The Playful Holiday Bobble Pillow Set is the cheerful end of my Christmas collection. Where the Scandinavian four are quiet and neutral, this trio is red, green and unapologetically festive — the kind of thing that makes people smile from the doorway. The set gathers three of my most-loved bobble stitch designs, the Snowflake, the Christmas Wreath and the Snowman, into one PDF download. Make one, make all three, or line them up along the back of the sofa and let them do your decorating for you. ❄️

What’s included in the Playful Holiday Bobble Pillow Set

One purchase, three complete patterns, delivered as a single PDF instant download. Each pattern includes a full colour graph and written row-by-row instructions, so you can work from whichever format suits you. Every cover finishes at 16″ × 16″, and the Snowman and Wreath are also written for an 18″ × 18″ insert.

• The Snowflake Holiday Pillow Cover — bold two-colour snowflake
• The Christmas Wreath Pillow — the showstopper of the three
• The Snowman Pillow — free written pattern on the blog
• Which one should you make first?
• Yarn, hook and materials
• Frequently asked questions

1. Crochet Snowflake Holiday Pillow Cover

Two colours worked in colourwork, so the snowflake sits in high contrast against the ground. This is the bold, traditional version rather than the subtle one — if you want a snowflake that reads from the doorway rather than whispering from the armchair, this is the design to choose. It is worked in worsted weight yarn on a 5.5 mm hook, and the six arms are symmetrical, which means once you have counted your way to the centre of a row you already know how the second half behaves.

People often confuse this one with my tone-on-tone snowflake, which is a completely separate pattern worked in a single colour. That version is all texture and shadow; this one is all contrast. Read the full pattern post here.

See the pattern → · printable PDF on Etsy · Ravelry

2. Crochet Christmas Wreath Pillow

The most ambitious design in the Playful Holiday Bobble Pillow Set, and the one people ask about most. A full ring of bobbles means counting a curve on both the inside and the outside edge at the same time, and there is nowhere to hide a miscount — but the payoff is a pillow that genuinely looks like it came from a shop. The little red berries are worked in as you go rather than sewn on afterwards, which is what keeps the surface so clean.

I would not choose this as a first bobble project. Make the Snowman or the Snowflake first, get a feel for how firmly to seat a bobble, and then come back to the wreath with your tension already settled. It is written for both 16″ and 18″ covers. Read the full pattern post here.

See the pattern → · printable PDF on Etsy · Ravelry

3. Crochet Snowman Pillow

Three stacked circles, a scarf and a hat, and the friendliest thing in the collection. The curves take a little more attention than a straight-sided motif, but a snowman is forgiving — nobody has ever looked at a slightly wonky snowman and thought it was wrong. The nicest part is that he is not really a Christmas decoration at all, so this cover can stay out through January and February when everything else has gone back in the box.

The full written pattern for the Snowman is free right here on the blog, which makes it a no-risk way to find out whether you enjoy working from a bobble chart before you buy anything. It is also written for both 16″ and 18″ covers. Read the free pattern here.

Read the free pattern → · printable PDF on Etsy · Ravelry

Why the bobble stitch works so well for holiday pillows

Every design in this set is built the same way: clusters of raised bobbles form a picture against a flat single crochet background. There is no appliqué, no embroidery and nothing sewn on at the end. The picture is the fabric, which is why these covers wear so well and why they photograph so nicely under a lamp — the texture catches the light and the motif shifts slightly as you move past it.

A bobble is simply five partial double crochet worked into one stitch and closed together. That is the entire new skill. If you have never made one, my step-by-step bobble stitch tutorial walks through it slowly with photos. Two things surprise almost everyone the first time:

• The bobble forms on the side facing away from you. That is why bobble rows are worked with the wrong side facing. You are making the motif blind and it pushes through to the front — trust the count and turn the work over at the end of the row.
• Do not chain to close a bobble. Some patterns tell you to. It opens a small gap and quietly throws your stitch count off by one, which shifts the whole picture a column sideways further up.

Which pillow should you make first?

Honestly, start with whichever one you like the look of — you will finish a pillow you actually want far faster than a sensible one. All three use the same construction, so nothing is wasted whichever you pick. But if you would like a steer:

• You have never made a bobble: the Snowman. The pattern is free on the blog, the shape forgives small errors, and you will have a finished cover before the novelty wears off.
• You want the biggest reaction from visitors: the Christmas Wreath. It is the one people assume you bought.
• You want something that works past Christmas: the Snowflake, which reads as winter rather than specifically festive, or the Snowman, who happily stays out until the snow does.
• You are making gifts: all three. Once you have made the first, the second goes noticeably faster, and by the third you are just following the picture.

Yarn, hook and materials for the Playful Holiday Bobble Pillow Set

All three covers use worsted weight (#4) yarn with a 5.5 mm (US I/9) hook. If you are unsure whether the yarn in your stash qualifies, the Craft Yarn Council yarn weight system is the reference I use. Substitute freely — the only thing that really matters is keeping enough contrast between your two colours for the motif to read from across the room. Squint at the two balls together; if they blur into one, pick again.

• Worsted weight yarn (#4) in cream, red and green
• 5.5mm crochet hook
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch markers
• Scissors
• 16″ × 16″ pillow inserts, one per pillow

Three tips for a neat finish

These apply to every pattern in the set, so they are worth reading once rather than rediscovering them on pillow number two.

1. Push each bobble through with a fingertip as you draw the yarn through the last loops, so it seats firmly on the right side. A half-hearted bobble looks flat once the cover is on a form, and you cannot fix it later.
2. Count at the end of every row. The motif is a grid, so a missed stitch does not just make the row short — it moves the picture. It feels fussy for the first few rows and then becomes automatic.
3. Block the panel before you sew it up. Bobble fabric draws in a little, and a wet block squares it up and settles the bobbles to an even height. My guide to blocking covers it if you have not done it before.

Frequently asked questions

What size are the pillows in the Playful Holiday Bobble Pillow Set?

All three finish at roughly 16 inches square, sized for a standard 16″ pillow form. The Snowman and the Christmas Wreath are also written for an 18″ × 18″ cover, so you can choose whichever insert you already own.

Do I need to know colourwork?

The Snowman uses simple two-colour changes. The Snowflake and the Christmas Wreath use colourwork proper, carrying two colours across a row. None of it is difficult, but if you are brand new to crochet I would make the Snowman first and work up to the other two.

Is any of this set free?

Yes — the full written Snowman pattern is free on the blog. The Snowflake Holiday Pillow Cover and the Christmas Wreath are printable PDF patterns, and buying the bundle is cheaper than buying them separately.

Can I sell what I make?

Yes. You are welcome to sell finished items made from any of my patterns. Please just credit SeeLoveShare as the designer and do not resell or redistribute the pattern files themselves.

How long does one cover take?

A weekend is realistic for the Snowman or the Snowflake once you are comfortable with the bobble. The Christmas Wreath takes longer because of the counting around the curve. The first one always takes the longest — by the third you are simply following the picture.

More crochet Christmas patterns

If you would like the quieter, neutral version of this idea, the Scandinavian set of four covers the Tree, Star, tone-on-tone Snowflake and Reindeer in cream and green. There is also a Hanukkah bundle and an autumn bundle built exactly the same way.

Want to see every design in one place? Head to the full crochet bobble stitch pillow patterns roundup, which gathers all thirteen motifs across Christmas, Hanukkah and autumn — or browse the wider crochet Christmas patterns collection.