20 Free Christmas Sewing Patterns and Gifts, Checked October 2026

Holiday sewing goes wrong in two ways: a "free" pattern turns out to be paid or "coming soon", or the project takes three times as long as you hoped. So we opened every pattern below on October 27, 2026 to confirm it's free and downloadable today, and we've marked which ones you can finish in an evening.

How each one is free:

• Direct PDF or tutorial: download or follow along on the page, no signup.
• $0 checkout: add to cart and pay nothing; some shops add you to their email list.

Several Sew Can She tutorials below are free to read and print, with an optional paid ad-free PDF.

1. Mini Christmas Stockings, Sew Can She. Tutorial and free PDF template. Tiny 6.5 by 5.5 inch stockings for a garland or a gift-card holder, fat-quarter friendly. Evening project. sewcanshe.com
2. Sleigh Bells Stockings, Robert Kaufman. Direct PDF from Robert Kaufman's free projects, designed by Empty Bobbin Sewing. A full-size 9 by 18 inch stocking. (The PDF is an older scan, so its text isn't searchable.) robertkaufman.com
3. Candlelight Stocking, Moda (Ruby Star Society). Direct PDF on Moda's free patterns page. A modern quilted stocking in one-fabric or patchwork versions, with a tape-together template. modafabrics.com

4. Reversible Holiday Tree Skirt, Spoonflower. Direct PDF. A 54 inch reversible tree skirt cut by measurement: two layers, cut, stitched and turned. The easiest tree skirt we found. Evening project. spoonflower.com
5. Yuletide Tree Skirt, Robert Kaufman. Direct PDF, rated beginner. A 58 by 58 inch pieced tree skirt built from a pack of 10 inch precut squares (any pack works if the original fabric line is gone). robertkaufman.com
6. Shiny Baubles Tree Skirt, American Patchwork & Quilting. Direct PDF with full-size patterns. A 40 inch showpiece with fusible applique, yo-yos, rickrack and metallic trim. More work than the two above. allpeoplequilt.com

7. Holiday Mitten Ornament, Oliver + S. Direct PDF. Wool felt mittens with a cotton cuff and hand-embroidered edges; string a set as an advent calendar. Evening project, a few at a time. oliverands.com
8. Scandinavian Star Ornaments, Sew Can She. Tutorial. A folded and woven fabric star from four 4 by 15 inch strips, with no machine sewing; about 5 to 10 minutes each. Fastest on the list. sewcanshe.com

9. Christmas Tree Table Runner, Center Street Quilts. Tutorial with full cutting dimensions. A strip-pieced 64 by 12 inch runner of tree blocks. centerstreetquilts.com
10. Round Reversible Placemats, Robert Kaufman. Direct PDF, rated beginner. Four 15 inch round placemats; the sample uses a garden print, so pick a holiday fabric. robertkaufman.com
11. Advent Calendar and Ornament, Moda (Ruby Star Society). Direct PDF on Moda's free patterns page. A roughly 20 by 30 inch wall hanging with 24 pockets and fusible number templates, plus a bonus ornament. Start this one early. modafabrics.com

12. Hot Cocoa Drawstring Gift Bags, Sew Can She. Tutorial. Drawstring bags in two sizes (about 9.5 by 9 and 7 by 5 inches); one large or three small per fat quarter. Evening project. sewcanshe.com
13. Holiday Gift Bag, WeAllSew by BERNINA. Tutorial, rated beginner. A boxed two-print bag, 10 by 11 by 2 inches, by fabric designer Minki Kim. Evening project. weallsew.com
14. Reusable Furoshiki Wrapping Cloth, WeAllSew by BERNINA. Tutorial, rated beginner, plus a free PDF of folding ideas. A 44 inch square with mitered hems that wraps a gift, a bottle or becomes a bag. Cut smaller squares for small gifts. Evening project. weallsew.com

15. Simple Lined Zipper Pouches, Purl Soho. Tutorial aimed at beginners, in six sizes from 6.5 by 5 to 11.5 by 16 inches, with a formula for custom sizes. The best free first-zipper project; make a stack in one sitting. purlsoho.com
16. Simple Stitched Hot Pads, Purl Soho. Tutorial and printable PDF. A minimalist 7 by 12 inch hot pad with a wool layer for heat resistance. Evening project. purlsoho.com
17. Christmas Tree Potholders, Sew Can She. Tutorial and free template. Tree-shaped potholders about 15 by 11 inches, in trivet and mitt styles. A good hostess gift. sewcanshe.com
18. How to Make a Scrunchie, Simple Simon & Co. Tutorial. A 24 by 3 inch strip and 8 inches of elastic; in velvet or satin it's a perfect stocking stuffer. Under an hour. simplesimonandco.com
19. Cross Back Apron, Purl Soho. Tutorial cut by measurement, one size fits many. A beautiful gift, but the designer says it took her about four hours, so it's not a last-minute make. purlsoho.com
20. Adult Classic PJ and Nightgown, Ellie and Mac. $0 checkout (you're asked to join their email list). Woven and knit pajama pants, tops and nightgowns in XS to 6XL, with print, A0 and projector files. For matching family pajamas, add Life Sew Savory's free family PJ pants (2T to adult XL). ellieandmac.com

• Under an hour: Scandinavian stars, a scrunchie, mini stockings, hot cocoa bags, the WeAllSew gift bag, a furoshiki.
• One evening: zipper pouches, hot pads, tree potholders, a few mitten ornaments, Spoonflower's tree skirt.
• Plan ahead: the apron, pajamas, the pieced and applique tree skirts, the table runner and the advent calendar.

1. Directional prints cost extra fabric. Moda's stocking needs 1/2 yard of a non-directional print but 3/4 yard if the print runs one way. Cut stocking pieces as mirror images so the toes point the same way, and choose an all-over print for round placemats and circular tree skirts so nothing ends up upside down.
2. Go slow with metallics and plush. Use a metallic or topstitch needle and a slower speed for metallic thread and fabric, and press foil prints on low heat under a pressing cloth. Baste trims like rickrack before stitching, and use a walking foot on minky and fleece.
3. Download now. Patterns that arrive by $0 checkout or email are easy to forget, so grab the files today, print templates at 100 percent and measure the test square before cutting.

• "Coming soon" freebies, including several Robert Kaufman table runners and pot holders that won't be downloadable until December 2026 or 2027.
• Patterns that turned out to be paid, or needed a paid add-on to finish.
• Freebies hidden behind an account that we couldn't open to confirm the file.

The fastest Christmas project is the one you already have fabric for. Sewist Studio is a free digital sewing room: save these patterns to your library, log the holiday prints and scraps you own, and see what you can make without a trip to the fabric store. More gift ideas: scrap fabric projects and free bag sewing patterns.