This little tree ornament is covered in rounded, overlapping scales that look like layered pine boughs. Six tiers of crocodile-stitch scales step in to a neat solid tip. Small tassels hang from the bottom edge, and a full tassel trunk is cinched with a band of gold.
The ornament uses one color, a deep emerald green, plus a short length of gold metallic thread for the trunk band. A smooth, slightly shiny cotton makes each scale’s outline stand out and gives the tassels a nice drape. It looks classic and festive on a lit tree.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished tree body measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide by 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall. The trunk tassel adds 2.5 in (6.4 cm), so the total length is 7.25 in (18.4 cm) plus the hanging loop.
You work the ornament flat, from the bottom up, in one piece. Each tier is two rows: a base row of double-crochet pairs, then a scale row worked around the posts of those pairs. Each tier has one pair fewer than the tier below, so the triangle shapes itself. A short solid tip and a chain loop finish the top, and then you attach the tassels.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size (body): 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide × 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall
- Total length: 7.25 in (18.4 cm) including the trunk tassel; the loop adds 1.75 in (4.4 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate (crocodile stitch)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2), cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 crocheted piece, plus 7 tassels
- Layout: Single triangle with 6 scale tiers (6-5-4-3-2-1 scales, 21 in total)
- Scale size: About 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide; each tier adds about 0.7 in (1.8 cm) of height
- Size before “border”: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) × 4.75 in (12.1 cm)
- Border depth: There is no stitched border. The tassel fringe hangs 1.25 in (3.2 cm) below the bottom scale tips, and the trunk hangs 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, tightly plied sport-weight cotton, ideally mercerized. Matte or fuzzy yarns blur the scale outlines and make the tassels frizz.
- Emerald green: 25 g / about 80 m (87 yd). This covers the body (about 12 g) and all 7 tassels (about 8 g).
- Gold metallic thread or fine metallic yarn: 2 g / about 3 m (3.3 yd) for the trunk band.
These quantities include a margin of about 20%.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Sharp scissors
- Stiff card, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide (small tassels)
- Stiff card, 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide (trunk tassel)
- Rust-proof pins and a foam blocking mat
- Spray bottle
- Tape measure or ruler
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- dc – double crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special stitches
- Pair: 2 dc worked into the same chain or space. A pair is the base that a scale is built on.
- Scale: Turn the work so the pair’s posts lie horizontally. Working around the post of the first dc of the pair, from top to bottom, make 5 dc. Ch 1. Working around the post of the second dc, from bottom to top, make 5 dc. Each scale has 10 dc and 1 ch, and the ch-1 forms the rounded tip. Push each finished scale down toward the front (RS) before starting the next one.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Because this is a single small piece, the first tier is your gauge swatch. Work Rows 1–2, then measure before going on.
- Gauge target: 6 scales measure 4.5 in (11.4 cm) across, and one tier is 0.7 in (1.8 cm) tall. Each scale is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide.
Checkpoints:
- After Row 2 (6 scales): 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide
- After Row 4 (5 scales): 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide across Tier 2
- After Row 6 (4 scales): 3 in (7.6 cm) wide across Tier 3; total height 2.1 in (5.3 cm)
- After Row 8 (3 scales): 2.25 in (5.7 cm) wide across Tier 4
- After Row 10 (2 scales): 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide across Tier 5
- After Row 12 (1 scale): 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide; total height 4.2 in (10.7 cm)
- After the tip: total height 4.75 in (12.1 cm)
If Tier 1 is too wide (more than 4.75 in / 12.1 cm), switch to a 3.25 mm hook, or work the scale dc a little tighter around the posts.
If Tier 1 is too narrow (less than 4.25 in / 10.8 cm), switch to a 3.75 mm hook. If you change the hook, start again from the foundation, because the tiers must match each other.
Pattern: Tree Body
The scales should all fall onto the RS. Each time you start a base row, fold the scales from the row before down toward the front so you can see the ch-2 spaces and the dc tops.
Tier 1
Foundation: With green, ch 18.
Row 1 (base row): 2 dc in the 3rd ch from hook (the 2 skipped ch do not count as a st). Ch 2, skip 2 ch, 2 dc in next ch; repeat from * 4 more times. Turn.
Count: 6 pairs and 5 ch-2 sps (12 dc + 10 ch = 22 sts).*
Check the chain math: the first pair uses 3 ch, and each of the 5 repeats uses 3 ch, so 3 + 15 = 18.
Row 2 (scale row): Make 1 scale around the next pair, then sl st in the next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 4 more times. Make 1 scale around the last pair. Do not turn yet.
Count: 6 scales (60 dc + 6 ch) and 5 sl sts.*
Tier 2
Row 3 (base row): Turn. Working behind the scales, sl st in the top of each of the 2 dc of the edge pair, then sl st in the next ch-2 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same sp. Ch 2, 2 dc in next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 3 more times. Turn.
Count: 5 pairs and 4 ch-2 sps (10 dc + 8 ch = 18 sts, with the ch-3 counted as a dc).*
Each new pair sits in a space between two Tier 1 pairs, so it lands in the gap between two scales. This is what gives the brick-like offset.
Row 4 (scale row): Make 5 scales, with a sl st in each of the 4 ch-2 sps between them, worked exactly as in Row 2.
Count: 5 scales and 4 sl sts.
Tiers 3 to 6
Repeat the Row 3 base row and the Row 4 scale row. Each base row has one pair fewer than the one before, because there are only that many ch-2 spaces available.
Row 5: 4 pairs, 3 ch-2 sps (8 dc + 6 ch = 14 sts).
Row 6: 4 scales, 3 sl sts.
Row 7: 3 pairs, 2 ch-2 sps (6 dc + 4 ch = 10 sts).
Row 8: 3 scales, 2 sl sts.
Row 9: 2 pairs, 1 ch-2 sp (4 dc + 2 ch = 6 sts).
Row 10: 2 scales, 1 sl st.
Row 11: Sl st over to the single ch-2 sp as before, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same sp. Turn.
Count: 1 pair (2 sts).
Row 12: Make 1 scale around the pair.
Count: 1 scale.
Total scales: 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 21.
Solid Tip
Work the tip behind the top scale, into the tops of the two posts from Row 11. The scale folds down in front.
Row 13 (conversion row): Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in the top of each of the 2 posts. Turn.
Count: 2 sts worked 1 per existing st + 2 extra = 4 sc.
Row 14: Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (4 sc)
Row 15: Ch 1, sc2tog twice. Turn. (2 sc)
Row 16: Ch 1, sc2tog. (1 sc)
Hanging loop: Ch 24, then sl st into the top of the Row 16 sc. This makes a loop that hangs about 1.75 in (4.4 cm). Fasten off and weave the end into the tip so it reinforces the loop.
Checkpoint: The body should now be 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide and 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall.
Border: Tassel Fringe and Trunk
This ornament has no stitched border. The tassel fringe along the bottom edge does that job.
Border gauge: The tassels follow the scale spacing, one every 0.75 in (1.9 cm). The 6 small tassels therefore span the full 4.5 in (11.4 cm) base.
Small Tassels (make 6)
- Wrap green around the 1.5 in (3.8 cm) card 12 times.
- Slide a 6 in (15.2 cm) piece of green under the wraps at the top edge and tie it tightly. Leave the ends long; you will use them to attach the tassel.
- Cut through the wraps at the bottom edge. This gives 24 strand ends.
- Wrap another short piece of green around the bundle 0.25 in (0.6 cm) below the top tie, wrap 3 times, knot it, and tuck the ends down into the tassel.
- Trim so each tassel hangs 1.25 in (3.2 cm) from its neck.
Trunk Tassel (make 1)
- Wrap green around the 2.75 in (7.0 cm) card 30 times.
- Tie the top with a 6 in (15.2 cm) piece of green, then cut through the bottom loops. This gives 60 strand ends.
- Thread the gold metallic thread on the tapestry needle. Starting 0.25 in (0.6 cm) below the top tie, wrap the neck snugly in side-by-side turns until the band is 0.5 in (1.3 cm) deep.
- Pass the needle up under the band, then back down through the center of the tassel, and trim the gold flush with the strands.
- Trim the skirt so the whole trunk hangs 2.5 in (6.4 cm) below the bottom edge of the tree.
Attaching
- Small tassels: Lift each Tier 1 scale. Use the tie ends to fasten one small tassel through the ch-1 at the tip of each of the 6 scales. Knot the tie ends on the wrong side and weave them in.
- Trunk: Find the center Tier 1 ch-2 space (the 3rd of the 5). Fasten the trunk tassel through that space so it hangs exactly between scales 3 and 4.
Why the math works: Row 1 has 6 pairs, so Tier 1 has 6 scales with 6 ch-1 tips, which gives 6 small tassels. Row 1 also has 5 ch-2 spaces. Five is odd, so there is a true center space (the 3rd), and the trunk hangs on the exact centerline with 3 small tassels on each side.
Final Blocking
- Mist the ornament until it is evenly damp, but not soaking.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the base corners 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart, then pin the tip 4.75 in (12.1 cm) above the base centerline.
- Use your fingertips to smooth each scale so it lies flat and rounded, with its tip pointing straight down.
- Comb the tassel strands straight with your fingers, and pin the trunk so it hangs straight down from the center.
- Let it dry completely, at least 6 hours.
- Unpin it and give the tassel ends a final trim to even them up.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Tier scale counts read 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 from bottom to top.
- Every scale points down and sits centered over a gap in the tier below.
- Scales show on the RS only, with no posts peeking through.
- The solid tip is centered above the single top scale.
- The hanging loop is secure and hangs about 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
- Six small tassels are evenly spaced, about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) apart.
- The trunk is centered between scales 3 and 4, with a neat 0.5 in (1.3 cm) gold band.
- The body measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) × 4.75 in (12.1 cm).
- All ends are woven in on the wrong side.
Troubleshooting
Scales are cupping or ruffling. The dc are too loose around the posts. Work them more snugly, or go down to a 3.25 mm hook.
Scales don’t overlap the tier below. The base-row dc are too short. Pull up a slightly taller loop on each dc in the base rows.
The tree leans to one side. You may have skipped or added a ch-2 space. Count the pairs in each base row: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Gaps show between scales. Make sure the sl st between scales goes into the ch-2 space, not into a dc top.
Tassels look frizzy. Steam them lightly from above without touching the iron to the yarn, comb the strands straight, and trim.
The gold band slips. Wrap more tightly and secure the end by stitching through the band itself.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and reshape the ornament to dry flat. Store it flat or hanging so the tassels stay straight.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. Each scale is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide, so six scales make the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) base. Six tiers at 0.7 in (1.8 cm) each reach 4.2 in (10.7 cm), and the solid tip brings the body to 4.75 in (12.1 cm). The trunk tassel adds 2.5 in (6.4 cm), for a total length of 7.25 in (18.4 cm). If your first tier measures right, the rest of the tree follows. Make one for the top branch, or a whole forest for gift toppers.
Happy crocheting!