The Evergreen Star is a six-pointed snowflake ornament in creamy white with a forest-green puff-stitch leaf tucked into every point. It has an open, lacy center and a crisp, picot-studded outline, so it looks good on a tree, in a window, or tied onto a gift.
The palette is classic Christmas: warm cream for the lace and deep green for the leaves. The puff stitches give the green a plump, textured look against the flat cream frame. The finished star is a vintage-style snowflake with a little woodland character.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) from point to point, plus a hanging loop of about 1.25 in (3.2 cm).
Construction overview: The center is worked in the round in cream. You make six small green leaves in short rows, one directly into each point space. A cream frame round outlines each leaf and shapes the points, and a single-crochet picot edging finishes the star and adds the hanging loop.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) point to point, about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) flat side to flat side
- Skill level: Intermediate (puff stitches, short rows, working into chain spaces)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport-weight cotton (CYC 2)
- Hook: 2.5 mm (US B-1/C-2)
- Number of pieces: 1 (single motif)
- Layout: Six-pointed star, worked in the round
- Piece size before border: 5 in (12.7 cm) point to point after Round 4
- Border depth: about 0.25 in (0.6 cm), one round
Materials
Yarn: Choose a smooth, mercerized sport-weight cotton, about 150 m per 50 g. Mercerized cotton shows the puff stitches clearly and holds its shape well after blocking. Avoid fuzzy or very soft acrylics, because the points will droop.
- Color A, Cream: 8 g, about 24 m
- Color B, Forest Green: 3 g, about 9 m
These quantities include a margin of about 25% for your gauge swatch and tails.
Tools:
– 2.5 mm (US B-1/C-2) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Blocking mat or foam board
– Rustproof pins
– Spray bottle with water
– Optional: fabric stiffener or a light starch spray
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sk – skip
- rep – repeat
Special stitches:
Puff: Yarn over, insert hook in the indicated space, yarn over and pull up a loop to about 0.25 in (0.6 cm). Rep from * to * 2 more times (7 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 7 loops.
Picot: Ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
The ornament is small, so the first one you make is your gauge test. Work Rounds 1–2 and measure before going further.
- After Round 1: 1 in (2.5 cm) across
- After Round 2: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across
- After Round 3: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across, measured across the 3-dc groups
- After the leaves: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) from leaf tip to opposite leaf tip
- After Round 4: 5 in (12.7 cm) point to point
- After Round 5 (border): 5.5 in (14.0 cm) point to point
Too big? Go down to a 2.25 mm hook, or keep your dc shorter by not lifting the loops.
Too small or ruffled? Go up to a 2.75 mm hook. If only Round 3 cups, your chains are tight, so loosen just the chains.
Exact gauge is not critical for an ornament. Accuracy matters most at the checkpoints after Round 3 and after Round 4, because they decide how sharp the points will be.
Pattern
Center (Color A, Cream)
Ch 6 and join with a sl st in the first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as a dc). Work 17 dc in the ring. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3. (18 dc)
Pull the starting tail gently so the ring tightens to an open hole about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) wide.
Round 2: Ch 5 (counts as a dc + ch 2). Dc in the next st, ch 2. Rep from * to * 16 more times. Join with a sl st to the 3rd ch of the beginning ch-5. (18 dc, 18 ch-2 sps)
These 18 dc are the spokes around the center.
Round 3: Sl st into the first ch-2 sp. Ch 3 (counts as a dc) and work 2 dc in the same sp. Ch 3, then work 3 dc in the next ch-2 sp. Ch 2, sc in the next ch-2 sp, ch 2.
3 dc in the next ch-2 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in the next ch-2 sp, ch 2, sc in the next ch-2 sp, ch 2. Rep from * to * 4 more times. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3.
(36 dc in 12 groups of 3, 6 sc, 6 ch-3 point sps, 12 ch-2 sps)
Each repeat uses exactly 3 of the 18 ch-2 spaces from Round 2, so 6 repeats × 3 = 18. Each ch-3 sp is the base of a point, and each sc is a valley between points. Fasten off Color A.
Checkpoint: The piece should measure 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across and lie flat.
Leaves (Color B, Forest Green), make 6
Each leaf is worked in short rows directly into one ch-3 point space. Turn at the end of each row. The puffs look the same from both sides.
Row 1: With the right side facing, join Color B with a sl st in any ch-3 point sp. Ch 2 (does not count as a st). In the same sp, work [puff, ch 1] twice, then 1 more puff. Turn. (3 puffs, 2 ch-1 sps)
Row 2: Ch 2 (does not count as a st). Puff in the first ch-1 sp, ch 1, puff in the next ch-1 sp. Turn. (2 puffs, 1 ch-1 sp)
Row 3: Ch 2 (does not count as a st). Puff in the ch-1 sp, then ch 1 to close. (1 puff)
Fasten off and leave a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail. The closing ch-1 is the leaf tip.
Rep in the remaining 5 ch-3 point sps. Weave the green tails into the back of their own leaf only, so no green shows through the cream lace.
Checkpoint: Each leaf should stand about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) beyond Round 3. The star measures about 4.5 in (11.4 cm) from leaf tip to opposite leaf tip.
Star Frame (Color A, Cream)
Round 4: Join Color A with a sc in any valley sc of Round 3.
Ch 2, dc in the middle dc of the next 3-dc group. Ch 7, sc in the closing ch-1 at the leaf tip, ch 3, sc in the same leaf tip. Ch 7, dc in the middle dc of the next 3-dc group, ch 2.
Sc in the next valley sc, ch 2, dc in the middle dc of the next 3-dc group, ch 7, sc in the leaf tip, ch 3, sc in the same leaf tip, ch 7, dc in the middle dc of the next 3-dc group, ch 2. Rep from * to * 4 more times. Join with a sl st to the first sc.
Per point: 1 valley sc, 2 dc, 2 tip sc, plus 2 ch-2 sps, 2 ch-7 sps, and 1 ch-3 tip sp.
Round total: 30 sts (6 sc, 12 dc, 12 sc), 12 ch-2 sps, 12 ch-7 sps, 6 ch-3 sps.
The two ch-7 arches lie along the sides of the leaf and meet at the tip. That is what forms the star point around the green leaf.
Checkpoint: 5 in (12.7 cm) point to point.
Border
Border gauge: about 7 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm) along the edge. Each edge of a point, from valley to tip, measures about 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
The border is worked only into the chain spaces. Skip every stitch of Round 4 (valley sc, dc anchors, and tip sc).
Round 5: Do not fasten off after Round 4. Sl st into the next ch-2 sp and ch 1. Work the first point as written below, but at the tip work (2 sc, ch 15, 2 sc) in place of (2 sc, ch 3, 2 sc). The ch-15 is the hanging loop.
Work 2 sc in the ch-2 sp. In the ch-7 sp, work 4 sc, picot, 4 sc. In the ch-3 tip sp, work 2 sc, ch 3, 2 sc. In the next ch-7 sp, work 4 sc, picot, 4 sc. Work 2 sc in the next ch-2 sp. Sk the valley sc. Rep from * to * around for a total of 6 points. Join with a sl st to the first sc and fasten off.
Counts per edge (valley to tip): 2 sc + 8 sc + 2 sc = 12 sc and 1 picot.
Counts per point: 24 sc, 2 picots, 1 tip loop.
Round total: 144 sc (12 edges × 12 sc), 12 picots, 5 ch-3 tip loops, and 1 ch-15 hanging loop.
Why the math works:
– Each ch-7 arch gets 8 sc, one more than its chain count. The arch curves outward, so the extra stitch keeps the outer edge from pulling tight.
– Each ch-2 sp gets 2 sc, one per chain, which keeps the valley flat.
– Skipping the valley sc pulls each valley inward into a clean V.
– Splitting the tip into 2 sc on each side of the ch-3 gives a sharp point instead of a rounded one.
– With 12 sc on every edge, all 12 edges are the same length, so the star stays symmetrical.
Checkpoint: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) point to point. The hanging loop extends about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) beyond its tip.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining tails along stitches of the same color, then trim.
- Draw a 5.5 in (14.0 cm) circle on paper and mark six points 60° apart. Place the paper under clear plastic on your blocking board.
- Wet the ornament in cool water and press it gently in a towel until it is damp.
- Pin the center hole first, then pin each of the six tip loops on a marked point.
- Pin each valley inward to form a neat V, about 2 in (5.1 cm) from the center.
- Pin each side picot outward slightly so the edge looks crisp.
- Nudge each green leaf with your fingertip until it sits centered in its frame and the puffs stand up.
- If you want a firmer ornament, spray lightly with stiffener or starch.
- Let it dry completely, at least 8 hours, before removing the pins.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Round 1 has 18 dc, and the center hole is open and round.
- Round 2 has 18 evenly spaced spokes.
- Round 3 has 6 points, 6 valleys, and 36 dc.
- Each leaf has 3 + 2 + 1 puffs and is centered in its point.
- Round 4 has 12 ch-7 arches, and each pair meets at a leaf tip.
- Round 5 has 12 sc on each of the 12 edges, 144 sc in total.
- All 6 tips look equally sharp, and the hanging loop is secure.
- The finished star measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) point to point.
- No green tails show on the cream areas.
Troubleshooting
The center cups after Round 2. Your ch-2 spaces are too tight. Redo the round with looser chains, or try a hook 0.25 mm larger.
Round 3 ruffles. Your dc are too tall. Keep the dc snug and the chains even.
The puffs look flat or uneven. Pull every loop up to the same 0.25 in (0.6 cm) height before you close the puff.
A leaf leans to one side. Check that Row 1 is worked in the ch-3 point space and not in a neighboring stitch.
The points are rounded. Make sure each tip has the ch-3 between 2 sc on each side, and block with a pin through the tip loop.
The edges wave. Count 8 sc per ch-7 arch. If it still waves, work 7 sc instead, and keep the picot after the 4th sc.
The hanging loop twists. Before blocking, wet it, straighten it, and let it dry flat.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and reshape flat to dry. Store flat in tissue between seasons to keep the points sharp.
Final Notes
The measurement chain:
– 1 in (2.5 cm) after Round 1
– 1.75 in (4.4 cm) after Round 2
– 2.75 in (7.0 cm) after Round 3
– 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tip to tip after the leaves
– 5 in (12.7 cm) after the frame
– 5.5 in (14.0 cm) after the border
If you hit these checkpoints and count 12 sc on every edge, your Evergreen Star will come out symmetrical and sharp.
Make one for the tree, or make several in different greens. Each star stands on its own as a single ornament.
Happy crocheting!