This little tree is made from one long, curved strip of crochet that you coil into a cone. Each turn of the spiral flares out a bit, so the finished ornament looks like a stack of soft tiers, each one edged in shiny silver.
The color scheme is pale powder blue with silver metallic trim, a silver five-point star on top, and a silver jingle bell underneath. It has a frosty, winter-wonderland look that goes well with white, silver, or icy-blue tree themes.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures about 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall including the star and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across the base. The hanging loop adds about 2 in (5.1 cm).
Here is how it’s built. You crochet a flat strip lengthwise, adding increases so the outer edge grows longer than the inner edge and the strip curves into a crescent. Next you add two rows of silver edging along the outer edge, coil the strip from a tight point at the top to a wide base, and sew it in place. Last, you add the star, the loop, and the bell.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall, 2.75 in (7.0 cm) base diameter
- Skill level: Intermediate (simple stitches, careful assembly)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light, #3)
- Hook: 3.25 mm (US D/3)
- Number of pieces: 1 ornament, made from one spiral strip plus a small star and a cord loop
- Layout: one continuous strip coiled into 7 tiers
- Strip size before border: 27.3 in (69.3 cm) along the inner edge, 40.9 in (103.9 cm) along the outer edge, 0.8 in (2.0 cm) wide
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of silver edging, for a total strip width of 1.05 in (2.7 cm)
Materials
Yarn advice: A smooth DK cotton or cotton-acrylic blend gives crisp stitches and a tree that holds its shape. Avoid fuzzy yarns because they hide the tiers. For the silver, use a DK-weight metallic yarn, or hold a fine metallic thread together with a thin silver yarn so the total thickness is about the same as DK.
- Light blue DK: 15 g, about 35 m
- Silver metallic DK: 10 g, about 25 m
- Silver jingle bell: one, 20 mm (0.8 in / 2.0 cm)
Tools:
– 3.25 mm (US D/3) hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch markers (at least 7)
– Tape measure
– Optional: a paper cone about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall to use as a coiling guide
– Optional: light fabric stiffener or a starch spray
All yarn amounts include a margin of about 20% for swatching and sewing.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- st(s): stitch(es)
- 2 sc in next: increase (2 sc worked in the same stitch)
- rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- RS / WS: right side / wrong side
Special stitch: reverse single crochet (rev sc). Don’t turn your work. Working from left to right (right to left if you’re left-handed), insert the hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over, and pull up a loop. Then yarn over and pull through both loops. The stitches twist into a raised, rope-like edge, which makes the chain-look silver trim.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 22 sc and 24 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in light blue, with a 3.25 mm hook.
Gauge matters here because the strip length decides how many tiers you get. Before you chain 151, make a small test strip: ch 23, then work 6 rows of sc (22 sts).
- Swatch checkpoint: 11 sc should measure 2 in (5.1 cm).
- Too big (fewer than 11 sts in 2 in / 5.1 cm): go down one hook size.
- Too small (more than 11 sts in 2 in / 5.1 cm): go up one hook size.
Stage checkpoints:
1. After Row 1, the strip measures 27.3 in (69.3 cm), give or take 1 in (2.5 cm).
2. After Row 2, the outer edge measures about 36.4 in (92.5 cm), and the strip starts to curve.
3. After Row 5, the strip is 0.8 in (2.0 cm) wide, with an outer edge of 40.9 in (103.9 cm).
4. After the border, the strip is 1.05 in (2.7 cm) wide.
5. After assembly, the tree is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across the base, give or take 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
The Spiral Strip
Use light blue. Leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) starting tail. You’ll use it to sew the top point.
Foundation: Ch 151.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (150 sc)
This edge is the inner edge. It’s the edge you’ll sew when you coil the tree. Check your length now: 27.3 in (69.3 cm).
Row 2 (growth row): Ch 1 (doesn’t count as a st here or in later rows), sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; repeat from * 50 times in total. Turn. (200 sc)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (200 sc)
Row 4 (growth row): Ch 1, sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st; repeat from * 25 times in total. Turn. (225 sc)
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (225 sc) Fasten off light blue and weave in that end only. Keep the 12 in (30.5 cm) starting tail.
The strip should now curve naturally into a crescent. The outer edge (Row 5) has 225 sts and the inner edge (Row 1) has 150 sts, a ratio of 1.5. That extra length is what lets each tier flare out once it’s coiled.
Stitch-count check: Row 2 has 50 repeats of 3 sts, which is 150 sts worked into, and each repeat makes 4 sts, so 50 × 4 = 200. Row 4 has 25 repeats of 8 sts, which is 200 sts worked into, and each repeat makes 9 sts, so 25 × 9 = 225.
Border: Silver Chain Edging
The silver trim goes on the outer long edge only (the Row 5 edge). The short ends and the inner edge stay unbordered because they end up hidden inside the coil.
Border gauge: 1 sc into each Row 5 st. Your metallic yarn should keep the same 22 sts = 4 in (10.2 cm) so the edge stays flat. If the metallic yarn is thinner and the edge starts to cup, go up to a 3.5 mm hook just for the border.
Border Row 1 (conversion row): With the RS facing, join silver in the first st of Row 5. Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each st across. Don’t turn. (225 sc + 0 added = 225 sc)
Border Row 2 (trim row): Ch 1, rev sc in each st back across the row. (225 rev sc + 0 added = 225 sts) Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail, and weave it in.
Edge counts:
– Outer long edge: 225 sts in each border row
– Inner edge: 150 sts, no border
– Short ends: 5 rows each, no border
Why the math works: Each border row works exactly 1 st into each Row 5 st, so the border adds depth without adding length. The trim stays the same 40.9 in (103.9 cm) as the outer edge. If you added stitches, the trim would ruffle. If you skipped stitches, the tiers would pull in and stop flaring.
Star Topper
Use silver. Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for sewing.
Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1, then work 10 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed and sl st to the first sc. (10 sc) The center should measure about 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Round 2 (points): Ch 4, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, hdc in the next ch, skip the next sc of Round 1, sl st in the next sc; repeat from * 5 times in total. (5 points, each made from 1 sl st, 1 sc, and 1 hdc on the ch, anchored with 1 sl st)
Fasten off. The star measures about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) from point to point. Pinch each point to sharpen it.
Hanging Loop
Use light blue. Ch 26. Work a sl st into the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and of each ch across. (25 sl st) Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
The cord measures about 4 in (10.2 cm). Fold it in half to make a loop about 2 in (5.1 cm) long.
Assembly: Coiling the Tree
Hold the strip with the RS facing out and the inner edge (Row 1) on top. Start from the end that has the long starting tail. That end becomes the top point.
Use markers to divide the inner edge into 7 coils, counting Row 1 stitches from the starting end:
| Coil | Row 1 sts | Inner circumference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (top) | 9 | 1.6 in (4.1 cm) |
| 2 | 13 | 2.3 in (5.8 cm) |
| 3 | 17 | 3.1 in (7.9 cm) |
| 4 | 21 | 3.9 in (9.9 cm) |
| 5 | 26 | 4.7 in (11.9 cm) |
| 6 | 30 | 5.4 in (13.7 cm) |
| 7 (base) | 34 | 6.3 in (16.0 cm) |
Total: 9 + 13 + 17 + 21 + 26 + 30 + 34 = 150 sts, which matches Row 1.
- Top point: Roll the first 9 sts into a tight tube about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across. Use the starting tail to whipstitch the end of coil 1 to the start of the strip.
- Winding down: Wind coil 2 around and under coil 1. Place the inner edge of coil 2 about 0.55 in (1.4 cm) below the inner edge of coil 1, so the silver trim of coil 1 hangs over the blue of coil 2.
- Sewing: Thread a 24 in (61.0 cm) strand of light blue. Whipstitch the inner edge of each new coil to the WS of the coil above it, along Row 3. Sew 1 stitch for every Row 1 st. Keep your stitches snug but not tight, so the tiers can still flare.
- Repeat for coils 3 through 7, keeping each tier 0.55 in (1.4 cm) below the last. A paper cone inside helps keep the spacing even. Take it out when you’re done.
- Base end: Tack the last short end neatly to the inside of coil 6.
Assembly checkpoint: The tree measures 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across the base. If it’s too tall, overlap the tiers by an extra 0.1 in (0.3 cm). If it’s too squat, overlap them less.
Finishing details:
– Sew the star to the front of the top point. Use the tails to stitch through the center and each of the two side points.
– Sew the ends of the folded loop to the back of the star and the top point.
– Cut a 12 in (30.5 cm) strand of silver. Anchor it at the inside of the top point, pass it down through the center of the cone, and tie on the bell so it hangs about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) below the base rim. Knot it securely and hide the ends inside.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the tree with water, or with diluted fabric stiffener if you’d like crisper tiers.
- Slip the tree over a paper cone or a rolled towel that’s about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
- Gently push each tier’s silver rim outward so it flares evenly all the way around.
- Pinch the five star points into shape.
- Leave it to dry completely, at least 8 hours.
- Remove the form and measure. You’re aiming for 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across the base.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Row 1 has 150 sc, Row 3 has 200 sc, and Row 5 has 225 sc.
- Both silver rows have 225 sts, and the edge doesn’t ruffle.
- The rev sc trim is twisted evenly with no gaps.
- There are 7 coils, spaced about 0.55 in (1.4 cm) apart.
- None of the sewing stitches show on the RS.
- The star is centered with 5 even points.
- The loop is secure and about 2 in (5.1 cm) long.
- The bell hangs centered, about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) below the base.
- All ends are woven in.
Troubleshooting
The strip curls into a tight ring instead of a gentle crescent. Your increases are too tight. Work Rows 2 and 4 more loosely, or go up a hook size for those rows.
The silver edge ruffles. The metallic yarn is thicker than the blue. Go down a hook size for the border.
The silver edge pulls the tiers inward. The metallic yarn is too thin. Go up to a 3.5 mm hook for the border, or hold a second strand of thread.
The tree leans to one side. The tier spacing is uneven. Unpick back to the coil where it starts to lean and resew with even 0.55 in (1.4 cm) steps.
You have strip left over at the base. Your gauge is loose. Add an 8th small coil, or tuck the extra length inside the base coil.
The tiers look flat. Steam-block the ornament over a cone and push the rims outward while it dries.
The rev sc looks messy. Keep each loop the same height and don’t pull the yarn too tight between stitches.
Care
Spot clean only with a damp cloth, then reshape the tiers and let it air dry. Store the ornament in a box with tissue so the tiers don’t get crushed.
Final Notes
Here’s the measurement chain to keep in mind. First, 22 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). That gives a 150-st inner edge of 27.3 in (69.3 cm), which grows to a 225-st outer edge of 40.9 in (103.9 cm). Two 225-st silver rows bring the strip to 1.05 in (2.7 cm) wide. Seven coils spaced 0.55 in (1.4 cm) apart then make a tree 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across.
If you check each link in that chain as you go, the finished tree will come out right. Make one, then make a few more in other colors to fill your tree.
Happy crocheting!