This little angel is a single cream ornament with a soft, classic look. She has a round stuffed head with a hanging loop on top, two large rounded wing loops, a dense little torso, and a flared bell skirt finished with a shell hem.
Everything is worked in one cream or off-white cotton yarn. Smooth single crochet gives the head and torso a firm, sculpted look. Double crochet rounds open the skirt into a bell shape, and the shell edge adds a gentle scalloped hem. All instructions use US crochet terms.
The finished angel measures 3.25 in (8.3 cm) from the top of the head to the hem. The hanging loop adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm), so the total height is 4 in (10.2 cm). The width across the wings is 4 in (10.2 cm).
The angel is worked top down in one continuous piece. You start with the head in amigurumi-style rounds, stuff it, and close it at the neck. Then you work the torso, chaining the wing loops at the shoulders and covering them with single crochet. Next you increase into a double crochet skirt and finish with a shell hem. Last, you rejoin yarn at the top of the head for the hanging loop.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall without the loop, 4 in (10.2 cm) tall with the loop, 4 in (10.2 cm) wide at the wings
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (weight 3) cotton
- Hook: 3.25 mm (US D-3)
- Number of pieces: 1, worked continuously. The hanging loop is added afterward on the same piece.
- Layout: Single motif, blocked to lie flat with a 3D head
- Piece size: Same as the finished size
- Size before border (shell hem): 2.9 in (7.4 cm) tall, skirt 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide when flattened
- Border depth: 0.35 in (0.9 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or combed DK cotton in cream or off-white. Cotton shows stitch definition clearly and holds the wing and skirt shapes well after blocking. Avoid fuzzy or very splitty yarns, because they blur the shells and the wing edges.
Yarn:
– Cream (one color only): 10 g, about 23 m
Tools:
– 3.25 mm (US D-3) crochet hook
– Small handful of polyester fiberfill
– Stitch marker
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Blocking foam and rust-proof pins
– Optional: spray starch for a crisper finish
The quantity above includes a margin of about 25% for your gauge swatch and weaving in ends.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- MR – magic ring
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- dec – sc2tog. Invisible decrease recommended: insert the hook into the front loops of the next 2 sts, yarn over, pull through both front loops, yarn over, pull through 2 loops.
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- [ ] – repeat the bracketed steps the stated number of times
Special stitch:
– Shell – 5 dc in the same stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Single crochet gauge (in the round): 11 sc and 12 rounds = 2 in (5.1 cm)
- Double crochet gauge: 10 dc = 2 in (5.1 cm). Three dc rounds measure about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) tall.
Test one piece first. The head is your swatch. Work Rounds 1–7 and measure before stuffing. The head should be about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Checkpoints:
– After Round 9 (head closed and stuffed): head about 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter
– After Round 13 (wings made): torso flattened about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide, each wing about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, wing tip to wing tip about 4 in (10.2 cm)
– After Round 15: skirt flattened about 1.8 in (4.6 cm) wide
– After Round 16: about 2.4 in (6.1 cm) wide
– After Round 17: about 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide, total height about 2.9 in (7.4 cm)
– After Round 18 (shell hem): hem about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide, height 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
If your piece is too big: go down to a 3.0 mm hook. If it is too small: go up to a 3.5 mm (US E-4) hook. A head that is too loose will show stuffing between stitches, so lean toward the tighter hook.
Head
Work in continuous spiral rounds. Place a marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. Pull the ring closed. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: [Sc in next st, inc in next st] 6 times. (18)
Rounds 4–7: Sc in each st around. (18 each round, 4 rounds)
Round 8: [Sc in next st, dec] 6 times. (12)
Stuff the head firmly into a smooth sphere. Shape it with your fingers so there are no lumps.
Round 9: Dec 6 times. (6)
Top up the stuffing through the small opening if needed. Do not fasten off.
Checkpoint: The head is about 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Neck, Torso, and Wings
Continue in spiral rounds directly from the head.
Round 10 (neck): Sc in each st around. (6)
Round 11: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 12 (wing round): [Sc in next st, ch 16, sl st into the sc just made to form a loop, sc in next 5 sts] twice. (12 sc plus 2 ch-16 wing loops)
The two wing loops now sit directly opposite each other, at stitch 1 and stitch 7 of the round.
Round 13 (covering the wings): [Sc in next sc (the wing-base sc), work 24 sc into the ch-16 loop, sk the sl st, sc in next 5 sc] twice.
Count this round in two parts:
– Torso: 12 sc, worked one into each torso stitch of Round 12
– Wings: 24 sc worked around each loop, 48 total
These 48 wing stitches finish the wing edges. They are never worked into again. Placing 24 sc around 16 chains (a 1.5 ratio) lets the stitches sit side by side around the curve, so each wing opens into a round, flat loop instead of cupping or ruffling.
Round 14: Sc in each of the 12 torso sts only, skipping past the wing stitches. (12)
The dense single crochet keeps the torso rounded without stuffing. End Round 14 directly below the first wing, adjusting by a stitch if the spiral has drifted. Sl st into the next st to even the edge.
Checkpoint: Flatten the torso so the wings sit at the side folds. The torso is about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide, each wing is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, and the total span is about 4 in (10.2 cm).
Skirt
The skirt is worked in joined rounds so the hem stays level. The beginning ch 2 does not count as a stitch. Join each round with a sl st to the first dc.
Round 15: Ch 2, [dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] 6 times, join. (18)
Round 16: Ch 2, [dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st] 6 times, join. (24)
Check: 18 ÷ 3 = 6 repeats, and 6 × 4 = 24.
Round 17: Ch 2, [dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st] 8 times, join. (32)
Check: 24 ÷ 3 = 8 repeats, and 8 × 4 = 32.
The skirt is a cone that grows from 12 to 32 stitches over three rounds. When you flatten it, it lies as a smooth bell shape.
Checkpoint: The skirt is about 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide flattened. The angel is about 2.9 in (7.4 cm) tall. Do not fasten off. Continue to the Border section.
Hanging Loop (Work After the Shell Hem)
- Join yarn with a sl st into any stitch of Round 1 at the top of the head.
- Ch 10, then sl st into the Round 1 stitch directly opposite (3 sts away). This forms the loop.
- Work 15 sc into the ch-10 loop. This uses the same 1.5 ratio as the wings, so the loop is thick and rounded.
- Sl st into the starting stitch and fasten off.
Checkpoint: The loop stands about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) above the head.
Border: Shell Hem
Border gauge: One 4-stitch repeat (sc, sk 1, shell, sk 1) spans about 0.4 in (1 cm) of the Round 17 edge. The shells rise 0.35 in (0.9 cm).
Round 18: Ch 1, sc in first st, [sk 1 st, shell in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st] 7 times, sk 1 st, shell in next st, sk 1 st, join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off. (8 shells, 8 sc; 48 sts total: 8 sc + 40 dc)
Per side: The flattened skirt has a front and a back. Each side gets 16 Round 17 stitches = 4 repeats = 4 shells.
Why the math works: Each repeat uses exactly 4 stitches from Round 17, and 32 ÷ 4 = 8 repeats with nothing left over. Because the round begins under the first wing, the sc of repeat 1 lands on stitch 1, which is one side fold. The sc of repeat 5 lands on stitch 17, which is the opposite fold. Each fold therefore carries a sc, and each side shows 4 full shells. The scallops are symmetrical front and back.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends inside the head or along the skirt seam.
- Lightly mist the angel with water, or spray starch for a crisper finish.
- Lay her on blocking foam with the wings at the side folds and the skirt seam hidden along one edge.
- Pin each wing into an even rounded loop about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, with the opening centered.
- Flatten the skirt into a symmetrical bell 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide at the hem. Pin each shell into a neat curve.
- Shape the hanging loop upright and the head round. Do not pin through the head.
- Let the angel dry completely, at least several hours, before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Head is round, firm, and about 1 in (2.5 cm) across, with no stuffing showing
- Neck is snug and centered
- Wings are opposite each other, equal in size, and each about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long
- Wingspan is about 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Skirt shows 4 shells per side, with a sc at each side fold
- Hem is about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide
- Height is 3.25 in (8.3 cm), or 4 in (10.2 cm) with the loop
- Hanging loop is centered and secure
- All ends are woven in and hidden
Troubleshooting
Stuffing shows through the head. Your gauge is too loose. Use a smaller hook or tighten your tension, and use invisible decreases.
Wings cup or curl. You worked fewer than 24 sc into the loop. Redo the round with the full count. If your stitches are very tight, add 1–2 sc.
Wings ruffle. Your stitches are loose. Work 22 sc instead of 24, keeping the count the same on both wings.
Wings are uneven. Check that each loop is exactly 16 chains and that the wings are 6 stitches apart in Round 12.
Skirt is too narrow or flat. Recount Rounds 15–17. The counts must be 18, 24, and 32.
Shells land off-center. The round did not start at a side fold. Rip back Round 18 and restart it under the first wing.
Shells look crowded. Make sure you skip 1 stitch on each side of every shell.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, reshaping while damp. Re-starch if needed, and store flat between seasons.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple: a 1 in (2.5 cm) head, a 1 in (2.5 cm) torso flanked by 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wings for a 4 in (10.2 cm) span, and a skirt that grows from 1.8 in (4.6 cm) to 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide. The shell hem then brings the angel to 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall, and the loop adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Check gauge on the head, count every round, and block carefully, and your angel will match the original every time.
Optional: make several angels to hang together on a tree or a ribbon.
Happy crocheting!