This holly cluster has three lacy sage-green leaves with pointed edges, joined at the center under three round, deep red berries. Each leaf has a dense fan of double crochet at its base, two lines of small eyelets running up each side, and seven sharp picot points around the edge. It looks like a classic holly sprig, but the open stitches keep it light.
The palette is simple: a soft sage green for the leaves and a dark cranberry red for the berries. Matte cotton gives clear stitch definition, so the eyelets and points hold their shape after blocking.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished cluster measures about 7 in (17.8 cm) wide by 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tall. Each leaf is 3.75 in (9.5 cm) long and 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide, and each berry is about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Construction is straightforward. Each leaf is worked in three rounds around a short foundation chain. The third round is the pointed edging. You sew the three leaves together at their bases, cinch the center closed, and then stitch the three stuffed berries on top. Use one cluster as an ornament, a gift topper, or a wreath accent.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 7 in (17.8 cm) wide x 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tall
- Skill level: Intermediate (working into both sides of a chain, picots, small amigurumi balls)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), 100% cotton or cotton blend
- Hooks: 4.0 mm (G-6) for leaves, 3.5 mm (E-4) for berries
- Number of pieces: 6 (3 leaves, 3 berries)
- Layout: 3 leaves 120 degrees apart, 3 berries clustered at the center
- Leaf size (finished): 3.75 in (9.5 cm) long x 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide
- Leaf size before border: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) long x 2 in (5.1 cm) wide
- Border depth: about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) along the sides; points reach 0.375 in (1.0 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth, matte worsted cotton. Mercerized cotton works too but looks shinier. Avoid fuzzy or acrylic yarns because they soften the points and blur the eyelets.
- Sage green (leaves): 20 g, about 32 m
- Cranberry red (berries): 6 g, about 10 m
Quantities include a margin of about 25 percent to allow for gauge differences and the joining tails.
Tools:
- 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Small handful of polyester fiberfill
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker
- Rust-proof pins and a foam blocking mat
- Spray bottle with water
- Optional: spray starch for extra-crisp points
- Scissors and a ruler
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- MR – magic ring
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- Rnd – round
Special stitch – Holly point (pt): Work (hdc, dc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, dc, hdc) all in the same space. Each pt counts as 4 stitches. The ch-3 picot is not counted as a stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 18 sc and 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) with the 4.0 mm hook. Gauge isn’t critical, but it controls the size of the cluster.
Make one complete leaf first and measure it before you make the others. Lay it flat without stretching.
- After Rnd 1: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long x 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide
- After Rnd 2: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) long x 2 in (5.1 cm) wide
- After Rnd 3 (blocked): 3.75 in (9.5 cm) long x 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide
- Berry after Rnd 2: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) flat circle
- Finished berry: about 1 in (2.5 cm) across
If your leaf is too big, go down a hook size to 3.75 mm. If it is too small, go up to 4.5 mm (7). If the leaf length is off by 0.25 in (0.6 cm), the cluster width changes by about 0.5 in (1.3 cm), so fix it now.
Leaf (Make 3)
With sage green and the 4.0 mm hook, ch 11. The 10 chains after the first one form the leaf spine. Spine chain 1 sits next to the hook. Spine chain 10 is the first chain you made, and it becomes the base of the leaf.
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, [ch 1, sk next ch, dc in next ch] 3 times. Work 7 dc in last ch (base fan). Rotate to work along the opposite side of the foundation chain. Dc in the same ch as the last side dc, [ch 1, sk next ch, dc in next ch] 3 times, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch (same ch as first sc). Ch 3, sl st in first sc to join. The ch-3 forms the leaf tip.
Count: each side has 6 sts (sc, hdc, 4 dc) and 3 ch-1 sps; the base fan has 7 dc. Total: 19 sts, 6 ch-1 sps and 1 ch-3 tip sp.
Rnd 2: Turn. Sl st in the ch-3 tip sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp. This makes the tip.
First side: ch 1, sk next sc and hdc, dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, dc in next dc] 3 times.
Base: 2 dc in each of the 7 fan dc (14 dc).
Second side: dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, dc in next dc] 3 times, ch 1, sk next hdc and sc. Sl st in top of beg ch-3 to join.
Count: the tip has 4 dc and 1 ch-2 sp, each side has 7 dc and 7 ch-1 sps, and the base has 14 dc. Rnd 2 total: 32 dc, 14 ch-1 sps and 1 ch-2 sp.
Because you turned at the start of this round, the first side is the side you worked last in Rnd 1. The leaf is symmetrical, so this doesn’t change its shape. The ch-1 spaces now form two lines of eyelets up each side. Check the size here: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) x 2 in (5.1 cm).
Rnd 3: Do not turn. Work the border as given in the Border section below. Fasten off and weave in the end at the tip only. Leave the starting tail; it helps when you close the center later.
Berry (Make 3)
Use cranberry red and the 3.5 mm hook. Work in continuous rounds and mark the first stitch of each round.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)
Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 5: Sc2tog 6 times. (6)
Stuff firmly so the berry is round and smooth.
Rnd 6: Sc2tog 3 times. (3)
Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. Thread the tail through the front loops of the last 3 sts and pull tight. Keep the tail for sewing.
Make All Pieces
Make 3 leaves in sage green and 3 berries in cranberry red. Block the leaves before joining (see Final Blocking). Pinning a single leaf is much easier than pinning a finished cluster.
Lay the pieces out like this before sewing:
[Leaf 1]
|
( B )
( B ) ( B )
/ \
[Leaf 2] [Leaf 3]
Leaf 1 points straight up. Leaves 2 and 3 point down-left and down-right, so all three are 120 degrees apart. The base fans meet in the center.
Joining
Number the 14 base sc of each leaf from 1 to 14, starting from the first side. Base sc 1–5 sit next to the first side, sc 6–9 form the middle, and sc 10–14 sit next to the second side.
- With a 16 in (40.6 cm) length of green and a tapestry needle, whipstitch base sc 10–14 of Leaf 1 to base sc 5–1 of Leaf 2. That makes 5 stitch pairs. Work through the back loops only so the seam stays flat.
- Join base sc 10–14 of Leaf 2 to base sc 5–1 of Leaf 3 the same way.
- Join base sc 10–14 of Leaf 3 to base sc 5–1 of Leaf 1.
- Base sc 6–9 of each leaf stay free, 12 sts in total. Run the yarn through all 12 sts, pull to close the small center hole, and knot securely on the back.
Each leaf has 5 stitches in one seam, 5 in the other seam, and 4 free stitches: 5 + 4 + 5 = 14. Every base stitch is used once, with none skipped or doubled.
Tension: Pull each whipstitch just snug. If you pull too hard, the leaves cup and lift at the base. If the stitches are too loose, gaps show between the fans.
Size checkpoint: Lay the joined leaves flat. Measure tip to tip across Leaves 2 and 3, then from the top of Leaf 1 to the lower edge. You should get 7 in (17.8 cm) x 6.5 in (16.5 cm).
Berries: Place the three berries in a tight triangle over the center so they hide the seam. Sew each berry down through its base, then sew the berries to each other where they touch so they don’t roll.
Border
The border is Rnd 3 of each leaf. You work it on each leaf separately before joining, so there’s no border to work around the joined cluster.
Border gauge: One holly point for every 4 stitches and spaces of Rnd 2, about every 0.5 in (1.3 cm) along each side.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as join (top of beg ch-3), sc in next dc, pt in ch-2 tip sp, sc in each of next 2 dc.
First side: sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, pt in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, pt in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, pt in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc.
Base: sc in each of next 14 dc.
Second side: sc in next dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, pt in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, pt in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, pt in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, sc in last ch-1 sp. Sl st in first sc to join.
Counts per section:
- Tip: 4 sc + 1 pt (4 sts) = 8 sts
- First side: 11 sc + 3 pts (12 sts) = 23 sts
- Base: 14 sc = 14 sts
- Second side: 11 sc + 3 pts (12 sts) = 23 sts
- Total: 68 sts, plus 7 picots
Why the math works: Each side of Rnd 2 has 7 dc and 7 ch-1 sps, 14 places to work in all. Rnd 3 puts 1 sc in 11 of them and 1 pt in the other 3, so each is used once. The tip has 5 places (4 dc + 1 ch-2 sp), worked as 4 sc + 1 pt. The base fan gets 1 sc in each of its 14 dc. That gives 7 points (3 per side plus the tip) for the spiky holly outline, and the plain sc base stays smooth for joining.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist each leaf until it is damp, not soaking.
- Pin the tip first, then the center of the base, stretching gently to 3.75 in (9.5 cm) long.
- Pin the widest points on each side so the leaf measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across.
- Pin each picot outward, one pin per point, so all 7 points are sharp.
- Open each eyelet with a fingertip.
- Spray with starch if you want crisp points.
- Let the leaves dry completely, at least 6 hours, before unpinning.
- After joining, mist the center seam lightly and press it flat with your fingers.
Don’t block the berries. They should stay round.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each leaf has 68 sts and 7 points in Rnd 3.
- Each leaf measures 3.75 in (9.5 cm) x 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
- All three leaves match in size within 0.125 in (0.3 cm).
- The eyelets are open and line up in two rows on each side.
- The seams are flat, with 5 stitch pairs per seam.
- The center hole is fully closed.
- The berries are firm, round and sewn to each other.
- The cluster measures 7 in (17.8 cm) x 6.5 in (16.5 cm).
- All ends are woven in on the back.
Troubleshooting
The leaf curls at the base: The fan is too tight. Work the 14 base dc more loosely, or go up a hook size for Rnd 2 only.
The points look rounded: Pull the picot sl st snug, and block with one pin per point.
The sides ruffle: Check that you used ch 1 between stitches, not ch 2, and that each side has exactly 7 dc.
Stuffing shows through the berry: Go down to a 3.25 mm hook and use a little less fiberfill.
There’s a gap at the center after joining: Run a second pass through the 12 free base sts and pull tighter.
The leaves don’t match: Measure every leaf after Rnd 2 and redo any leaf that is off by more than 0.125 in (0.3 cm).
Care
Spot clean or hand wash in cool water. Press out the water in a towel and lay flat to dry, re-pinning the points if they relax.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain from start to finish:
- Gauge: 18 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm).
- Leaf after Rnd 1: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long.
- Leaf after Rnd 2: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) long.
- Leaf after the border: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) x 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
- Three matching leaves joined with 5-stitch seams: 7 in (17.8 cm) x 6.5 in (16.5 cm).
The three 1 in (2.5 cm) berries finish the center. If you check each stage, the cluster will come out at the right size.
Happy crocheting!