Christmas Tree Quilt Block Tutorial - 12" Finished Block

The Christmas Tree quilt block is a fun block to make! It lends itself really well to being "scrappy" and it goes together quickly! The large block size (12" finished) is perfect to use in small projects like placemats, table toppers or runners, pot holders, purses, bags or wall hangings. Multiple blocks can be used in a quilt as I did in my pattern Christmastime.

This tutorial will guide you through the steps to make a 12" Christmas Tree quilt block. Without any further ado...lets get started!

Choosing Fabric

This is a perfect block to use your left over Christmas fabrics! You can choose to make your tree traditional using green fabrics (as I have below), whimsical, or completely off beat with non-tree colors. These are the fabrics I chose for this tutorial. I laid them out in the order they would be sewn together so I could see how they would look in the block:

The following instructions are for making one 12" finished Christmas Tree quilt block. You will need the following fabric pieces:

For Background Fabric

Cut 2 - 2 3/4" squares (for the flying geese unit at the top of the tree)

Cut 2 - 2 1/2" X 4 1/2" rectangles

Cut 2 - 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" rectangles

Cut 2 - 2 1/2" squares

Cut 2 - 2 1/2" X 1 1/2" rectangles

Cut 2 - 2 1/2" X 6" rectangles

Cut 8 - 2 1/2" squares (these will have diagonal lines drawn across them)

For Trees

Cut 1 - 2 3/4" X 4 3/4" rectangle (for flying geese units)

Cut 1 -2 1/2" X 6 1/2" rectangle

Cut 1 -2 1/2" X 8 1/2" rectangle

Cut 1 -2 1/2" X  10 1/2" rectangle

Cut 1 -2 1/2" X 12 1/2" rectangle

For Tree Trunk

Cut 1 - 2 1/2" X 1 1/2" rectangle 

Block Layout

The following block diagram shows the cut size (not the finished size) of each piece and where they go in the block layout.

Flying Geese Unit for the Top of the Tree

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each of the 2 - 2 3/4" background squares as shown below:

Lay the 2 3/4" tree rectangle right side up. Place one of the 2 3/4" background squares right side down, on one end of the rectangle and pin in place:

Sew along the drawn line:

Cut 1/4" from the sewn line:

Press open:

Place the second 2 3/4" background square right side down, on the opposite side of the flying geese unit and pin in place:

Sew along the drawn line:

Trim 1/4" from the sewn line and press open:

Trim the flying geese unit to 2 1/2" X 4 1/2": (For more in-depth information on various methods to trim flying geese, please see my Flying Geese Tutorial.)

The finished and trimmed flying geese unit should measure 2 1/2" X 4 1/2":

Tree Trunks

Sew a 1 1/2" X 2 1/2" rectangle between two 2 1/2" X 6" rectangles. Press the seams toward the center (use a 1/4" seam for all seams in this block):

Tree Sections

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each of the 8 - 2 1/2" squares:

Lay a tree rectangle right side up and place one of the 2 1/2" squares right side down on each end of the rectangle. Pin the squares in place:

Sew along the drawn lines:

Trim 1/4" from the sewn line:

Press open:

Do the same with the rest of the tree rectangles:

Lay out the tree strips with the background fabric pieces. Refer to the block diagram above for fabric placement:

Sew the background pieces to each end of the tree strips. Press the seams toward the background fabric:

Sew the strips together to complete the block. Press the seams downward:

Your completed block should measure 12 1/2" square. It's now ready to use in any project you wish! 

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful!

Until next time, Happy Quilting!