This little tree ornament is worked in one flat piece in a warm caramel tan. Lacy rows of upright branch stitches with small open gaps fill the triangle. A cream slip-stitch spine runs from the tip to the base, and the tree finishes with a small cream trunk and a cream hanging loop.
It has a natural, Scandinavian look. Hang it on a wreath, tie it to a gift, or put a few on the tree. The two-color palette suits rustic décor, and matte cotton keeps the stitches crisp.
All terms are US crochet terms. The finished tree body measures 4.25 in (10.8 cm) wide at the base by 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall. With the trunk it is 5.3 in (13.5 cm) tall, and about 6.5 in (16.5 cm) including the hanging loop.
Construction is simple. You crochet the triangle in turned rows from the tip down, adding 2 stitches on every lace row. One sc round edges the whole shape. Then you add the cream spine with surface slip stitches, work the trunk in short rows off the base edge, and chain the hanging loop at the tip.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) wide x 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall (tree body with edging); 5.3 in (13.5 cm) tall with trunk; about 6.5 in (16.5 cm) with loop
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK (weight 3) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 (single ornament; trunk, spine and loop are worked directly onto it)
- Layout: one standing triangle, tip up
- Piece size before edging: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide x 4.3 in (10.9 cm) tall
- Edging depth: about 0.2 in (0.5 cm), one sc round
- Trunk: 1.1 in (2.8 cm) wide x 0.8 in (2.0 cm) tall
- Loop: about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or matte DK cotton. Cotton holds the triangle shape and shows off the lace gaps. Acrylic works too, but the tree will be softer and may need light starch to stay flat.
- Color A – Caramel tan: 10 g, about 25 m (body and edging)
- Color B – Cream: 3 g, about 8 m (spine, trunk and loop)
Quantities include a margin of about 20% for your gauge swatch and weaving in ends.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- 2 locking stitch markers
- Rustproof pins and a blocking mat or folded towel
- Spray bottle with water
- Optional: spray starch
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – surface slip stitch: Hold the yarn at the back of the work. Insert the hook from front to back through the fabric, yarn over at the back, and pull a loop up through the fabric and through the loop on your hook. Each surface sl st forms one small chain “V” on the front.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 18 sc and 20 sc rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) with a 3.5 mm hook. One lace row plus one sc row together measure about 0.65 in (1.7 cm) tall.
Because the ornament is small, the tree itself is your gauge test. Make one tree first and check it at each stage below.
- After Row 2 (5 sts): about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) wide x 0.4 in (1.0 cm) tall
- After Row 8 (11 sts): about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x 2.4 in (6.1 cm) tall
- After Row 14 (17 sts): 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide x 4.3 in (10.9 cm) tall
- After edging: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) wide x 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall
Too big? Go down to a 3.25 mm (D-3) hook. Too small? Go up to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook. If only the height is off, check that your dc rows are not pulled tight. The dc should stand fully upright so the open gaps show.
Tree Body
Use Color A. Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) starting tail.
The body is worked in turned rows from the tip down. Odd rows are RS rows, and even rows are WS rows. Each row grows by 1 stitch at each edge, so every row stays symmetrical around its center stitch. That is what keeps the spine straight later.
Lace row rule: In lace rows, the ch-3 turning chain counts as 1 dc. Each ch-1 counts as 1 stitch.
Sc row rule: In sc rows, the ch-1 turning chain does not count as a stitch. Work 1 sc in each dc, 1 sc in each ch-1 sp, and the last sc in the top of the turning ch-3.
Row 1 (RS): Ch 2, 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Turn. (3 sts)
Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next st, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (5 sts)
Row 3 (RS, lace): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in first st, [ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st] 1 time, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. Turn. (7 sts: 5 dc, 2 ch-1 sps)
Row 4 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st and ch-1 sp across. Turn. (7 sts)
Row 5 (lace): Ch 3, dc in first st, [ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st] 2 times, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. Turn. (9 sts: 6 dc, 3 ch-1 sps)
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (9 sts)
Row 7 (lace): Ch 3, dc in first st, [ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st] 3 times, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. Turn. (11 sts: 7 dc, 4 ch-1 sps)
Row 8: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (11 sts)
Checkpoint: about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x 2.4 in (6.1 cm) tall.
Row 9 (lace): Ch 3, dc in first st, [ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st] 4 times, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. Turn. (13 sts: 8 dc, 5 ch-1 sps)
Row 10: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (13 sts)
Row 11 (lace): Ch 3, dc in first st, [ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st] 5 times, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. Turn. (15 sts: 9 dc, 6 ch-1 sps)
Row 12: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (15 sts)
Row 13 (lace): Ch 3, dc in first st, [ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st] 6 times, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. Turn. (17 sts: 10 dc, 7 ch-1 sps)
Row 14 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across. Do not fasten off. (17 sts)
Why the counts work: A lace row worked over N stitches makes 2 sts at the start, 2 sts for each bracket repeat, and 3 sts at the end. The repeat runs (N – 3) ÷ 2 times, so the total is always N + 2. The sc rows keep the same count. Every lace row moves the dc over by one stitch compared with the lace row below. That staggered offset gives the branches their leafy, herringbone look on both sides of the center.
Edging
Continue with Color A.
Edging gauge: Along the base the edging follows your sc gauge of 4.5 sts per inch. Along the slanted sides you work into row ends, about 4 sc per inch. That slightly looser rate keeps the long sides flat without ruffling.
Edging Rnd (RS): Ch 1, turn so the RS faces you. You are now working across the top of Row 14, which is the base of the tree.
- Base: 3 sc in first st (corner), sc in next 15 sts, 3 sc in last st (corner). (21 sc on the base edge, including both 3-sc corner groups)
- First slanted side: Rotate the work and go up the side in the row ends. Work 2 sc in each lace-row end (Rows 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3) and 1 sc in each sc-row end (Rows 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1). (19 sc between the corner and the tip)
- Tip: 3 sc in the free loop of the foundation ch at the tip. Place a marker in the center sc of these 3. (3 sc)
- Second slanted side: Work down the other side in the same way: 1 sc in each sc-row end (Rows 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) and 2 sc in each lace-row end (Rows 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13). (19 sc)
- Sl st to the first sc to join. Fasten off and weave in the ends. (62 sc total)
Why the math works: 21 + 19 + 3 + 19 = 62. The Row 14 row ends are not worked separately, because the two base corner groups already sit in the first and last stitches of Row 14. On each side there are 6 lace rows x 2 sc = 12, plus 7 sc rows x 1 sc = 7, for 19. The 3-sc groups at the corners and tip turn the corners neatly, so the triangle lies flat.
Checkpoint: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) wide x 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall. Each slanted side is about 4.7 in (11.9 cm) long.
Place a second marker in the 11th sc of the base edge, counting from the first sc of the round. This is the center of the base.
Center Spine
Use Color B. With the RS facing, join with a surface sl st in the marked center base sc (11th sc).
Work straight up the center column of the tree. Each row’s center stitch sits directly above the one below: the 9th of 17 sts in Row 14, the 8th of 15 in Row 12, and so on up to the 2nd of 3 in Row 1.
Work 2 surface sl sts in the height of each lace row and 1 surface sl st in each sc row. That is 6 lace rows x 2 = 12, plus 8 sc rows x 1 = 8, for 20 sts. End with 1 more surface sl st in the marked tip sc. (22 surface sl sts total, including the joining st)
Keep the surface sl sts the same length as the row height so the spine lies flat and doesn’t pucker the lace. Fasten off. Pull the tail to the back and weave it in along the spine.
Trunk
Use Color B. Count the base edge from the first sc of the edging round. The center 5 sts are the 9th through 13th sc, and the center marker sits in the 11th.
With the RS facing and the tree upside down, join Color B in the 9th sc of the base edge.
Row 1: Ch 1, sc in the same st and in next 4 sts. Turn. (5 sc)
Rows 2–4: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (5 sc)
At the end of Row 4, do not turn. Ch 1 and sl st evenly down the side of the trunk to tidy the edge if you like. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Checkpoint: 1.1 in (2.8 cm) wide x 0.8 in (2.0 cm) tall, centered under the spine.
Hanging Loop
Use Color B. Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Join with a sl st in the marked center tip sc. Ch 12, then sl st in the same tip sc to form the loop. For a firmer, rope-like loop, sl st in each of the 12 ch around the loop, then sl st in the tip sc again. Fasten off.
The loop stands about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) above the tip. Weave the ends into the back of the edging so the loop is anchored from two directions.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends on the WS before blocking.
- Lightly mist the ornament with water until it is damp but not dripping.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the base edge straight to 4.25 in (10.8 cm), with one pin in each corner.
- Pin the tip so the body measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) from base to tip.
- Ease the slanted sides straight, about 4.7 in (11.9 cm) each, and pin every 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Open the lace gaps gently with a fingertip so they are even on both sides of the spine.
- Pin the trunk square, 1.1 in (2.8 cm) x 0.8 in (2.0 cm).
- Optional: mist lightly with spray starch for a crisp ornament.
- Let it dry completely, then remove the pins.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Body is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
- Both slanted sides are the same length and straight.
- Edging has 62 sc, with no gaps at the corners or tip.
- The cream spine runs straight from the base center to the tip.
- Trunk is centered directly under the spine.
- Loop is firmly attached at the exact tip.
- All ends are woven in and invisible from the front.
- Ornament hangs straight without tilting.
Troubleshooting
Tree leans or is lopsided: A row was worked with only one increase. Count each row against the stitch counts given.
Sides ruffle: Too many sc in the row ends. Use exactly 2 per lace row and 1 per sc row.
Sides cup or pull in: Edging tension is too tight. Loosen up or go up a hook size for the edging round only.
Lace gaps closed up: The dc are being pulled short. Draw up the first loop a little taller.
Spine wanders: You lost the center column. Count to the center stitch of each row before working the sl sts.
Spine puckers the lace: Surface sl sts are too tight. Rework them with longer loops.
Loop twists: Block it flat, or add the sl st round along the chain for stiffness.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat, re-pinning if needed. Store flat or hanging, away from crushing weight.
Final Notes
Check the measurements at each stage. Row 2 should be 1.1 in (2.8 cm) wide, Row 8 about 2.5 in (6.4 cm), and Row 14 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide x 4.3 in (10.9 cm) tall. The 62-stitch edging brings the body to 4.25 in (10.8 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm). The 0.8 in (2.0 cm) trunk brings the height to 5.3 in (13.5 cm), and the loop adds about 1.25 in (3.2 cm). If each checkpoint matches, every tree you make will be the same size.
Happy crocheting!