This little tree is made of soft, layered scales that look like the overlapping boughs of a young pine. Each scale is a crocodile stitch “petal”. They are stacked in five tiers that get smaller toward the top, so you get a classic Christmas tree outline with a scalloped edge.
The palette is calm and natural: sage green for the tree and chocolate brown for the trunk. It looks equally at home on a rustic tree, a gift package or a wreath.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures about 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide and 4.7 in (11.9 cm) tall, not counting the hanging loop. The loop adds about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
You work the whole tree flat from the bottom up. Each tier has four rows: a base row of paired double crochets, a scale row worked around those posts, and two single crochet backing rows that shape the triangle. After that, you work the trunk directly onto the foundation edge, edge it with a single border round, and chain a hanging loop at the peak.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.75 in × 4.7 in (9.5 × 11.9 cm), excluding loop
- Skill level: Intermediate (crocodile stitch)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK / light worsted (#3)
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 (the trunk is worked onto the tree, so there is no sewing)
- Layout: one tree with 5 tiers of 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 scales
- Piece size before border: 3.75 in × 4.5 in (9.5 × 11.4 cm)
- Border: one round of sc around the trunk only
- Border depth: about 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, tightly plied cotton or cotton blend in DK weight. Cotton gives crisp scale edges and blocks well. Fuzzy yarns hide the scale outlines.
- Sage green: 8 g / 18 m (20 yd)
- Chocolate brown: 2 g / 4 m (4.5 yd)
These quantities include a margin of roughly 20% for your gauge swatch and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– 2 stitch markers
– Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle with water
– Optional: fabric stiffener for a firmer ornament
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- sc2tog: single crochet 2 together
- dc: double crochet
- sk: skip
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sp: space
- RS / WS: right side / wrong side
Special stitch – Scale: Work around a pair of side-by-side dc. Make 4 dc down the post of the first dc of the pair (from top to bottom), ch 1, then rotate the work and make 4 dc up the post of the second dc of the pair (from bottom to top). One scale = 8 dc + 1 ch. It hangs downward and covers the rows below it.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 sc × 22 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc. One dc row is about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) tall.
Because this is a single piece, Row 1 is your test piece. Work Row 1 and measure it before you continue.
Checkpoints:
– After Row 1: 18 sc = 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide.
– After Row 3 (first scales): each scale is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide. The 5 scales together are about 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
– After Row 5: the work is about 0.95 in (2.4 cm) tall, measured along the backing.
– After Row 13: about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
– After Row 20: the green section is about 3.8 in (9.7 cm) tall.
– After the trunk: total height is about 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
If your work is too big: change to a 3.25 mm (D-3) hook.
If your work is too small: change to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook.
If the scales ruffle: your dc are too loose compared with your sc. Keep the hook size and tighten only the scale stitches.
Pattern: The Tree
With sage green, ch 19.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (18 sc)
Tier 1 (5 scales)
Row 2 (WS, base row): Ch 1, turn, then ch 2 more (counts as ch 3, does not count as a st). Dc in first 2 sts, ch 2, sk 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts; repeat from * 3 more times. (5 dc pairs: 10 dc + 4 ch-2 sps = 18 sts)
Row 3 (RS, scale row): Turn so the RS faces you. Starting with the pair your hook is next to, make 1 Scale around that pair, then sl st in the next ch-2 sp. Make 1 Scale around the next pair, then sl st in the next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 more times. Make 1 Scale around the last pair and sl st in the top of the last dc. (5 scales)
Row 4 (WS): Ch 1, turn. Fold the scales down out of the way and work into the tops of Row 2 behind them: sc in each dc and 2 sc in each ch-2 sp. (10 sc into dc + 8 sc into sps = 18 sc)
Row 5 (RS): Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 14 sts, sc2tog. (16 sts)
Tier 2 (4 scales)
Row 6 (WS, base row): Turn. Sl st in first st, ch 3 (does not count as a st), dc in next 2 sts, ch 2, sk 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts; repeat from * 2 more times. Leave the last st unworked. (4 pairs: 8 dc + 3 ch-2 sps = 14 sts, centered on the 16 sts of Row 5)
Row 7 (RS): Work as Row 3. (4 scales)
Row 8 (WS): Work as Row 4. (8 + 6 = 14 sc)
Row 9 (RS): Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 10 sts, sc2tog. (12 sts)
Tier 3 (3 scales)
Row 10 (WS): Work as Row 6, repeating from * only 1 more time. (3 pairs: 6 dc + 2 ch-2 sps = 10 sts)
Row 11 (RS): Work as Row 3. (3 scales)
Row 12 (WS): Work as Row 4. (6 + 4 = 10 sc)
Row 13 (RS): Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog. (8 sts)
Tier 4 (2 scales)
Row 14 (WS): Turn. Sl st in first st, ch 3 (does not count), dc in next 2 sts, ch 2, sk 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts. Leave the last st unworked. (2 pairs: 4 dc + 1 ch-2 sp = 6 sts)
Row 15 (RS): Make 1 Scale, sl st in the ch-2 sp, make 1 Scale, sl st in the top of the last dc. (2 scales)
Row 16 (WS): Work as Row 4. (4 + 2 = 6 sc)
Row 17 (RS): Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog. (4 sts)
Tier 5 (1 scale)
Row 18 (WS): Turn. Sl st in first st, ch 3 (does not count), dc in next 2 sts. Leave the last st unworked. (1 pair = 2 sts)
Row 19 (RS): Make 1 Scale, sl st in the top of the last dc. (1 scale)
Row 20 (WS): Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog over the 2 dc tops. (1 st)
Hanging loop: Ch 22, sl st in the same st, and fasten off. Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Stitch-count summary: The backing goes 18 → 16 → 14 → 12 → 10 → 8 → 6 → 4 → 2 → 1. Each base row covers 4N − 2 sts for N scales: 18, 14, 10, 6 and 2. That is why every tier sits exactly centered on the tier below.
Pattern: The Trunk
Hold the tree with the RS facing you and the foundation chain at the top. Count the free loops of the foundation chain: there are 18. Place markers in the 7th and 12th loops.
Row T1: Join brown with a sc in the 7th loop, then sc in the next 5 loops. (6 sc)
Rows T2–T4: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (6 sc)
Do not fasten off. The trunk now measures 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide × 0.7 in (1.8 cm) tall.
Border
Border gauge: same as the body, 5 sc per inch (2.0 sc per cm). Work 1 sc per sc row end.
The scale tips already make the tree’s outer edge, so the border goes around the trunk only. It squares off the trunk and hides the jagged row ends.
Border round: Ch 1. Rotate the work so you work down the left side of the trunk.
- Left side: 1 sc in each row end of T3, T2 and T1. (3 sc) Sl st into the foundation loop next to the trunk.
Then continue around the trunk as follows:
- Left side: turn back down. 1 sc in each row end of T1, T2 and T3. (3 sc)
- Bottom: 2 sc in the first st of T4, sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the last st. (8 sc, including both corner pairs)
- Right side: 1 sc in each row end of T3, T2 and T1. (3 sc)
Sl st into the foundation loop next to the trunk and fasten off.
Total: the edging round has 3 + 8 + 3 = 14 sc. Do not count the 3 sc of the anchoring pass in that total.
Why the math works: Your sc row height (0.18 in / 0.5 cm) is almost the same as your sc width (0.2 in / 0.5 cm), so 1 sc per row end keeps the sides flat. The border adds about 0.18 in (0.5 cm) to each side, so the bottom edge grows from 1.2 in (3.0 cm) to about 1.6 in (4.1 cm). At 5 sc per inch, 1.6 in needs 8 sc. That is exactly the 4 plain sc plus 2 corner pairs.
Finished height after the border: 4.7 in (11.9 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends behind the scales, never across the RS.
- Lightly mist the ornament until it is damp, not soaked.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the base row (Row 1) straight at 3.6 in (9.1 cm).
- Fan each scale so that it points straight down and overlaps the tier below.
- Pin the bottom tier’s scale tips so the total width is 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
- Pin the trunk square at 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide.
- Check that the height is 4.7 in (11.9 cm) and the loop is 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
- If you want a firmer ornament, brush on a thin coat of fabric stiffener.
- Let it dry completely before you unpin it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- 5 tiers with 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 scales
- Each scale has 4 dc on each side plus a ch-1 tip
- The scales all point down and overlap evenly
- The backing does not show between scales on the RS
- The trunk is centered (6 loops free on each side)
- The trunk border has 3 + 8 + 3 sc
- Width is 3.75 in (9.5 cm); height is 4.7 in (11.9 cm)
- The loop is secure and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall
- All ends are woven in on the WS
Troubleshooting
The scales curl upward: You worked the scale row with the WS facing. Scale rows must always be odd rows, worked RS.
The tiers are off-center: Check that each base row starts with a sl st in the first st and leaves the last st unworked.
The backing peeks through: Your dc are too short. Pull up each dc loop slightly taller, or go up 0.25 mm for the scale rows only.
The sides wave: You missed a sc2tog in a decrease row. Count the backing rows against the summary.
The trunk flares: Check that you did not work 2 sc into any row end.
The loop stretches: Use a tighter chain, or work a sl st back along the chain.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and reshape the scales while the ornament dries flat. Store flat, or hang it so the tiers don’t get crushed.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple:
- Row 1 sets the width at 3.6 in (9.1 cm).
- The five tiers build the green section to 3.8 in (9.7 cm).
- The 4-row trunk brings the height to 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
- The border finishes the ornament at 4.7 in (11.9 cm).
- The scales fan the width out to 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
If you check Row 1 and the first tier, the rest falls into place.
Happy crocheting!