1 bl in red, 4 ms, 4 bl in red, 8 ms (1 + 7 + 4 + 4 + 1 + 4 + 4 + 8 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 19 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 12 ms, 7 bl in red, 13 ms (1 + 12 + 7 + 13 = 33 squares).

Tree Row 20 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 15 ms, 1 bl in red, 16 ms (1 + 15 + 1 + 16 = 33 squares). Fasten off red and keep working with cream.

— 3. Plain Mesh Rows Between Trees (work twice, after Tree 1 and after Tree 2) :

Info :

These 12 cream rows give each tree breathing room. Work them once after the first tree and once after the second.

Row 1-12 :

Turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 32 ms, all cream (1 + 32 = 33 squares).

— 4. Closing Mesh Rows :

Row 1-8 :

After Tree 3, turn, ch4, skip first dc and next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc, 32 ms, all cream (1 + 32 = 33 squares). Fasten off after Row 8.

— 5. Red Border Rounds :

Info :

The border is worked in red around the whole panel. Along the short ends you’ll work into the dc stitches and ch-1 spaces of the last row, and along the long sides into the row-ends. Place a stitch marker in the middle sc of each corner group to keep the corners tidy.

Round 1 :

Join red with a sl st in a corner dc at one short end, ch1. 3 sc in the corner dc, sc in each of the next 65 stitches and ch-1 spaces across the end, 3 sc in the next corner dc, 2 sc in each of the 98 row-ends along the first long side, 3 sc in the corner dc, sc in each of the next 65 stitches and ch-1 spaces across the other short end, 3 sc in the corner dc, 2 sc in each of the 98 row-ends along the second long side, sl st to first sc (3 + 65 + 3 + 196 + 3 + 65 + 3 + 196 = 534).

Round 2 :

Ch1, sc in each stitch around, working 3 sc in the middle sc of each 3-sc corner group, sl st to first sc (534 + 8 = 542).

Round 3 :

Ch1, sc in each stitch around, working 3 sc in the middle sc of each corner group, sl st to first sc, fasten off (542 + 8 = 550). Each short end now has 79 stitches, counting the 7-sc corner group at each side.

— 6. End Edging (make 2, one on each short end) :

Info :

This pointed edging is worked along the short ends only. The long sides keep the plain border. Each peak has a ch-3 space at the tip where a tassel will hang.

Edging Row :

Join red with a sl st in the first sc of the corner group at one end of a short side, ch1, sc in same stitch. *Sc in next 2 stitches, hdc in next 2 stitches, dc in next stitch, (dc, ch3, dc) in next stitch, dc in next stitch, hdc in next 2 stitches, sc in next 2 stitches; repeat from * 7 times in total (11 stitches per repeat), sc in the last stitch of the end. Fasten off (1 + 77 + 1 = 79 stitches used; 86 stitches and 7 ch-3 spaces).

— 7. Crochet Stars (make 3) :

Round 1 :

With red, make a mr. Ch1, 10 sc in the ring, sl st to first sc, pull the ring closed (10).

Round 2 :

*Sl st in next sc, ch3, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch, sl st in next sc; repeat from * 4 more times to make 5 points (5 repeats x 2 sc = 10). Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25 cm) tail for sewing.

Info :

The pearl bead is sewn to the center of each star after the star is attached to the runner. See the assembly steps for exact placement.

— 8. Beaded Tassels (make 14, 7 for each short end) :

Info :

Use the red tassel thread held together in several strands. Exact wrap counts depend on how thick your thread is, so wind until the tassel looks full and round.

Wrap :

Wrap red tassel thread about 60 times around a piece of cardboard roughly 3.5 in (9 cm) tall.

Tie Top :

Slide a 12 in (30 cm) length of red thread under all the wraps at the top edge of the cardboard. Tie it in a tight double knot and leave the tails long.

Cut :

Cut through the loops at the bottom edge of the cardboard and slide the bundle off.

Neck :

About 0.75 in (2 cm) below the top knot, wrap a separate 20 in (50 cm) strand of red around the bundle 8 times. Tie it off tightly and tuck the tails inside the tassel.

Trim :

Trim the bottom of the tassel evenly so it measures about 3 in (8 cm) long.

Bead :

Thread both top tails through a wooden bead so it sits snugly on top of the tassel, then knot the tails together right above the bead. Keep them long enough to attach the tassel to the runner.

Assembly Instructions

  • Weave in all cream and red tails by running them through the same-colored stitches on the wrong side, then trim close, taking extra care where the red blocks meet the cream mesh.
  • Soak the runner in cool water, roll it in a towel to remove excess moisture, and pin it to a blocking mat at about 8 x 22 in (20 x 56 cm). Pin each corner, every ch-3 peak on both ends, and a pin every 8-10 rows along the long sides. Let it dry completely.
  • Pin one star over each tree, centering it on square 17 with the middle ring on Tree Row 2 and the lowest points resting just above the first red trunk block on Tree Row 4. Stitch each point down with the red tail.
  • Sew a pearl bead into the center ring of each star using doubled matching thread, pulling it snug and knotting twice on the back of the runner.
  • Attach one tassel to each of the 7 ch-3 spaces along each short end. Pull the bead tails through the ch-3 space from the front to the back, knot them twice, and secure with a few small stitches so the bead sits at the tip of the peak.
  • Lay the runner flat, lightly steam the border from a distance without pressing, and check that the tassels hang evenly before using it.

Important Notes

  • 💡Choose a cotton thread with a little body, because it keeps the mesh squares crisp much better than a soft, fuzzy fiber.
  • 💡Keep a row counter close by. The runner is 100 rows long and the three trees only sit evenly if every gap has exactly 12 rows.
  • 💡A swatch of 10 squares should measure about 2 in (5 cm). If yours is bigger or smaller, adjust the hook size rather than the stitch counts so the border still fits.
  • 💡Placing a stitch marker in square 17 of your first tree row makes it easy to keep the trunk straight while you get used to the chart.
  • 💡A light spritz of fabric stiffener or sugar-water starch during blocking helps the mesh stay sharp and the peaks hold their points.
  • 💡Check that every row has exactly 33 squares before you start the next one, because a missed stitch at the edge is much easier to fix right away than 20 rows later.

Your runner is finished, the tassels are swinging, and the trees look right at home on the table. 🧶 Take a moment to admire the crisp cream mesh against that deep cranberry border, because you stitched every single square. Set a candle nearby, tuck in a few pinecones, and watch how the red catches the light. Next December you’ll pull it from the drawer and remember the evenings you spent making it. Happy stitching, and merry everything! ✨

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FAQs

Can I use a different thread or yarn weight for this pattern?

You can, but the pattern was designed around fine cotton crochet thread and a small steel hook. Going up to DK or worsted makes every mesh square larger, so the runner comes out much wider and longer and the border needs more stitches. If you change the weight, make a swatch first and adjust your foundation chain to reach the width you want.

How do I make the runner longer or wider?

For length, add 32 rows per repeat, which is one 20-row tree plus a 12-row plain gap. For width, add 2 chains to the foundation chain for every extra square, then add the same number of ms to each side of the trunk in every row so the tree stays centered. The foundation chain is always 2 x squares + 3.

Do I have to change colors in the middle of every row for the trees?

Yes, but only on the rows with red blocks. Switch to red on the last yarn over of the stitch before the block, carry the unused color loosely along the top of the row, and stitch over it. Keep the carried strand relaxed so the mesh doesn’t pucker. The trunk stays red from Tree Row 4 to Tree Row 20.

Is this pattern suitable for someone who has never tried filet crochet?

If you’re comfortable with chains and double crochet, you can do it. The only new skills are reading mesh and block counts and carrying a second color along the row. Try Row 1 through the first few mesh rows to get your rhythm, and use a stitch marker on square 17 to keep the trunk straight.

Do I have to add the pearls and tassels?

No, they’re optional. The runner looks good with just the stars and the pointed red edging. If you skip the tassels, you can leave the ch-3 spaces open or work a few sc into each one to fill them in. For the pearls, a small red bead or a French knot in ivory thread would also work.

How do I stop the border from rippling?

Stick to 2 sc per row-end along the long sides and 3 sc in each corner stitch. If it still ripples after the last round, wet block the runner and pin it flat to the full measurements, because blocking evens out the mesh and the border together.