This little lace tree is made to hang from a rearview mirror, a window latch, or a branch of the real tree. It is worked in fine dark forest-green thread as an open diamond mesh, with fan-shaped shells closing off each of its three tiers. A small cream star sits on the top point.
The look is classic thread lace: airy, flat, and crisp after a light starch. The green carries the whole design, and the cream star adds one warm accent. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
The finished ornament measures about 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide and 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall, including the star and trunk. The hanging loop adds about 3 in (7.6 cm).
The tree is worked top-down in rows as a single piece. Each tier grows by one mesh loop per row and ends in a shell row. The next tier starts in the center of the outer shells, which creates the stepped edge. A 5-stitch trunk and a crocheted star are sewn on, then a single crochet border tidies the sides and adds picots to the bottom scallops.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide x 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall, plus a 3 in (7.6 cm) hanging loop
- Skill level: Intermediate (fine thread, simple stitches)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Size 10 cotton crochet thread (lace / 0)
- Hook: 1.5 mm (US steel size 7)
- Number of pieces: 1 tree body, plus a small trunk and a star appliqué sewn on
- Layout: 1 single ornament, three tiers, no joining
- Tree body before border: 3.0 in (7.6 cm) wide x 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall
- Border depth: about 0.1 in (0.3 cm)
Materials
Use a mercerized cotton size 10 thread. It holds the shell shapes, shows the mesh clearly, and takes starch well. Avoid fuzzy or very soft threads, which blur the lace.
- Dark forest green: 5 g / 16 m (tree body, trunk, border, hanging loop)
- Cream or ecru: 1 g / 3 m (star)
Tools:
- 1.5 mm (US steel 7) crochet hook
- Fine tapestry needle
- Small sharp scissors
- Rustproof pins and a foam blocking board
- Spray starch or diluted fabric stiffener
- Ruler or tape measure
The quantities include a margin of about 25% for your gauge swatch and weaving in ends.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- tch – turning chain
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- loop – a ch-3 space in the mesh
Special stitches:
- Shell: 5 dc in the same loop.
- Picot: ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 4 mesh loops = 1 in (2.5 cm) wide, and 5 mesh rows = 1 in (2.5 cm) tall. One shell row adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of height.
The tree is small, so it is its own swatch. Work Tier 1 first and measure it before going on.
Checkpoints:
- After Row 5: 5 loops, about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide and 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
- After Row 6: about 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide across the shells, 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall.
- After Row 12: about 2.4 in (6.1 cm) wide, 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
- After Row 18: about 3.0 in (7.6 cm) wide, 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall.
If Tier 1 is more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm) too wide, go down to a 1.25 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 1.75 mm hook. Small gaps are fine because blocking evens out the mesh.
Tree Body
Use green thread. Each mesh row has the same structure: a dc at each edge, loops between, and an sc anchoring each inner loop. A row with L loops has L – 1 sc and 2 dc. The starting ch 3 counts as the first dc.
Tier 1 (Top)
Row 1 (RS): Ch 4, sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), ch 3, dc in ring. Turn. (2 dc, 1 loop)
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), ch 3, sc in the loop, ch 3, dc in the top of the tch. Turn. (2 dc, 1 sc, 2 loops)
Row 3: Ch 3, *ch 3, sc in next loop; repeat from * once more, ch 3, dc in top of tch. Turn. (2 dc, 2 sc, 3 loops)
Row 4: Ch 3, *ch 3, sc in next loop; repeat from * across all loops, ch 3, dc in top of tch. Turn. (2 dc, 3 sc, 4 loops)
Row 5: Repeat Row 4. Turn. (2 dc, 4 sc, 5 loops)
The extra loop at the start of every row is the increase. It pushes the edge outward, so the sides grow evenly into a triangle.
Row 6 (Shell Row): Ch 1, sc in the first dc, *shell in next loop, sc in next sc; repeat from * across, ending with shell in the last loop, sc in the top of the tch. Turn. (5 shells, 6 sc = 31 sts)
Each shell sits in one loop, so this row has exactly as many shells as Row 5 had loops.
Tier 2 (Middle)
Row 7 (Step Row): Sl st in the first sc and in each of the next 3 dc. You are now in the center (3rd) dc of the first shell. Ch 3 (counts as dc), *ch 3, sc in the center dc of the next shell; repeat from * 2 more times, ch 3, dc in the center dc of the last shell. Leave the rest of the row unworked. Turn. (2 dc, 3 sc, 4 loops)
Starting and ending at the shell centers leaves the outer half of each end shell free. Those half-shells form the scalloped step at each side.
Rows 8–11: Repeat Row 4. Each row adds 1 loop. Row 8: 5 loops. Row 9: 6 loops. Row 10: 7 loops. Row 11: 8 loops (2 dc, 7 sc). Turn after each row.
Checkpoint: Row 11 is about 2 in (5.1 cm) wide.
Row 12 (Shell Row): Work as Row 6. (8 shells, 9 sc = 49 sts)
Tier 3 (Bottom)
Row 13 (Step Row): Work as Row 7, but repeat from * 6 times in total. (2 dc, 6 sc, 7 loops)
Rows 14–17: Repeat Row 4. Row 14: 8 loops. Row 15: 9 loops. Row 16: 10 loops. Row 17: 11 loops (2 dc, 10 sc). Turn after each row.
Checkpoint: Row 17 is about 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide.
Row 18 (Shell Row): Work as Row 6. (11 shells, 12 sc = 67 sts) Do not fasten off. Go straight on to the Border.
Row-count check: Each step row has one fewer loop than the shell row it starts from has shells (5 shells, then 4 loops; 8 shells, then 7 loops). Each tier then adds 4 loops over 4 rows. 4 + 4 = 8 and 7 + 4 = 11, which matches the counts above.
Trunk
Use green thread.
Row 1: Ch 7, dc in the 4th ch from the hook and in each of the next 3 ch. Turn. (5 sts, counting the skipped ch as a dc)
Rows 2–3: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each st across, working the last dc in the top of the tch. Turn. (5 sts)
Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for sewing. The trunk measures about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide x 0.6 in (1.5 cm) tall.
Star Appliqué
Use cream thread.
Rnd 1: Ch 4, sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 1, 10 sc in ring, sl st in the first sc to join. (10 sc)
Rnd 2: *Ch 3, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, skip 1 sc, sl st in the next sc; repeat from * 4 more times, placing the last sl st in the joining st. (5 points)
Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. The star measures about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
Border
The border is one pass of sc around the sides and bottom of the tree body, with picots on the bottom scallops. It is worked straight from Row 18 with the same thread.
Border gauge: 2 sc around each mesh row-end = about 0.2 in (0.5 cm). That matches the 5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm) row gauge, so the sides stay flat.
Begin with Row 18 just finished. Turn the work so you can work up the side edge toward the tip.
First side (bottom to tip):
- Tier 3: Work 2 sc around each row-end post of Rows 17 down to 13, working upward. (10 sc)
- Tier 2 step: Sc in each of the 2 free outer dc of the end shell of Row 12, then sc in the end sc of that row. Then work 2 sc around each row-end of Rows 11 to 7. (3 + 10 = 13 sc)
- Tier 1 step: Sc in each of the 2 free outer dc of the end shell of Row 6, sc in the end sc. Then 2 sc around each row-end of Rows 5 to 1. (3 + 10 = 13 sc)
Tip: Ch 1 and sl st into the ring at the tip.
Second side (tip to bottom):
- Tier 1: Work 2 sc around each row-end of Rows 1 to 5, then sc in the end sc of Row 6 and in each of its 2 free outer dc. (10 + 3 = 13 sc)
- Tier 2: 2 sc around each row-end of Rows 7 to 11, then sc in the end sc of Row 12 and in each of its 2 free outer dc. (10 + 3 = 13 sc)
- Tier 3: 2 sc around each row-end of Rows 13 to 17. (10 sc)
Bottom edge: Working along Row 18, sc in each of the 67 sts. Make a picot after the sc in the center dc of each shell. (67 sc, 11 picots)
Sl st to the first sc of the border and fasten off.
Border total: 13 + 13 + 10 + 13 + 13 + 10 + 67 = 139 sc, plus 11 picots.
Why the math works: Each side has 15 mesh rows, worked at 2 sc each, which is 30 sc. Each side also has 2 free half-shells at 3 sc each, which is 6 sc. 30 + 6 = 36 sc per side, which matches 13 + 13 + 10. The bottom border works 1 sc in each of Row 18’s 67 sts. That stops it from adding or losing width, so the scallops keep their shape. The picots sit only on the shell centers, where the curve is widest.
Assembly
- Trunk: Center the trunk behind the bottom edge, on the WS. Tuck 0.2 in (0.5 cm) of it behind the middle shells so 0.4 in (1.0 cm) shows below. Whipstitch its top edge to the back of Row 18 between the 5th and 7th shells. Keep the stitches small so they don’t show on the RS.
- Star: Center the star over the tip on the RS so its bottom point lines up with Row 2. Sew around the Rnd 1 circle with small running stitches.
- Hanging loop: Join green thread at the tip behind the star. Ch 42, about 6 in (15.2 cm) long, and sl st back into the tip. This makes a 3 in (7.6 cm) loop. Fasten off.
Weave in all ends along the border sts, not through the open mesh.
Final Blocking
- Wet the ornament in cool water and press it between towels.
- Pin the tip, then pin each tier’s two step points so the sides are mirror images.
- Pin out each bottom picot so the scallops form even curves.
- Open each mesh loop into a diamond with a pin tip.
- Check the size: 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide at the bottom scallops and about 4.0 in (10.2 cm) from tip to bottom picots.
- Spray with starch or brush on diluted stiffener. Let it dry fully while pinned.
- Unpin it and flatten the star and trunk with a warm iron through a cloth.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Row counts: 5, 8, and 11 loops at the base of Tiers 1, 2, and 3.
- Shell counts: 5, 8, and 11 shells.
- Both sides of each tier step out by the same half-shell.
- Border: 13 / 13 / 10 sc on each side and 67 sc with 11 picots along the bottom.
- The trunk is centered, with 0.4 in (1.0 cm) showing.
- The star is centered over the tip and its points lie flat.
- The hanging loop is secure and about 3 in (7.6 cm) long.
- No ends show on the RS.
Troubleshooting
- Tree leans to one side: Check that every mesh row starts with ch 3 plus ch 3 and ends with a dc in the tch. If you miss one increase, the tree will slant.
- Shells cup or ruffle: Your shells are too loose. Tighten the dc, or go down a hook size for the shell rows only.
- No visible step between tiers: Make sure the step row starts and ends in the center dc of the end shells, not in the outer sc.
- Sides wave after the border: You are working more than 2 sc per row-end. Rip back and count 10 sc per tier side.
- Mesh looks lumpy: Block it again, and open each loop with a pin while the piece is damp.
- Star curls: Starch it and press it under a book while it dries.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, then reshape and re-starch as needed. Keep it out of strong sun on the dashboard so the green doesn’t fade.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short. With a gauge of 4 loops and 5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm), Tier 1 grows to 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide. The shell rows and step rows take the body to 3.0 in (7.6 cm) x 3.75 in (9.5 cm). The 0.1 in (0.3 cm) border brings it to 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide. With the trunk and star added, the finished ornament is 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall. Check each stage and the tree will come out the right size.
Happy crocheting!