A 6-metre crochet Christmas tree decorates La Cañada

A community project from the ground up

The project was born inside Lo que me da la lana ("What the Wool Gives Me"), a local women's crafting group in La Cañada. The idea was ambitious: instead of a conventional Christmas decoration, why not create something hand-made, monumental, and entirely unique? A crochet Christmas tree — six metres tall — became their answer.

The group brought together 16 participants ranging in age from 28 to 82, spanning three generations of makers. Some were experienced crocheters; others picked up a hook for the first time specifically for this project. What united them was the willingness to commit to something bigger than themselves.

Three months, 1,700 squares

The construction method was deceptively simple: individual granny squares — small crocheted motifs typically 10–15 cm across — were worked independently and then assembled into the final tree form. Over the course of three months, the group produced approximately 1,700 of them, each one a small act of craft embedded into the larger whole.

Coordinating colour, size, and density across so many individual pieces required planning that any maker would recognise: sketching the design, prototyping sections, adjusting the pattern, and iterating until the structure held its shape. The maker mindset — build, test, improve — translated seamlessly into yarn and hook.

The maker community's role

Omnia Makers supported the project through the final stages, helping with structural assembly and the illumination system that brought the tree to life after dark. The unveiling on a Saturday evening drew the whole village together, demonstrating what happens when traditional craft and community making work side by side.

The tree stood as a reminder that making isn't defined by the tools you use — whether a soldering iron or a crochet hook — but by the intention to create something with your hands and share it with others.