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These simple trees used to be available only as part of the Woodland Critters pattern, but now they’re a free pattern that you can combine with any of your quilt patterns.

You can purchase a downloadable PDF of the complete pattern here.

Download the free templates here, and continue reading for the ad-supported free version of the instructions.

Obviously, they’ll work great with the Woodland Critters bundles (Woodland Critters bundle and Noisy Forest bundle), but they’d also be fun to add to the Shiny Happy Houses pattern, or the Bunches of Bears pattern, or the Backyard Birds pattern.

Or just use them on their own! I’ve always thought they’d make pretty placemats. (There’s a free pattern here.) And I’d love to see a four seasons set! Just change out the fabrics!

You could add more than one tree to a single square or to a double-size block. The samples you see above are made on blocks that finish at 5 x 10 inches – perfect for adding half-blocks to any of my patterns.

There’s a PDF here for Added Half-Block Layouts. I’ve done all the math for you – calculating yardage, providing cutting instructions and layout guides for six different quilt sizes, from Itty Bitty Baby to King Size. Here’s what that layout looks like.

And, of course, you could make an entire forest quilt full of trees and nothing but trees!

Nutshell Instructions

If this is your first time doing applique with fusible adhesive, you’ll find detailed instructions here.

There are step by step photos below, but here’s an overview of the process in a nutshell.

• Print or trace the templates onto the paper side of paper-backed fusible adhesive. (I use Heat & Bond Lite for all my quilts.)
• Roughly cut around each piece.
• Fuse to the back of your fabric.
• Cut the piece out neatly on the solid lines.
• Peel off the paper backing.
• Position a tree top onto your block.
• Position a set of branches on your tree top.
• Fuse in place.
• Outline stitch around each piece.

Done!

Video Instructions

Here’s a video showing me assembling all four of my sample blocks.

You can use any tree top with any set of branches. You can even cut most of the branches off and just use the trunk. (If you do this, position the trunk piece behind the tree top piece.)

Download the templates here.

Step by Step Photo Instructions

Here are those detailed step-by-step instructions…

Step 1 – Cut a 6×11 inch rectangle of fabric for the background, and a 6×11 inch rectangle of batting.

Press them both (with steam) and let them cool.

Layer the background over the batting and quilt the two layers together. Do NOT add the backing yet. This video shows some of my favorite straight-line patterns, and this video shows some of my favorite wavy line patterns.

Press the quilted block again (with steam) and let it cool.

Step 2 – Trace or print the reversed and exploded pattern templates onto the paper side of the fusible adhesive. I use Heat & Bond Lite printable fusible adhesive so I just print out the page(s). No tracing!

If you’re using a light box to assemble your pieces, also print (onto plain paper) the placement guide.

Step 3 – Roughly cut around each shape. Leave a little bit extra all the way around each piece.

Follow the package instructions and fuse each piece to the wrong side of the fabric.

You can see I cut the branches off the trunk #4. That will show you a second design option for each tree.

Step 4 – Cut out each piece neatly, directly on the solid lines.

Cutting after you fuse ensures that the adhesive goes right up to the very edge of the fabric.

I’ve discarded the branches that go with trunk #4.

Step 5 – Trace the dotted lines onto the fabric. If you hold the pieces up to a window, the light will make the lines very visible – even on dark fabric.

This is optional on something as simple as these trees. There’s no wrong way to position the trunk. 🙂

If you want to skip this step, this video shows how to use a light box.

Step 6 – Peel off the paper backing and arrange the pieces on your background block.

Fuse in place according to the adhesive product instructions.

The video above shows how I layer the pieces together.

If you remove the branches from a trunk (as I did) tuck the top of the trunk piece behind the treetop piece.

Step 7 – Stitch all the edges down. You can use any stitch you like, in matching or contrasting thread.

I really love the cartoony look of a simple straight stitch with black thread.

I demonstrate sewing with different thread weights here.

This post will help you with the order in which to stitch.

This post has tips for stitching tight curves.

Step 8 – If you’re making a quilt, trim your finished half-blocks to 5 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches.

If you’re using your block to make something else, just follow the pattern instructions for whatever you’re making.

Here are the two finished blocks!

Have fun!