Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a chocolate orange! 🍊
Meet the Cupcake Surprise Christmas Crew: five adorable cosies that hide a festive treat inside. Once the surprise has been unwrapped, fold up the bottom edge and they turn into the cutest little cupcake toys, so the fun carries on long after the chocolate has gone.
 
The crew:
🎩 Snowman with top hat, scarf and carrot nose
🎅 Santa with fluffy beard and moustache
🧝 Elf with pointy ears and bobble hat
🐧 Penguin with woolly hat and bowtie
🦌 Reindeer with antlers and a little red nose
 
Not in the UK, or not a fan of chocolate oranges? You can fill your cosies with a real orange, a plastic bauble full of treats, balled-up socks, a bath bomb or a round toy capsule. They make lovely stocking fillers, teacher gifts or table decorations.
 
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WHAT’S INCLUDED
21-page PDF pattern with full written instructions for all five characters
Colour photos of every character
Stitch counts at the end of most rows, so you can spot a stray stitch straight away
 
DETAILS
Skill level: Intermediate
Size: about 15 cm tall when filled and 10 cm tall as cupcakes (not including hats)
Fits a 7 cm or a 6 cm sphere, with needle sizes given for both
Worked flat on straight needles, then seamed
Techniques: knit, purl, increases and decreases, wrap and turn, a simple crochet chain, basic embroidery
 
MATERIALS
DK yarn. I used King Cole Big Value DK in Black, Yellow, Red, Emerald, Cornflower, Cameo, White and Porcelain, but any DK yarn will work.
4 mm and 3.5 mm needles for the 7 cm size, or 3.5 mm and 3 mm needles for the 6 cm size
Eight 10 mm and two 8 mm safety eyes
Toy stuffing, tapestry needle, black embroidery thread, scraps of pink yarn and a crochet hook
 
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PLEASE NOTE
This is a digital PDF pattern, not a finished toy. No physical item will be posted. Your download is available as soon as payment is confirmed.
Safety eyes are not suitable for children under 3. For very young children, embroider the eyes instead.
 
You’re welcome to sell the toys you make from this pattern. Please don’t share, resell or republish the pattern itself.
 
Every Cilla’s Purls pattern is designed and knitted by me, a real person, and I test each one by hand. If you get stuck, just send me a message and I’ll be happy to help.
Show off your crew with #CupcakeSurpriseChristmasCrew and tag me @cillaspurls on Instagram. I love seeing your makes! ❤️