The Seafoam Cascade Tree is a flat, lacy Christmas tree ornament with four layered tiers. Each tier ends in a row of open fans that hang over the tier below, so the tree looks like soft, stacked branches.
The colors are a calm coastal mix: mint for the top and third tiers, light sky blue for the second and bottom tiers, and a warm tan for the trunk. It works as a tree ornament, a gift topper, or a small piece of wall decor.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished tree is about 6.75 in (17.1 cm) wide and 7.5 in (19.1 cm) tall, or about 8.5 in (21.6 cm) including the hanging loop.
Construction overview: You work the whole tree as one piece, from the tip down, in turned rows. Each tier ends with a solid base row. You work the fan scallops into the front loops of that row, then start the next tier in the back loops of the same row. This places the scallops in front of the next tier with no sewing. Last, you work the trunk into the back loops of the bottom tier and add the hanging loop.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 6.75 in (17.1 cm) wide × 7.5 in (19.1 cm) tall; 8.5 in (21.6 cm) with the loop
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Sport (#2), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.0 mm (US C/2 or D/3)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: One tree; 4 tiers plus a trunk
- Tier widths at the base row: 3.5 in (8.9 cm), 4.5 in (11.4 cm), 5.75 in (14.6 cm), 6.75 in (17.1 cm)
- Size before the “border” (fan scallops): 6.75 in (17.1 cm) wide × 5.8 in (14.7 cm) tall, tip to the Tier 4 base row
- Border (scallop) depth: about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) per tier
Materials
Yarn: A smooth, mercerized sport-weight cotton shows the lace best and holds its shape after blocking. Avoid fuzzy yarn, because it blurs the fan spokes.
- Color A, Mint/Seafoam (Tiers 1 and 3, loop): 6 g / 18 m
- Color B, Light Sky Blue (Tiers 2 and 4): 8 g / 24 m
- Color C, Tan/Beige (trunk): 3 g / 9 m
These amounts include a safety margin of about 25 percent.
Tools:
– 3.0 mm crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– 2 removable stitch markers
– Ruler or tape measure
– Blocking mat and rustproof pins
– Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp(s) – space(s)
- sk – skip
- FLO / BLO – front loop only / back loop only
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitch – Fan: Work (dc, ch 1) 4 times, then dc, all in the same st. One Fan = 5 dc and 4 ch-1 sps.
Counting rule: A beginning ch-3 counts as 1 dc. A beginning ch-4 counts as 1 dc plus 1 ch-1 sp. Every ch-1 sp counts as 1 st in the row totals.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 22 dc × 11 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). For the trunk, 22 sc × 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
The tree is small, so the first tier works as your gauge test. Make Tier 1 and measure it before you go on.
Checkpoints (measured flat, before blocking):
– After Tier 1, Row 4: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall
– After Tier 2, Row 4: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide, 2.9 in (7.4 cm) from the tip
– After Tier 3, Row 4: 5.75 in (14.6 cm) wide, 4.4 in (11.2 cm) from the tip
– After Tier 4, Row 4: 6.75 in (17.1 cm) wide, 5.8 in (14.7 cm) from the tip
– Trunk: 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide at the top, 2.4 in (6.1 cm) wide at the bottom, 1.6 in (4.1 cm) long
If the piece is too big by more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm), go down one hook size. If it is too small, go up one hook size. Keep the stitch counts the same. They control the tier shape and the fan spacing.
Tier 1 (Color A, Mint)
With Color A, ch 4.
Row 1: Work 4 dc in the 4th ch from the hook (the skipped 3 ch count as 1 dc). Turn. (5 dc)
Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in the first st. [Ch 1, dc in the next st] 3 times. Ch 1, then (dc, ch 1, dc) in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (7 dc + 6 ch-1 sps = 13 sts)
Row 3 (spoke increase row): Ch 3, 2 dc in the first st (3 dc made). [Ch 1, sk 1 ch-1 sp, dc in the next dc] 5 times. Ch 1, sk the last ch-1 sp, 3 dc in the last st. Turn. (11 dc + 6 ch-1 sps = 17 sts)
Row 4 (base row): Ch 3, dc in the first st. Dc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across to the last st. 2 dc in the last st. Turn. (19 dc)
Row 5 (Scallop Row, RS): Mark the side facing you as the RS. Work in FLO only: ch 1, sc in the first st. [Sk 2 sts, Fan in the next st, sk 2 sts, sc in the next st] 3 times. Fasten off. (3 Fans + 4 sc)
The back loops of Row 4 are now free. The next tier starts there.
Tiers 2–4: Repeating Tier Structure
Every tier from here on uses the same 5 rows. S is the number of sts in the base row above.
Row 1 (RS, spoke increase): With the RS facing, join the new color in the BLO of the first st of the previous base row, at the same edge where that Scallop Row began. Work all sts of this row in the BLO. Ch 3, 2 dc in the same st. [Ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in the next st] across as listed below. Ch 1, sk 1 st, 3 dc in the last st. Turn. (S + 4 sts)
Row 2 (WS, solid): Ch 3, dc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across. Turn. (S + 4 dc)
Row 3 (RS, spoke): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1). Sk the next st, dc in the next st. [Ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next st] across, ending with dc in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (S + 4 sts)
Row 4 (WS, base row): Ch 3, dc in the first st. Dc in each dc and ch-1 sp across to the last st. 2 dc in the last st. Turn. (S + 6 dc)
Row 5 (RS, Scallop Row, FLO): Ch 1, sc in the first st. [Sk 2, Fan in the next st, sk 2, sc in the next st] across. Fasten off.
Tier 2 (Color B, Blue), S = 19
- Row 1: Repeat the bracket 8 times. (14 dc + 9 ch-1 sps = 23 sts)
- Row 2: (23 dc)
- Row 3: Repeat the bracket 10 times after the first dc. (12 dc + 11 ch-1 sps = 23 sts)
- Row 4: (25 dc)
- Row 5: (4 Fans + 5 sc)
Tier 3 (Color A, Mint), S = 25
- Row 1: Repeat the bracket 11 times. (17 dc + 12 ch-1 sps = 29 sts)
- Row 2: (29 dc)
- Row 3: Repeat the bracket 13 times. (15 dc + 14 ch-1 sps = 29 sts)
- Row 4: (31 dc)
- Row 5: (5 Fans + 6 sc)
Tier 4 (Color B, Blue), S = 31
- Row 1: Repeat the bracket 14 times. (20 dc + 15 ch-1 sps = 35 sts)
- Row 2: (35 dc)
- Row 3: Repeat the bracket 16 times. (18 dc + 17 ch-1 sps = 35 sts)
- Row 4: (37 dc)
- Row 5: (6 Fans + 7 sc)
Spoke math check: In Row 1, 3 dc + R bracket dc + 3 dc, plus R + 1 ch-1 sps, gives 2R + 7 sts. With R = (S − 3) ÷ 2, that equals S + 4. In Row 3, the dc land on the odd-numbered sts, so a row of S + 4 sts (an odd number) has (S + 5) ÷ 2 dc and (S + 3) ÷ 2 sps.
Trunk (Color C, Tan)
With the RS facing, find the free back loops of Tier 4, Row 4 (37 sts). Skip the first 14 sts. Join Color C in the BLO of the 15th st. This leaves 14 sts + 9 sts + 14 sts = 37.
Row 1 (RS): Ch 1, sc in the BLO of the same st and the next 8 sts. Turn. (9 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st. Turn. (9 sc)
Row 3: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in the next 7 sts, 2 sc in the last st. Turn. (11 sc)
Rows 4–5: Ch 1, sc in each st. Turn. (11 sc)
Row 6: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in the next 9 sts, 2 sc in the last st. Turn. (13 sc)
Rows 7–8: Ch 1, sc in each st. Turn. (13 sc)
Fasten off. The trunk is 8 rows long, or 1.6 in (4.1 cm). The Tier 4 fans cover about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) of it, so about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) shows below the fans.
Border: Fan Scallop Edges and Hanging Loop
This tree has no separate border around the outside. Its edging is the Fan Scallop Row at the end of each tier, plus the hanging loop.
Border gauge: One repeat (sk 2, Fan, sk 2, sc) uses 6 base sts, or about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) at 5.5 dc per inch. Each Fan is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) deep.
Scallop counts per tier:
– Tier 1: 19 base sts = 1 + (6 × 3) → 3 Fans, 4 sc
– Tier 2: 25 base sts = 1 + (6 × 4) → 4 Fans, 5 sc
– Tier 3: 31 base sts = 1 + (6 × 5) → 5 Fans, 6 sc
– Tier 4: 37 base sts = 1 + (6 × 6) → 6 Fans, 7 sc
Why the math works: Every base row adds exactly 6 sts to the one before it (+4 in Row 1, +2 in Row 4). One Fan repeat also uses 6 sts. So each tier gets exactly one more Fan than the tier above, and every Scallop Row starts and ends with an sc anchored at the tier corners. Each Fan puts 9 sts of width (5 dc + 4 ch) over a 5-st span, so the edge flares into round scallops without rippling.
Hanging loop: Join Color A in the foundation ch at the tip of Tier 1, where the Row 1 dc were worked. Ch 12, then sl st in the same ch. Fasten off. The loop stands about 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
Weave in all ends on the WS. Hide the color-change tails under the scallops.
Final Blocking
- Spritz the tree lightly with water until it is damp but not soaked.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the tip, then pin the two corners of Tier 4 so the base is 6.75 in (17.1 cm) apart.
- Check that the tip-to-trunk height is 7.5 in (19.1 cm). Ease it into place, and don’t stretch it more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- Pin the corners of Tiers 1–3 so both sides are symmetric.
- Pin the center dc of each Fan outward to open the scallop curve.
- Square the trunk to 2.4 in (6.1 cm) at the bottom edge.
- Let it dry completely before you unpin it, usually 6–8 hours.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Tier colors from the top: mint, blue, mint, blue
- Base row counts: 19, 25, 31, 37 dc
- Fans per tier: 3, 4, 5, 6
- Each Scallop Row lies in front of the next tier, and no back-loop ridge shows on the RS
- The trunk is centered, with 14 sts free on each side
- The trunk widens from 9 to 13 sc
- Width is 6.75 in (17.1 cm), height is 7.5 in (19.1 cm), and the loop is about 1 in (2.5 cm)
- All ends are woven in securely on the WS
Troubleshooting
The scallops sit behind the next tier. You joined the new tier from the WS, or you swapped FLO and BLO. Work the Scallop Row in the FLO with the RS facing, and join the next tier in the BLO with the RS facing.
The Fans ripple instead of curving. Your tension is loose on the ch-1 sps. Tighten the chains, or change to (dc, ch 1) 3 times plus dc for a 4-dc Fan, keeping the same skips.
A tier leans to one side. You missed an increase in Row 1 or Row 4. Check that both edges have 3 dc in Row 1 and 2 dc in Row 4.
The spokes don’t line up in Row 3. Each dc in Row 3 should sit over the matching dc in Row 2. Recount Row 2 to make sure it has S + 4 sts.
The trunk is off-center. Count the 14 free sts on each side again before you join Color C.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry it flat, re-pinning if needed. Store it flat or hang it by the loop. Don’t fold it across the fans.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. A gauge of 22 dc per 4 in (10.2 cm) gives base rows of 19, 25, 31, and 37 sts, which measure 3.5 in (8.9 cm), 4.5 in (11.4 cm), 5.75 in (14.6 cm), and 6.75 in (17.1 cm). Sixteen dc rows give 5.8 in (14.7 cm) from the tip to the last base row. The 1.6 in (4.1 cm) trunk brings the tree to 7.5 in (19.1 cm), and the loop brings it to 8.5 in (21.6 cm). If each checkpoint matches, the finished tree will match too.
Happy crocheting!