Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

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The Christmas Tree Mug Rug tutorial continues to be one of my most popular blog posts.

It is hard to believe that this post is from 2011! Where does the time go!

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

Mug rugs are one of my favorite quilt projects to make and I seem to make a lot of them!

Try out this little Christmas Tree mug rug tutorial! Make one for yourself and one for a gift.

Christmas Tree Mug Rug tutorial – a great gift for a teacher or friend

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

Have you seen enough photos of this cute little Christmas Tree mug rug? If you have made one or many, I would love to see them!

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial cups

What I like about mug rugs is that there is no “set” size.

I just make them whatever size works for the block or design I am doing.

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

I’ll borrow my photo from my Christmas Tree table runner tutorial to show you the half square triangles (more about that below).

Make a fast and easy mug rug with my Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

Cut your squares 1½ x 1½ using the diagram below to see how many to cut

  • 1 – brown 1½” x 1½” square
  • 5 – dark green 1½” x 1½” squares
  • 4 – light green 1½” x 1½” squares
  • 5 – dark green 1½” x 1½” squares
  • 10 – cream 1½” x 1½” squares

Making your half-square triangle blocks:

  • Place the tree fabric right side up and the background fabric right side down on top of it
  • Draw a line diagonally across, this will be your stitching line
  • Stitch the seam
  • Press the seam toward the tree print and trim off the 2 back pieces
  • These are your HST’s – Half square triangles
Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

Other cutting:

  • 2 cream – 1″ x 1½” squares
  • 2 cream – 1½” x 2″ rectangles
  • 2 cream – 1½” x 2½” rectangles
  • 1 light green – 1½” x 2½” rectangle
  • 1 dark green – 1½” x 3½” rectangle

I made my first one last week, then this one yesterday while blog hopping and forgot to take pictures of the steps so I made these diagrams for you. I’ll be making more and when I do I’ll update this post.

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

In the diagram above I should have shown the half square triangles as already sewn together, sorry. Sew each row together.

Mug Run Tree Diagram

The finished block size is 5½” x 5½” square.

I added a  1½” x 5½” strip of cream to the left side of the Christmas tree block.

On the left side, I added a 4″ x 5½” cream block.

Then I added two 1½” x 10″ strips of cream.

Here is the finished Christmas tree mug rug – you could easily make it bigger or smaller depending on the size of the cream strips you add to the block.

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

I used Warm & Natural batting and did a swirly free motion quilting. I trimmed it to about 7 inches x 10 inches and finished the edges with a 2½ inch binding that was folded in half and stitched.

Here is another one I made using just one green print and put the tree on the right……you can make them whatever size you want. Are those stars or starfish in the background???

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

You can see that the Christmas tree mug rug on the left is a little bigger. Make your mug rug whatever size you like! Many times my decision is made by the scraps of quilt fabric I have on hand.

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

I hope you enjoyed this Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial!

Don’t forget there is a Christmas Tree table runner tutorial to go with this project.

Christmas Tree Mug Rug Tutorial

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Christmas Tree mug rug tutorial is fast and easy to make
Connie with her dogs

About Connie

Hi, I’m Connie Kresin Campbell, the quilter, writer, and photographer behind Freemotion By the River. I enjoy inspiring others with my quilt tutorials and patterns. You’ll also see my sweet adopted dogs from time to time.

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35 Comments

  1. would Love to be able to DL instructions to use at later date. Printing them is very costly

  2. Just Quilt It says:

    This will make perfect gifts for my other officers in our church women's fellowship group. Thanks so much for sharing the tutorial!

  3. Ellis2Roam says:

    Thanks for the great tut, I have just finished making four of them and they are lovely. You are such a good teacher, thanks again.

  4. very nice and clear instructions. Thanks.

  5. Scattered Threads says:

    This is very cute! Thank you very much.

  6. Love this mug rug – I'm going to pin it for next year! My sewing machine has been packed away until after Christmas now!

    Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
    Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

  7. Love this mug rug – I'm going to pin it for next year! My sewing machine has been packed away until after Christmas now!

    Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
    Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

  8. This is so pretty! I just made a couple mug rugs, but they are not nearly so polished as this. I love it. It's beautiful.

  9. Lovely mug rug! Thanks for sharing. Quite clever of you to make matching mug rugs and table runner; and quite generous of you to share. Merry Christmas!

  10. I was trying to come up with something like this only my brain is on vacation (Pregnancy) so thanks for posting a tutorial! Now I just need to follow your directions, and of course make the matching table runner!

  11. Love your mug rug and thanks for the directions! Those would be great to use all winter long.

  12. So cute and I love how it coordinates with your table runner. Thanks for the tutorial and for linking to TGIFF!

  13. What a fun mug rug and great tutorial! AND I really like the quilting and the stripes binding!

  14. Melissa @ Happy Quilting says:

    Super cute Mug rug and great tutorial!!! Thanks for linking up 🙂

  15. You always have the greatest ideas Connie!

  16. Very cute Connie. I posted a mug rug today too : )

  17. love the mug rug and how it goes with your Christmas tree Runner …..do I have time to make that hmmm…

  18. Susan At Glen Oaks Primitives says:

    Hi, Connie, sweet and simple. I love your mug mats.

  19. Very cute and very easy follow your tuto.Thanks so much.

  20. That is a cute mug rug! I may save that pattern for next year if I don't get it made this week.

  21. Connie your Christmas tree Mug Rug is wonderful. How do you sew and blog hop at the same time? I think I have some things to learn from you. I finally got through them all the participants in the blog hop. I felt like my eyes were glazing over, but it was so much fun! Now that I know what to expect I can plan better for it next year! Thanks for commenting on my Christmas post cards. Have a great day!

  22. Great quick project. I came over from looking at your lil twist quilt with the flowers. Someone on a group posted the link. I loved that one, and the binding was perfect.

  23. So lovely! I am going to try and make some just like it. GREAT post on Sew we quilt too!!!!

  24. Great I was going to make a mug rug for my kids teachers, then they all like purple and I didn't have that much purple fabric, but a small christmas tree with a purple border would be great!

  25. I just love this pattern Connie and your runner at Sew We Quilt!!! Thanks for the easy-to-follow tutorial…I definitely will be making some of these!!!!