The Golden Frost Lace Tree is a flat, airy Christmas tree ornament made of stacked shell fans and open chain arches. Each tier has one fan fewer than the tier below it. The outer half-fans flare out at the sides and give the tree a soft, scalloped silhouette. A small solid trunk sits at the bottom, and a chain loop at the top lets the ornament hang straight on a branch.
The ornament uses one color, a warm cream or light beige cotton thread with a slight sheen. Against green branches and gold baubles it looks like vintage lace, and a group of them on one tree looks elegant without being busy.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide at the base and 4.3 in (10.9 cm) tall from the bottom of the trunk to the tip of the top fan. The hanging loop adds about 1.7 in (4.3 cm).
Construction is simple. You make a foundation chain and work the tree from the bottom up in rows, alternating fan rows with chain-arch rows. Each arch row starts at the center of the first fan, which takes away one fan per tier. You chain the hanging loop at the top. To finish, you work a firm single crochet edge along the bottom and crochet the trunk down from its center.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 4.3 in (10.9 cm) tall, plus a 1.7 in (4.3 cm) loop
- Skill level: Easy to intermediate (you should be comfortable working with thread and keeping track of stitch counts)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Lace (0), size 3 cotton crochet thread
- Hook: 2.0 mm
- Number of pieces: 1 (single flat motif, no joining)
- Layout: One triangular tree with 5 fan tiers (5, 4, 3, 2, 1 fans) and a trunk centered underneath
- Piece size (tree body, Rows 1-9): 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 3.7 in (9.4 cm) tall
- Size before border: 3.5 in x 3.7 in (8.9 cm x 9.4 cm)
- Border depth: the bottom edge adds 0.1 in (0.3 cm); the trunk adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
Materials
Use a mercerized cotton thread in size 3. It holds crisp fan shapes, takes starch well, and has the gentle sheen that makes this ornament glow under tree lights. A size 5 thread or a fine fingering-weight cotton also works, but check the gauge below, because the tree will come out slightly bigger.
- Cream / light beige (the only color): about 7 g, approx. 20 m (22 yd) per ornament
The quantities include a margin of about 30 percent for the test tree, the tails, and small differences in tension. For a set, one 50 g ball of size 3 thread (around 140 m) makes about 7 ornaments.
Tools:
- 2.0 mm crochet hook
- Fine tapestry needle with an eye that fits your thread
- Small sharp scissors
- Rustproof pins and a foam blocking mat
- Spray starch or a 1:1 mix of white craft glue and water (optional, for stiffening)
- Ruler or tape measure marked in inches and cm
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch = chain
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- sk = skip
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- sp(s) = space(s)
- RS = right side
Special stitch:
- Fan = 7 dc worked into the same stitch or space. The 4th dc of a fan is its center dc.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge isn’t critical for an ornament, but it decides whether your tree ends up the size shown. Make one test tree first, measure it at each checkpoint, and adjust before you make a set.
Base gauge: Row 1 (ch 32 with 5 fans) is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall when lightly pressed flat. That is about 9 foundation chains per inch (2.5 cm). Each fan repeat uses 6 chains and is 0.7 in (1.8 cm) wide.
Checkpoints (height of the tree body, measured from the foundation chain):
- After Row 1: 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
- After Row 3: 1.3 in (3.3 cm)
- After Row 5: 2.1 in (5.3 cm)
- After Row 7: 2.9 in (7.4 cm)
- After Row 9: 3.7 in (9.4 cm)
Each fan row adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm), and each arch row adds 0.3 in (0.8 cm).
If your tree is too big: switch to a 1.75 mm hook, or make your foundation chain tighter. A loose foundation chain is the most common cause of a wide base.
If your tree is too small: switch to a 2.25 mm hook. If the fans cup instead of lying flat, your hook is too small for your thread.
Tree Body
You work the tree in rows from the bottom up and turn at the end of every row. The side facing you while you work Row 1 is the RS.
Foundation: Ch 32.
Row 1 (fan row, 5 fans): Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sk 2 ch, fan in next ch, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch; repeat from * 4 more times. Turn.
(5 fans + 6 sc = 41 sts)*
Check the math: after the first sc, 30 chains remain. Each repeat uses exactly 6 chains (2 skipped + 1 fan + 2 skipped + 1 sc), so 5 repeats end in the last chain. The 3rd fan sits in the 16th of the 31 working chains, which is the exact center of the base.
Row 2 (arch row): Sl st in first sc and in next 4 dc (5 sl sts, ending in the center dc of the first fan). Ch 1, sc in same center dc, ch 5, sc in center dc of next fan; repeat from * 3 more times. Leave the last 3 dc and the last sc unworked. Turn.
(5 sc + 4 ch-5 sps)*
One ch-5 arch plus one sc spans the same 6 stitches as one fan repeat in Row 1, so the arches lie flat without pulling.
Row 3 (fan row, 4 fans): Ch 1, sc in first sc, fan in next ch-5 sp, sc in next sc; repeat from * 3 more times. Turn.
(4 fans + 5 sc = 33 sts)*
Row 4 (arch row): Sl st in first sc and in next 4 dc (5 sl sts). Ch 1, sc in same center dc, ch 5, sc in center dc of next fan; repeat from * 2 more times. Turn.
(4 sc + 3 ch-5 sps)*
Row 5 (fan row, 3 fans): Ch 1, sc in first sc, fan in next ch-5 sp, sc in next sc; repeat from * 2 more times. Turn.
(3 fans + 4 sc = 25 sts)*
Row 6 (arch row): Sl st in first sc and in next 4 dc (5 sl sts). Ch 1, sc in same center dc, ch 5, sc in center dc of next fan, ch 5, sc in center dc of last fan. Turn.
(3 sc + 2 ch-5 sps)
Row 7 (fan row, 2 fans): Ch 1, sc in first sc, fan in next ch-5 sp, sc in next sc; repeat from * once more. Turn.
(2 fans + 3 sc = 17 sts)*
Row 8 (arch row): Sl st in first sc and in next 4 dc (5 sl sts). Ch 1, sc in same center dc, ch 5, sc in center dc of next fan. Turn.
(2 sc + 1 ch-5 sp)
Row 9 (fan row, top fan): Ch 1, sc in first sc, fan in ch-5 sp, sc in last sc. Turn.
(1 fan + 2 sc = 9 sts)
Every fan row follows the same rule: (number of fans x 7 dc) + (number of fans + 1) sc. Every arch row has one more sc than arches, and one fewer arch than the fan row below it had fans.
Hanging loop: Sl st in first sc and in next 4 dc (5 sl sts, ending in the center dc of the top fan). Ch 30, sl st in same center dc. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. Weave the tail down through the top fan and secure it.
The 30-chain loop folds to about 1.7 in (4.3 cm). For a longer loop, add chains in multiples of 6. Every 6 chains adds about 0.3 in (0.8 cm) of loop height.
Tree body checkpoint: The body should be 3.7 in (9.4 cm) tall and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide at the bottom tier. Measured across the fan tips, the tier widths should be close to 3.5 in (8.9 cm), 2.8 in (7.1 cm), 2.1 in (5.3 cm), 1.4 in (3.6 cm), and 0.7 in (1.8 cm).
Border: Bottom Edge and Trunk
On this ornament the “border” is a firm finishing edge along the bottom of the tree, plus the trunk worked down from it. The stepped sides stay as they are. The free outer halves of each fan form the scalloped edge, and adding stitches there would close up the lace and hide the tiers.
Border gauge: 9 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) along the foundation. This matches the foundation chain gauge, so the edge doesn’t ruffle or pull in.
Bottom edge row: With the RS facing, turn the tree upside down. Join thread with a sl st in the working foundation ch at the right-hand end. Ch 1, sc in the same ch and in each remaining foundation ch across. Do not fasten off.
(31 sc)
Why the math works: the foundation has 32 chains. The first one became the turning chain of Row 1, which leaves 31 working chains. One sc per working chain gives 31 sc. At 9 sts per inch, that is exactly the width of Row 1, so the base stays 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide. The sc edge also covers the bare chain loops under the bottom tier for a neat finish.
Trunk: The trunk sits on sts 14-18 of the 31 bottom-edge sc, so it is centered (13 sc + 5 trunk sc + 13 sc = 31). Turn, sl st in first 13 sc, then work the trunk in rows:
- Trunk Row 1: Ch 1, sc in each of next 5 sc. Turn. (5 sc)
- Trunk Rows 2-5: Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (5 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. The trunk is about 0.6 in (1.5 cm) wide and 0.5 in (1.3 cm) deep.
The trunk lines up with the 3rd fan of Row 1 at the center of the tree, and with the top fan and hanging loop above it. That vertical line is what makes the ornament hang straight.
Final size checkpoint: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide. The tree body with the bottom edge is 3.8 in (9.7 cm) tall, and the total height including the trunk is 4.3 in (10.9 cm).
Final Blocking
Thread lace always looks better after blocking. The fans open up, the arches straighten, and the tiers become crisp.
- Weave in all tails along the sc stitches or inside the trunk. Trim close.
- Soak the ornament in cool water for 10 minutes, then roll it in a towel to remove excess water.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat. Pin the trunk first, then pin the hanging loop straight above it so the center line is vertical.
- Pin the bottom edge flat at 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide.
- Pin each fan open. Put one pin at the tip of each outer half-fan on both sides, and one pin through the center of each arch, easing it gently upward into a smooth curve.
- Compare the tier widths with the checkpoints above. Adjust the pins until both sides mirror each other.
- Spray with starch, or brush on the glue-and-water mix for a stiff ornament. Let it dry completely, at least 8 hours.
- Remove the pins and check that the tree lies flat.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Row 1 has 5 fans and 6 sc; the top tier has 1 fan and 2 sc
- The arch rows have 4, 3, 2 and 1 ch-5 sps
- Both sides of the tree show free outer half-fans at every tier
- The bottom edge has 31 sc and lies flat
- The trunk is 5 sc wide and 5 rows tall, centered under the middle fan
- The hanging loop is attached to the center dc of the top fan
- The tree is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 4.3 in (10.9 cm) tall
- All tails are secured and can’t be seen from the RS
Troubleshooting
The base ruffles or waves. The foundation chain is too loose. Start again with a tighter chain, or make the chain with a hook one size smaller and switch back for the fans.
The fans curl into cups. Your stitches are too tight for 7 dc. Go up a hook size, or loosen your yarn-overs.
The tree leans to one side. You probably slipped past the center dc at the start of an arch row. Make exactly 5 sl sts: 1 in the sc and 4 in the dc.
The arches pull the fans together. Your ch-5 is too tight. Chain more loosely, or use ch 6 on the bottom two arch rows only.
The trunk is off center. Recount the 13 sl sts before Trunk Row 1. The trunk must use sts 14-18.
The ornament goes floppy after hanging. Block it again with stronger starch or the glue-and-water mix.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, reshape, and pin flat to dry. Starch it again if needed, and store it flat between tissue paper so the fans don’t get crushed.
Final Notes
All the measurements build on each other. 31 working chains at 9 per inch give a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) base. Each fan repeat is 0.7 in (1.8 cm), and every tier loses one fan, so the tiers step in to 2.8 in (7.1 cm), 2.1 in (5.3 cm), 1.4 in (3.6 cm), and 0.7 in (1.8 cm). Five fan rows at 0.5 in (1.3 cm) plus four arch rows at 0.3 in (0.8 cm) give a 3.7 in (9.4 cm) body. The bottom edge adds 0.1 in (0.3 cm) and the trunk adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm), for a finished height of 4.3 in (10.9 cm).
Make one, check it against the checkpoints, then make a whole set for your tree or to put on top of gifts.
Happy crocheting!