Holidays and special occasions give us crafters a fantastic excuse to get out our knitting needles, crochet hooks or other craft supplies and get to work making new projects to give to our friends or use for decorating our homes:
- Some of us enjoy making clothing and accessories we can wear on special occasions.
- Some of us delight in making gifts to give others to celebrate special occasions.
- Some of us love to make items we can use to decorate our homes for upcoming holidays.
- Some of us make handmade cards to send to faraway friends.
- And, some of us do some combination of the above — and more.
Below is a list of some major holidays and special occasions, along with craft project ideas that are appropriate for each. The goal is to provide a wide variety of different tutorials and patterns, including some that work for each of the above goals.
We hope you’ll find patterns that suit whichever occasion you want to craft for next!
Baby Showers
If there’s any occasion that universally compels knitters and crocheters to make something new, it’s a baby shower. I’ve heard countless stories of women who hadn’t knitted or crocheted in years, but their interest in their craft was revived due to the imminent arrival of a new baby.
For those of you who want to make something beautiful for a sweet new arrival, we offer this selection of baby patterns.
Christmas
In the USA and in many other countries around the world, Christmas is one of the major gift-giving holidays that occurs. Some crafters love to make their Christmas gifts, while others don’t bother after having been burned in the past by unappreciative or negligent handmade gift recipients.
If you’re among the first group of crafters, we hope you’ll consider using the Christmas patterns we’ve shared, if any are suitable for your needs when making Christmas gifts for your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Even if you aren’t planning to make any of your gifts this year, we hope you’ll enjoy the patterns for making your own lovely Christmas decorations, holiday table settings, and attire.
If you put up a Christmas tree every year, it’s a no-brainer to knit, crochet and handcraft various Christmas ornaments to decorate it with. Unlike typical Christmas ornaments, the knitted and crocheted variety are usually unbreakable — which might not be the main reason you’d want to make them, but it’s a nice ancillary benefit — especially for people who move frequently (military families, college students, etc.)
We also offer you a variety of patterns for setting a lovely table for Christmas dinner — and plenty of Christmas-themed kitchen patterns.
FUN and Artistic, Mostly Free Christmas Craft Ideas (With a Few Pay-For Christmas Pattern Book Suggestions That Are Truly Worth the Money):
- Scandinavian Style Christmas Knitting Patterns for the Holidays
- Free ideas and instructions for Christmas cards to make
- Crochet Christmas tree square — free crochet pattern
- Free pattern for a Wire crochet Christmas cuff bracelet
- Crochet Christmas tree ornament free pattern
- Crochet Christmas blanket
- Beaded Christmas Napkin Rings
- Free https://knittingcrochetcrafts.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=pagepattern for crocheting Christmas wreaths
- Find more Christmas craft ideas
Mother’s Day
If your mom, or mother-in-law, would appreciate a handmade gift, then Mother’s Day is a perfect occasion for creating one. Popular choices for Mother’s Day gifts are jewelry, blankets, accessories and clothing, although there are many other possibilities as well.
Would Your Mom Enjoy Any of These Gifts?
- Rose cat-eye chip bead bracelet
- Rose Chip Bead Necklace in Wire Crochet
- Cotton candy beaded necklace
- Freshwater pearl necklace
- Crochet scarf patterns
- Check out more jewelry patterns
- See more suggestions for Mother’s Day crafts HERE.
Weddings
Nowadays, most couples choose a department store and use that store’s gift registry to communicate the wedding gifts they would like to receive. If you’re in the market to give a gift to a special couple you know and love, this sort of registry offers you a couple of interesting opportunities.
For starters, you can take the easiest and most obvious path: skip making them a gift. Buy one of the suggested items from the gift registry. Done! For most couples, this is honestly what we recommend doing; it’s a rare couple who would truly appreciate, and properly care for, an elaborate handmade gift.
On the other hand, if you know the couple well and you’re certain that a handmade wedding gift is exactly right for them, the gift registry offers you a fantastic place to snoop around for ideas about what to make for them.
For example, you could make them a blanket or afghan that precisely matches the sheets and comforter they requested in their gift registry. Or you could make them a set of napkins and napkin rings that match the dinnerware that they requested via the registry. There’s plenty of inspiration to be found in that gift registry, so be sure to take a look at it and put the info you find to good use.
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is another popular gift-giving occasion. This is a holiday that can provoke much gifting angst among the unmarried, and even sometimes a surprising amount of angst among married folks.
There are some situations where a handmade Valentine gift would be entirely inappropriate. For example: If you’re a single young lady who just met the man of your dreams a couple of month ago, we do not recommend that you knit him a sweater, or an afghan — yet. Please wait a couple of years longer to make sure he’s really the man of your dreams, and would truly appreciate the labor of love that a sweater or blanket is.
By the way, this advice comes to you from someone who’s been there, done that — and in my experience, even a few years isn’t always enough to know if you should expend the effort on a significant handmade gift. After a long-ago past experience involving four years, one handknitted sweater, and a rocky breakup, I wouldn’t wish the same heartache on anyone.
Nowadays I’m happily married, and we’re delighted to be among the “very married” who don’t stress too much about Valentine’s Day gifts. When my husband wants a new hat, I make him one — and that sort of occasion rarely coincides with Valentine’s Day.
For that reason, my Valentine patterns are focused mostly on fun things like Valentine’s Day decorations, Valentine-friendly accessories, and fun Valentine trinkets and baubles to give to your girlfriends. I’m likelier to crochet myself a new beaded necklace or other piece of jewelry to wear on Valentine’s Day than I am to knit my husband a sweater.
Free Valentine Patterns, Pictured From Left to Right:
- Free Pattern for How to Crochet Daisies and Similar Flowers
- Striped Crochet Heart Square Pattern
- Basic Crochet Heart Applique
See Also:
Easter
It’s fun to knit and crochet bunnies, Easter baskets, flowers and similar spring-themed design motifs to celebrate Easter. You can give any of these items as gifts to your loved ones, or make them for yourself to enjoy.
Fourth of July
Birthdays
Birthdays offer crafters more fantastic opportunities for creating handmade gifts for their friends, colleagues and loved ones. It’s lovely to have assurance that the birthday gifts you give will be personalized, unique and special, and you definitely have that assurance when you knit or crochet your gifts.
No matter which occasion, holiday or event you’re celebrating next, we hope you’ll enjoy it — and we also hope you’ll enjoy knitting and / or crocheting for it. Best wishes!
This page was last updated on 7-6-2023.