This little tree is made of light and air. Three fan-shaped tiers flare out from a narrow top. Each tier is made of tall, open stitches that look like long loops. A smooth single-crochet edge finishes each tier, and a small square trunk sits at the bottom.
The color palette is simple. The tree is worked in warm butter-yellow cotton, which reads as gold in tree lights, and the trunk is cream. The style is classic lace ornament: delicate but firm enough to hang flat on a branch.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished tree measures about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall. The hanging loop adds about 1.75 in (4.4 cm), for an overall height of about 6 in (15.2 cm).
You work the ornament top-down in turned rows as one piece. Each tier starts from a short single-crochet band, fans out in trebles or double trebles, and closes with an edge row. The next tier is worked into the center stitches of that edge, which leaves the outer wings free to overlap the tier below. You finish by adding the cream trunk and a chain hanging loop.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide × 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall, plus a 1.75 in (4.4 cm) hanging loop
- Skill level: Easy–Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport-weight cotton (#2 Fine)
- Hook: 3.0 mm (US C/2 or D/3)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: Single ornament, three tiers plus trunk, worked top-down
- Piece size: 3.5 in × 4.25 in (8.9 cm × 10.8 cm)
- Size before border: The built-in edge rows are the border. Before the bottom edge row (Row 9), the bottom tier is about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide.
- Border depth: About 0.2 in (0.5 cm) per edge row
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, mercerized or combed sport-weight cotton. Cotton keeps sharp stitch definition and holds the open loops crisp after blocking. Acrylic tends to make soft, fuzzy loops that collapse.
- Yellow (tree and hanging loop): 6 g, about 19 m
- Cream (trunk): 2 g, about 6 m
These quantities include a margin for a gauge swatch and weaving in ends. One standard 50 g ball of yellow makes about eight ornaments.
Tools:
– 3.0 mm crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch marker
– Rustproof pins and a blocking mat or folded towel
– Spray bottle with water, or a light spray starch
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- tr – treble crochet (yarn over twice, insert hook, pull up a loop, [yarn over, pull through 2 loops] 3 times)
- dtr – double treble crochet (yarn over three times, insert hook, pull up a loop, [yarn over, pull through 2 loops] 4 times)
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – Fan pair: (tr, ch 2, tr) in the same stitch. In Row 8, the fan pair is worked with dtr instead.
Turning chains: A ch 4 at the start of a tr row counts as the first tr. A ch 5 at the start of a dtr row counts as the first dtr. A ch 1 at the start of an sc row does not count as a stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 22 sc × 22 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc. That works out to 5.5 sc per inch, so 11 sc measure about 2 in (5.1 cm).
Stitch heights at this gauge:
– sc row: about 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
– tr: about 0.7 in (1.8 cm)
– dtr: about 0.9 in (2.3 cm)
Test one piece first. Make one full ornament before you commit to a batch. Gauge on a tiny ornament mostly controls the final width, and one test tree tells you more than a flat swatch.
Checkpoints (measure unblocked, lying flat):
– After Row 1: the band is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide.
– After Row 3: Tier 1 is about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) wide and 1.1 in (2.8 cm) tall, measured from the top of Row 1.
– After Row 6: Tier 2 is about 2.9 in (7.4 cm) wide.
– After Row 9: Tier 3 is about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide, and the tree body is about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
– After Row 13: the trunk is about 0.75 in × 0.75 in (1.9 cm × 1.9 cm), and the whole tree is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
Too big? Go down one hook size to 2.75 mm, or tighten the yarn-overs on your tall stitches. Too small? Go up to 3.25 mm. If only the height is off, adjust how far you pull up the loop on your tr and dtr. Don’t change the stitch counts.
Pattern
Tier 1 (Top)
With yellow, ch 4.
Row 1 (band): Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in the next 2 ch. Turn. (3 sc)
Leave the foundation chain free. You will add the hanging loop there later.
Row 2 (fan): Ch 4 (counts as tr), ch 2, tr in the same first sc. Ch 2, fan pair in the next sc. Rep from * once more. Turn. (6 tr, 5 ch-2 sps)
The trebles fan out from the narrow band and form the first set of long, open loops.
Row 3 (edge): Ch 1, sc in the first tr. 2 sc in the next ch-2 sp, sc in the next tr. Rep from * 4 more times; the last sc goes into the 4th ch of the turning chain. Turn. (1 + 5 × 3 = 16 sc)
Tier 2 (Middle)
Row 4 (band): Sl st in each of the first 6 sc. Ch 1, sc in each of the next 4 sc. Leave the last 6 sc unworked. Turn. (4 sc; 6 + 4 + 6 = 16)
The 6 slip-stitched sc and the 6 unworked sc become the free wings of Tier 1. They lie over the top of Tier 2.
Row 5 (fan): Ch 4 (counts as tr), ch 2, tr in the same first sc. Ch 2, fan pair in the next sc. Rep from * 2 more times. Turn. (8 tr, 7 ch-2 sps)
Row 6 (edge): Ch 1, sc in the first tr. 2 sc in the next ch-2 sp, sc in the next tr. Rep from * 6 more times. Turn. (1 + 7 × 3 = 22 sc)
Tier 3 (Bottom)
Row 7 (band): Sl st in each of the first 8 sc. Ch 1, sc in each of the next 6 sc. Leave the last 8 sc unworked. Turn. (6 sc; 8 + 6 + 8 = 22)
Row 8 (fan, using dtr): Ch 5 (counts as dtr), ch 2, dtr in the same first sc. Then work across the remaining sc as follows:
– ch 2, dtr in the next sc
– ch 2, (dtr, ch 2, dtr) in the next sc
– ch 2, (dtr, ch 2, dtr) in the next sc
– ch 2, dtr in the next sc
– ch 2, (dtr, ch 2, dtr) in the last sc
Turn. (2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 10 dtr, 9 ch-2 sps)
The single dtr in the 2nd and 5th sc keeps the fan even, so it doesn’t bunch at the center. The dtr make this tier’s loops a little longer than the ones above, which matches the deeper bottom tier.
Row 9 (edge): Ch 1, sc in the first dtr. 2 sc in the next ch-2 sp, sc in the next dtr. Rep from * 8 more times; the last sc goes into the 5th ch of the turning chain. (1 + 9 × 3 = 28 sc)
Fasten off yellow.
Trunk
Row 10: Keep the piece in the same orientation as Row 9 ended. Skip the first 12 sc of Row 9 and join cream in the 13th sc. Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each of the next 3 sc. Turn. (4 sc; 12 + 4 + 12 = 28)
Rows 11–13: Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (4 sc per row)
Fasten off cream. The trunk is 4 rows tall and 4 sts wide, which makes a square about 0.75 in × 0.75 in (1.9 cm × 1.9 cm).
Hanging Loop
Turn the tree upside down. Join yellow in the center (2nd) chain of the foundation chain above Row 1. Ch 22, then sl st in the same foundation ch. Fasten off.
The loop hangs about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) above the tree. For a firmer, cord-like loop, work 1 sl st in each ch of the loop before you fasten off.
Border
This ornament has no separate border. Its border is the three built-in sc edge rows (Rows 3, 6, and 9), which give each tier its smooth, rounded bottom.
Border gauge: The same 5.5 sc per inch as the main gauge. Each edge row adds about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) of depth.
Counts by section. Each edge row has a left wing, a center band base, and a right wing:
– Tier 1 (Row 3): 6 + 4 + 6 = 16 sc
– Tier 2 (Row 6): 8 + 6 + 8 = 22 sc
– Tier 3 (Row 9): 12 + 4 + 12 = 28 sc. The center 4 sc carry the trunk.
Why the math works: A ch-2 space is about two chains wide, so working 2 sc into it fills it exactly. Each tr or dtr top gets 1 sc. That makes each edge row (number of tall stitches) + (2 × number of ch-2 spaces):
– Row 3: 6 + 10 = 16
– Row 6: 8 + 14 = 22
– Row 9: 10 + 18 = 28
The edge stays the same length as the fan below it, so it neither ruffles nor pulls the loops into a cup. The wings are always split evenly, so each tier hangs centered under the one above.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the sc edge rows or into the trunk, where they won’t show through the open loops.
- Lightly mist the ornament with water. For a stiffer finish, use a light spray starch.
- Lay it face up on a blocking mat or folded towel.
- Pin the top of Row 1 and the center bottom of the trunk so the tree is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
- Pin the tips of the Tier 3 wings 3.5 in (8.9 cm) apart, then the Tier 2 tips 2.9 in (7.4 cm) apart and the Tier 1 tips 2.25 in (5.7 cm) apart.
- Open each long loop with a fingertip so the spaces look even, and smooth the edge arcs into gentle curves.
- Pin the trunk square at 0.75 in (1.9 cm) on each side.
- Let it dry completely before you unpin it, then pull the hanging loop straight.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Row counts: Row 1 = 3 sc; Row 3 = 16 sc; Row 6 = 22 sc; Row 9 = 28 sc; trunk = 4 sc × 4 rows.
- Fan counts: Tier 1 = 6 tr; Tier 2 = 8 tr; Tier 3 = 10 dtr.
- The wings split evenly at every tier: 6/6, 8/8, and 12/12.
- The tree is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
- The trunk is centered and square.
- The hanging loop is centered at the top and about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) long.
- No ends show inside the open loops.
- The ornament hangs straight without twisting.
Troubleshooting
- Edge row ruffles: You probably worked 3 sc into some ch-2 spaces. Recount against the totals of 16, 22, and 28.
- Tier cups forward: The fan stitches are too short or too tight. Pull up a longer first loop on each tr or dtr.
- Tree leans to one side: The wing counts are uneven. Check that you slip-stitched across exactly 6, 8, or 12 sc before starting each band or the trunk.
- Loops look uneven: Keep every ch-2 the same size and block with a fingertip in each loop.
- Trunk is off-center: Rejoin cream in the 13th sc of Row 9.
- Ornament twists when hung: Starch it lightly and make sure the hanging loop comes from the center foundation chain.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Press out the water in a towel, then reshape and pin flat to dry. Store flat or hanging so the loops don’t crush.
Final Notes
Every size in this pattern comes from one chain of measurements:
– Gauge: 5.5 sc per inch.
– Bands: 3, 4, and 6 sc wide.
– Fans: 6, 8, and 10 tall stitches.
– Edges: 16, 22, and 28 sc, which spread to tier widths of 2.25 in (5.7 cm), 2.9 in (7.4 cm), and 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
– Trunk: centered on the last 28 sc.
– Finished tree: 3.5 in × 4.25 in (8.9 cm × 10.8 cm), plus a 1.75 in (4.4 cm) loop.
If your gauge and counts match, every ornament in a batch will come out the same size and hang straight on the tree.
Happy crocheting!