This little tree ornament is made from soft lavender cotton and has four stepped tiers. Each tier carries a row of plump puff stitches. Open mesh rows sit between the tiers, and a crisp single-crochet band curves out to a small point at each side, so the ornament looks like a stylized fir.
The design uses one color only. That keeps it calm and elegant, and the texture does most of the work. Lavender suits a pastel or vintage tree, but white, sage or classic red work just as well.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures about 4.1 in (10.4 cm) wide by 4 in (10.2 cm) tall without the loop. With the loop it hangs about 5.25 in (13.3 cm) tall.
You work the tree flat in rows from the top tip down. Each new tier starts a little narrower than the band above it, which creates the stepped overhang. One round of single crochet then outlines the whole shape, and a sturdy single-crochet-covered loop finishes the tip.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.1 in (10.4 cm) wide × 4 in (10.2 cm) tall, plus a 1.25 in (3.2 cm) loop
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Fingering / #1 super fine cotton
- Hook: 2.5 mm (US B/1–C/2)
- Number of pieces: 1 (single flat piece)
- Layout: Four stacked tiers, worked top-down in 17 rows
- Piece size before border: 3.9 in (9.9 cm) wide × 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall
- Border depth: 1 round of sc, adding about 0.15 in (0.4 cm) per edge
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth mercerized or matte cotton in fingering weight. Cotton gives the puffs a clean, rounded shape and holds the tier points after blocking. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they blur the mesh.
- Lavender: 10 g / 40 m (44 yd)
Tools:
– 2.5 mm crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Rustproof pins and a blocking mat or foam board
– Spray bottle with water
– Optional: fabric stiffener for a firmer ornament
The quantity includes a generous margin for your gauge swatch and tails. One ornament uses roughly 7 g.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Puff stitch (puff): [Yarn over, insert hook in the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop to dc height] 4 times (9 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 9 loops, then ch 1 to close. The closing ch is the top of the puff. It does not count as a separate stitch.
Counting note: In this pattern every ch-1 space counts as one stitch in the stitch counts. That way each row’s total matches the stitches you will work into on the next row.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 28 sc and 28 sc rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). Three dc rows measure about 1 in (2.5 cm).
Make one full ornament as your test piece. It is small, and it tells you more than a square swatch can. Measure at each checkpoint:
- After Row 5 (Tier 1): 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide, 0.9 in (2.3 cm) tall
- After Row 9 (Tier 2): 2.7 in (6.9 cm) wide, 1.9 in (4.8 cm) tall
- After Row 13 (Tier 3): 3.3 in (8.4 cm) wide, 2.8 in (7.1 cm) tall
- After Row 17 (Tier 4): 3.9 in (9.9 cm) wide, 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall
Too big? Go down to a 2.25 mm hook, or work the puffs with a slightly shorter pull-up loop.
Too small? Go up to a 2.75 mm hook.
Measure the widths across the widest sc band of each tier.
Pattern
Count the turning ch-3 or ch-4 as a stitch where stated. The ch-1 at the start of sc rows does not count as a stitch.
Tier 1 (Top Triangle)
Row 1: Ch 2, 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Turn. (3 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each sc across. Turn. (6 sc)
Row 3: Ch 1, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 3 times. Turn. (9 sc)
Row 4 (puff row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), [ch 1, sk next sc, puff in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 2 times. Turn. (2 puffs, 3 dc, 4 ch-1 sps = 9 sts)
Row 5 (band): Ch 1, 2 sc in first dc, sc in each of next 7 sts (ch-1 sps, puffs and dc), 2 sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. Turn. (2 + 7 + 2 = 11 sc)
Checkpoint: 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide.
Tier 2
Row 6 (mesh): Sl st in first 3 sc, ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next sc, dc in next sc, [ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 2 times. Leave last 2 sc unworked. Turn. (4 dc, 3 ch-1 sps = 7 sts)
Two sc remain unworked at each end of Row 5. They form the overhang of Tier 1.
Row 7 (increase): Ch 1, 3 sc in first dc, [3 sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc] 2 times, 3 sc in last ch-1 sp, 3 sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. Turn. (3 + 8 + 3 + 3 = 17 sc)
Row 8 (puff row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), [ch 1, sk next sc, puff in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 4 times. Turn. (4 puffs, 5 dc, 8 ch-1 sps = 17 sts)
Row 9 (band): Ch 1, 2 sc in first dc, sc in each of next 15 sts, 2 sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. Turn. (2 + 15 + 2 = 19 sc)
Checkpoint: 2.7 in (6.9 cm) wide, 1.9 in (4.8 cm) tall.
Tier 3
Row 10 (mesh): Sl st in first 4 sc, ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next sc, dc in next sc, [ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 5 times. Leave last 3 sc unworked. Turn. (7 dc, 6 ch-1 sps = 13 sts)
Row 11 (increase): Ch 1, 2 sc in first dc, [2 sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc] 5 times, 2 sc in last ch-1 sp, 2 sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. Turn. (2 + 15 + 2 + 2 = 21 sc)
Row 12 (puff row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), [ch 1, sk next sc, puff in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 5 times. Turn. (5 puffs, 6 dc, 10 ch-1 sps = 21 sts)
Row 13 (band): Ch 1, 2 sc in first dc, sc in each of next 19 sts, 2 sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. Turn. (2 + 19 + 2 = 23 sc)
Checkpoint: 3.3 in (8.4 cm) wide, 2.8 in (7.1 cm) tall.
Tier 4 (Bottom)
Row 14 (mesh): Sl st in first 4 sc, ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next sc, dc in next sc, [ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 7 times. Leave last 3 sc unworked. Turn. (9 dc, 8 ch-1 sps = 17 sts)
Row 15 (increase): Ch 1, sc in first dc, [2 sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc] 7 times, 2 sc in last ch-1 sp, sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. Turn. (1 + 21 + 2 + 1 = 25 sc)
Row 16 (puff row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), [ch 1, sk next sc, puff in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 6 times. Turn. (6 puffs, 7 dc, 12 ch-1 sps = 25 sts)
Row 17 (band): Ch 1, 2 sc in first dc, sc in each of next 23 sts, 2 sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. (2 + 23 + 2 = 27 sc) Fasten off.
Checkpoint: 3.9 in (9.9 cm) wide, 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall.
All puff rows (4, 8, 12, 16) are even rows, so every puff bulges toward the same face. Treat that face as the RS.
Border
Border gauge: 7 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm). Along the sides, work 1 sc in each sc row-end and 2 sc in each dc or puff row-end.
With the RS facing, join yarn in the last sc of Row 17 (bottom corner).
Round 1: Ch 1. Work the round as follows:
- Bottom corner: 3 sc in the same st.
- First side, up to the tip:
- Work 2 sc in the end of Row 16, 1 sc in the end of Row 15, and 2 sc in the end of Row 14 (5 sc).
- Along the overhang of Row 13, work sc in each of the next 2 unworked sts, then 3 sc in the outer point st (5 sc).
- Work 2 sc, 1 sc and 2 sc in the ends of Rows 12, 11 and 10 (5 sc).
- Along the Row 9 overhang, work 1 sc, 1 sc, then 3 sc in the point (5 sc).
- Work the ends of Rows 8, 7 and 6 (5 sc).
- Along the Row 5 overhang, work 1 sc, then 3 sc in the point (4 sc).
- Work 2 sc in the end of Row 4 and 1 sc in the ends of Rows 3, 2 and 1 (5 sc).
- Side total: 34 sc.
- Tip: 3 sc around the foundation ch.
- Second side, down to the bottom: Work the mirror image: 5, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5. That is 34 sc.
- Second bottom corner: 3 sc in the first sc of Row 17.
- Bottom edge: Sc in each of the next 25 sc. Sl st to the first sc.
Total: 3 + 34 + 3 + 34 + 3 + 25 = 102 sc.
On the side where you slip-stitched at the start of the mesh rows, insert your hook under both the overhang sc and the sl st lying on it. This keeps the edge level.
Why the math works:
- The bottom edge holds all 27 Row 17 sts. That is 25 straight sts plus the 2 corner sts, each worked as a 3-sc corner, so the bottom keeps its full 3.9 in (9.9 cm) width plus a slight flare.
- A dc row is about 2⅓ sc tall. Rounding down to 2 sc keeps the slanted sides taut.
- The 3-sc points add the missing ease exactly where each tier turns a corner.
- Total width becomes 27 + 2 = 29 sts, or 4.1 in (10.4 cm). Height becomes 3.75 in (9.5 cm) plus 2 border rows, about 4 in (10.2 cm).
Hanging Loop
Join yarn in the center sc of the 3 tip sc. Ch 18, then sl st in the same st to form a loop. Ch 1, work 24 sc over the ch-18 loop, and sl st in the base st. Fasten off.
The loop stands about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the border on the wrong side.
- Mist the ornament until it is evenly damp. Don’t soak it.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the two bottom corners 4.1 in (10.4 cm) apart.
- Pin the tip so that the body is 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
- Pin each tier point outward so that the bands curve gently downward. Keep left and right points level with each other.
- Pinch each puff gently to round it up.
- Optional: brush fabric stiffener on the back.
- Let it dry completely before removing the pins, ideally overnight.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Puff counts per tier are 2, 4, 5 and 6 from top to bottom.
- Every puff faces the same side.
- Each mesh row shows clear upright dc bars with even gaps.
- The tier overhangs are symmetrical: 2 sts under Tier 1, and 3 sts under Tiers 2 and 3.
- The border has 102 sc with neat 3-sc points.
- The finished size is 4.1 in (10.4 cm) × 4 in (10.2 cm).
- The loop is centered and firmly anchored.
Troubleshooting
- Puffs look flat or loose: Pull each loop up evenly and keep it short. Close every puff with a firm ch 1.
- One side of a tier is longer: Recount the sl sts at the start of the mesh row and the unworked sts at the end. The two numbers must match.
- Edges ripple: Your border is too loose. Use 2 sc per dc row-end, not 3, or go down a hook size for the border.
- Edges cup inward: Work the border with a slightly looser hand, or go up half a hook size for the border only.
- The tree leans: Block it again, pinning the tip directly above the center of the bottom edge.
- Mesh gaps close up: Make sure you skip a stitch before each dc, and check that each ch-1 is not pulled too tight.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Press out the water in a towel and reshape it flat to dry. Stiffened ornaments should be spot-cleaned only.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and reliable:
- Gauge is 28 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm).
- The tiers grow from 1.6 in (4.1 cm) to 2.7 in (6.9 cm), then 3.3 in (8.4 cm), then 3.9 in (9.9 cm) wide.
- The body reaches 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall before the border.
- The 102-st border brings it to 4.1 in (10.4 cm) × 4 in (10.2 cm).
Check each tier as you go, and your tree will come out symmetrical and crisp every time. Make a few in different colors to fill a whole branch.
Happy crocheting!