A rust-colored crocheted Christmas tree ornament with textured bobble details on a cream fabric background.

Ember Bobble Tree Ornament Crochet Pattern

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This little tree ornament is a flat triangle of single crochet in one warm rust-terracotta color. Ten round bobbles are stacked in a pyramid on the front: four across the bottom, then three, two, and one just below the tip. A short rectangular trunk hangs from the center of the base, and a thick, cord-like loop at the tip lets you hang it.

The style is cozy and rustic. It looks at home next to pinecones, copper baubles and warm string lights. Because it uses one color, it works up fast, and a batch of them looks lovely spread across a tree.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures about 4.15 in (10.5 cm) wide at the base and 4.6 in (11.7 cm) tall from tip to trunk, plus a hanging loop that drops about 2.25 in (5.7 cm).

Construction is simple. You work the tree in turned rows from the base up to the tip, decreasing at both edges. Bobbles go on wrong-side rows so they pop out on the right side. Then you work the trunk from the underside of the foundation chain, add one round of single crochet around the whole shape, and finish with a loop covered in single crochet at the tip.

Finished Size and Construction

  • Finished size: 4.15 in (10.5 cm) wide x 4.6 in (11.7 cm) tall, plus a 2.25 in (5.7 cm) loop
  • Skill level: Easy (advanced beginner)
  • Terminology: US crochet terms
  • Yarn weight: Worsted weight (#4 medium)
  • Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
  • Number of pieces: 1 (one tree, worked in one piece)
  • Layout: Single standalone ornament; no joining
  • Tree before trunk and border: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide at the base x 3.4 in (8.6 cm) tall
  • Size before border (tree plus trunk): 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide x 4.2 in (10.7 cm) tall
  • Border depth: 1 round of sc, about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge

Materials

Choose a smooth worsted-weight yarn so the bobbles look round and clean. Cotton or a cotton blend gives crisp stitches and a firm ornament that holds its shape. A soft acrylic also works well and is a little more forgiving. Avoid fuzzy or brushed yarns, which blur the bobbles.

Yarn:

  • Rust / terracotta: 10 g, about 20 m (22 yd) per ornament

This amount includes a margin for testing your gauge, the border, the loop and weaving in ends. If you plan a batch, multiply by the number of ornaments you want.

Tools:

  • 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
  • Tapestry needle
  • Scissors
  • Stitch markers (2)
  • Ruler or tape measure
  • Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
  • Spray bottle with water

Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • ch – chain
  • sc – single crochet
  • sc2tog – single crochet 2 together (decrease)
  • sc3tog – single crochet 3 together (double decrease)
  • sl st – slip stitch
  • st(s) – stitch(es)
  • yo – yarn over
  • RS – right side
  • WS – wrong side
  • bob – bobble (see below)

Special stitch – Bobble (bob): [Yo, insert hook in next st, yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops] 5 times in the same st (6 loops on hook), then yo and draw through all 6 loops. The bobble counts as 1 st. Always work bobbles on WS rows. They push toward the RS and stand out on the front.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Gauge: 18 sc and 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in rows. That is 4.5 sc and 5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm).

This pattern makes one small ornament, so the ornament itself is your best gauge test. Work Rows 1–4 and measure. These checkpoints keep you on track:

  • After Row 1: 17 sc, about 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide
  • After Row 4: about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) tall, first bobble row done
  • After Row 8: about 1.6 in (4.1 cm) tall
  • After Row 12: about 2.4 in (6.1 cm) tall
  • After Row 17: tree is 3.4 in (8.6 cm) tall
  • After the trunk: total height 4.2 in (10.7 cm), trunk 1.1 in (2.8 cm) wide
  • After the border: 4.15 in (10.5 cm) x 4.6 in (11.7 cm)

If your work is too big: go down 0.5 mm in hook size. Loose fabric makes the bobbles sink in and the edges wavy.

If your work is too small: go up 0.5 mm in hook size. Very tight fabric can make the triangle curl.

For an ornament, being off by up to 0.25 in (0.6 cm) either way is fine.

A terracotta crocheted Christmas tree ornament hanging among evergreen branches and glowing lights.

Tree Body

Work the tree from the base up in turned rows. The ch 1 at the start of each row does not count as a stitch. Row 1 is a RS row, so all even rows are WS rows. Place a marker on the RS of Row 1 to keep track.

Foundation: Ch 18.

Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (17 sts)

Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (17 sts)

Row 3 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 13 sts, sc2tog, turn. (15 sts)

Row 4 (WS, 4 bobbles): Ch 1, sc in first 4 sts, [bob in next st, sc in next st] 3 times, bob in next st, sc in last 4 sts, turn. (15 sts: 11 sc + 4 bob)

Row 5 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 11 sts, sc2tog, turn. (13 sts) Work into the top of each bobble as a normal stitch, and push each bobble to the front as you go.

Row 6 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (13 sts)

Row 7 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 9 sts, sc2tog, turn. (11 sts)

Row 8 (WS, 3 bobbles): Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, [bob in next st, sc in next st] 2 times, bob in next st, sc in last 3 sts, turn. (11 sts: 8 sc + 3 bob)

Row 9 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 7 sts, sc2tog, turn. (9 sts)

Row 10 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (9 sts)

Row 11 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog, turn. (7 sts)

Row 12 (WS, 2 bobbles): Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, bob in next st, sc in next st, bob in next st, sc in last 2 sts, turn. (7 sts: 5 sc + 2 bob)

Row 13 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog, turn. (5 sts)

Row 14 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (5 sts)

Row 15 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog, turn. (3 sts)

Row 16 (WS, 1 bobble): Ch 1, sc in first st, bob in next st, sc in last st, turn. (3 sts: 2 sc + 1 bob)

Row 17 (RS): Ch 1, sc3tog. (1 st) Fasten off and weave in the end.

Why the bobbles stack into a pyramid: in each bobble row, the bobbles are centered on the row’s middle stitch. Row 4 puts bobbles on sts 5, 7, 9 and 11 of 15. Row 8 puts them on sts 4, 6 and 8 of 11. Each RS row loses 1 st at each edge, so each new bobble row lands halfway between the bobbles below it. The bobble rows are evenly spaced 4 rows, or 0.8 in (2.0 cm), apart.

Checkpoint: the tree measures 3.75 in (9.5 cm) across the base and 3.4 in (8.6 cm) tall, with ten bobbles in rows of 4, 3, 2 and 1.

Trunk

You work the trunk into the free loops on the underside of the foundation chain, centered on the 17 base stitches: 6 loops on one side, 5 trunk loops, then 6 loops on the other side.

Turn the tree upside down with the RS facing you. Skip the first 6 free loops of the foundation chain.

Row 1 (RS): Join yarn in the 7th free loop, ch 1, sc in the same loop and in the next 4 loops, turn. (5 sts)

Rows 2–4: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (5 sts) Do not turn at the end of Row 4.

Fasten off and weave in the ends. There should be 6 free loops on each side of the trunk.

Checkpoint: the trunk is 1.1 in (2.8 cm) wide and 0.8 in (2.0 cm) long. Total height before the border is 4.2 in (10.7 cm).

Border

One round of sc outlines the whole shape and smooths the stepped edges left by the decreases. Keep the RS facing throughout.

Border gauge: 4.5 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm) along straight stitch edges, and 1 sc per row end on the sides.

In this border, the side counts below are only the stitches between the corners. The 3-sc corner groups are listed on their own and are not part of the side counts.

Border Round: Join yarn in the single st at the tip (Row 17).

  1. Tip corner: Ch 1, 3 sc in the tip st. (3 sts)
  2. First slanted side: Work 1 sc in the end of each row from Row 16 down to Row 1. (16 sts)
  3. First base corner: 3 sc in the first free loop of the foundation chain. (3 sts)
  4. First base section: Sc in the next 5 free loops, up to the trunk. (5 sts)
  5. First trunk side: Work 1 sc in the end of each of trunk Rows 1–4. (4 sts)
  6. Trunk corner: 3 sc in the first st of trunk Row 4. (3 sts)
  7. Trunk bottom: Sc in the next 3 sts. (3 sts)
  8. Trunk corner: 3 sc in the last st of trunk Row 4. (3 sts)
  9. Second trunk side: Work 1 sc in the end of each of trunk Rows 4–1. (4 sts)
  10. Second base section: Sc in the next 5 free loops. (5 sts)
  11. Second base corner: 3 sc in the last free loop. (3 sts)
  12. Second slanted side: Work 1 sc in the end of each row from Row 1 up to Row 16. (16 sts)
  13. Sl st to the first sc of the round. (68 sts total)

Count check: 3 + 16 + 3 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 3 + 16 = 68 sts.

Why the math works: each slanted side is about 3.9 in (9.9 cm) long. The 16 side sc plus about 1 sc from each corner group give about 18 sc on that edge. That is 4.6 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm), almost exactly the gauge. On the base, you work exactly 1 sc into each free foundation loop the trunk doesn’t use (corner loop + 5 + 5 + corner loop), so the base can’t stretch or pull in. The trunk bottom uses its own 5 sts (corner st, 3 sts, corner st). Its 4 rows get 1 sc each, which matches the 5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm) gauge. The 3-sc corner groups keep the tip and the four outer corners sharp without cupping.

Hanging Loop: Sl st into the center sc of the 3-sc tip group. Ch 20, then sl st into the same center sc to form a loop. Work 22 sc over the ch-20 loop so the chain is fully covered, then sl st into the center sc of the tip again. (22 sc on the loop) Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. Weave the tail down into the border so it reinforces the loop.

Covering the chain with sc makes the loop thick and cord-like. The loop drops about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) above the tip.

Checkpoint: the ornament is 4.15 in (10.5 cm) wide at the base and 4.6 in (11.7 cm) tall. After the border, the trunk is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide.

Final Blocking

Blocking flattens the triangle and straightens the edges while keeping the bobbles round.

  1. Weave in all remaining ends on the WS, away from the bobbles.
  2. Lay the ornament WS down on a blocking mat.
  3. Pin the tip and the two base corners first, so the base is 4.15 in (10.5 cm) wide.
  4. Pin the bottom corners of the trunk so the total height is 4.6 in (11.7 cm).
  5. Add pins along the slanted sides so they run straight. Do not pin through the bobbles.
  6. Mist lightly with water until damp, not soaked. For acrylic, you can steam it lightly instead, holding the iron above the fabric without touching it.
  7. Gently shape each bobble with your fingertip so it sits round.
  8. Let the ornament dry completely before you remove the pins.
  9. Shape the hanging loop into an even teardrop by hand.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

  • The tree has 17 rows, and the tip ends in 1 st.
  • There are ten bobbles in rows of 4, 3, 2 and 1, all on the RS.
  • Each bobble row sits centered above the gaps of the row below.
  • The trunk is 5 sts wide and 4 rows long, centered with 6 free loops on each side.
  • The border has 68 sts with sharp 3-sc corners.
  • The finished size is 4.15 in (10.5 cm) x 4.6 in (11.7 cm), within 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
  • The hanging loop is fully covered and drops about 2.25 in (5.7 cm).
  • All ends are woven in securely on the WS.

Troubleshooting

The bobbles are on the wrong side: you worked the bobble rows as RS rows. Check that Row 1 is marked RS and that the bobbles fall on even rows.

The bobbles look flat: push each bobble to the front before you work the next row. Make sure all 5 partial dc go into the same st.

The edges are jagged or stepped: work the sc2tog decreases neatly in the first 2 and last 2 sts. The border round also smooths small steps.

The trunk is off-center: count the free loops again. There should be exactly 6 loops before and 6 loops after the 5 trunk sts.

The border ruffles: you may be working more than 1 sc per row end. Keep to 16 sc on each slanted side.

The border pulls in: loosen your tension, or go up 0.5 mm for the border round only.

The loop is twisted: before you close the ch-20 loop, check that the chain is not twisted.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with a mild soap and lay flat to dry, reshaping the bobbles while damp. Store flat or hanging, away from heavy items that could crush the bobbles.

A hand holding a terracotta crocheted Christmas tree ornament against a decorated holiday tree backdrop.

Final Notes

Here is the full measurement chain in one place. Gauge is 18 sc and 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). The 17-st base measures 3.75 in (9.5 cm), and 17 rows bring the tree to 3.4 in (8.6 cm) tall. The 5-st, 4-row trunk adds 0.8 in (2.0 cm), for a total height of 4.2 in (10.7 cm) before the border. One 68-st border round adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on each edge, so the ornament finishes at 4.15 in (10.5 cm) x 4.6 in (11.7 cm), with a 2.25 in (5.7 cm) loop on top.

Make one as a gift tag, or make a few and let them fill your tree with warm color.

Happy crocheting!

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