The Frosted Lily Star is a lacy five-point star motif. Five open teardrop petals spread out from a small center ring, and each petal sits inside a ridged fan of stitches that forms one sharp star point. The look is part snowflake, part lily, and it stays light and airy.
The sample is worked in a single cream/ecru mercerized cotton, which shows off the stitch texture and gives a gentle sheen. It fits a natural, Scandinavian-style holiday look, but it also works well in white, gold, or soft pastels.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished star measures about 5 in (12.7 cm) from point to point across its widest span after blocking.
The star is worked in the round in one piece, with no sewing. You make a center ring, add five chain-loop petals, cover each loop with a graded fan of stitches, shape the arms and notches, and finish with a single crochet edging and tiny chain tips.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 5 in (12.7 cm) across the widest span
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Super Fine (#1) / fingering-weight mercerized cotton
- Hook: 2.5 mm (US B-1 or C-2)
- Number of pieces: 1 single motif
- Layout: Single five-point star, worked in the round
- Piece size: 5 in (12.7 cm)
- Size before border (after Round 4): 4.75 in (12.1 cm)
- Border depth: about 0.125 in (0.3 cm), one round of sc
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, tightly plied mercerized cotton in fingering weight. Mercerized cotton holds crisp points and teardrop shapes, while fuzzy or very soft yarns blur the openwork. Pick a light color if you want the texture to show clearly.
- Cream / Ecru: 10 g, about 40 m (44 yd)
One star uses about 6 g. The amount above includes a margin for a gauge swatch, the optional hanging loop, and weaving in ends.
Tools:
- 2.5 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Rustproof pins and a blocking mat or foam board
- Spray bottle or light starch (optional)
- Ruler or tape measure
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- sc3tog – single crochet 3 together
Special stitch – sc3tog: (Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull up a loop) 3 times, yarn over, pull through all 4 loops on hook. This uses 3 stitches and makes 1 stitch. In this pattern it locks the V-notch between the arms.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge is not critical for a decoration. It does matter if you want several stars to match, or if you want the points to stay crisp.
Base gauge: 7 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm) with a 2.5 mm hook.
Make one full star first and check these measurements:
- After Round 1: the center ring is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
- After Round 2: each ch-16 loop, laid flat as a teardrop, is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long, and the motif is about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across.
- After Round 3: the motif is about 4 in (10.2 cm) across.
- After Round 4: the motif is about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across.
- After Round 5: the motif is 5 in (12.7 cm) across after blocking.
If your star is too big: go down to a 2.25 mm hook, or tighten your chains. Loose chains are usually what makes the petals droop.
If your star is too small: go up to a 2.75 mm hook. Keep the yarn the same so the petals stay crisp.
Pattern
Round 1 – Center Ring
Make a magic ring.
Ch 1 (does not count as a st). Work 15 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed, leaving a small center hole. Sl st to the first sc to join.
Stitch count: 15 sc.
Round 2 – Teardrop Loops
Ch 1 (does not count as a st). *Sc in next sc, ch 16, sc in next sc, sc in next sc. Rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to the first sc to join.
Each ch-16 makes one long loop. It is anchored between two neighboring sc, so its narrow end sits at the center ring. Lay each loop flat as a teardrop pointing outward.
Stitch count: 15 sc and 5 ch-16 loops.
Checkpoint: each loop is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long, and the motif is about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across.
Round 3 – Petal Fans
In this round you work stitches into each loop. The stitches start short near the center and get taller toward the tip, which creates the ridged fan.
Sl st into the first ch-16 loop.
Petal group (all worked into the same ch-16 loop): 3 sc, 2 hdc, 4 dc, (dc, ch 3, dc), 4 dc, 2 hdc, 3 sc.
*Work a Petal group in the current loop. Sl st in each of the next 3 sc of Round 2, then move into the next ch-16 loop. Rep from * 4 more times.
After the fifth Petal group, sl st in the next 2 sc of Round 2, then sl st in the first sc of Round 2 to join.
Push the stitches evenly along each loop so the inner, center-facing part of each loop stays clearly open.
Stitch count: 20 sts per petal (10 per side, including the tip dc), 100 sts total, plus 5 ch-3 tip sps.
Checkpoint: about 4 in (10.2 cm) across.
Round 4 – Arm Shaping and Notches
This round joins neighboring petals at their bases to form the V-notches, and it builds out the points.
Ch 1 (does not count as a st). Sc2tog over the last sc of Petal 5 and the first sc of Petal 1. This is your first notch.
Sc in next 2 sc, hdc in next 2 hdc, dc in next 5 sts (4 dc plus the tip dc). In the tip ch-3 sp work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc). Dc in next 5 sts, hdc in next 2 hdc, sc in next 2 sc. Sc2tog over the last sc of this petal and the first sc of the next petal. Rep from * 4 more times, ending the last rep at *. Sl st to the first sc2tog to join.
Each side of a Round 3 petal had 10 sts. In this round you work 9 of them one-to-one and use the 10th in the shared sc2tog.
Stitch count: 23 sts per arm (2 + 9 side sts on each side, plus 1 sc2tog), 115 sts total, plus 5 ch-3 tip sps.
Checkpoint: about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across. This is the size before the border.
Border
Round 5 is the edging. It firms up the outline, sharpens the notches, and gives each point a tiny chain tip.
Border gauge: 1 sc per st. The single round adds about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) all around.
Round 5 – Edging
Ch 1 (does not count as a st). Starting in the st after the first notch:
*Sc in next 10 sts (2 sc, 2 hdc, 5 dc, and the first tip dc). Sc in next dc. In the tip ch-3 sp work (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc). Sc in next 11 sts, stopping before the last sc of this arm. Sc3tog over the last sc of this arm, the sc2tog, and the first sc of the next arm. Rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to the first sc to join.
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Counts per arm:
- Each straight edge, from notch to tip: 11 sc on the old stitches, plus 2 sc in the tip sp, for 13 sc in total
- Tip: 4 sc in the ch-3 sp (2 on each side), plus a ch-2 point
- Notch: 1 sc3tog, shared between neighboring arms
Stitch count: 25 sts per arm, 125 sts total, plus 5 ch-2 tips.
Why the math works: Round 4 has 23 sts per arm.
- Worked one-to-one: 20 of those sts get 1 sc each (4 tip dc and 16 side sts).
- Combined: the remaining 3 (the sc2tog and the 2 sc beside it) become 1 sc3tog.
- Added: 4 new sc go into the tip sp.
Per arm that gives 20 + 1 + 4 = 25. For the whole star, 100 sts worked one-to-one + 5 sc3tog + 20 added sc = 125.
Optional hanging loop: At the top tip, after Round 5, join yarn in the ch-2 sp, ch 12 (about 1.75 in / 4.4 cm), and sl st back into the same sp. Fasten off.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the stitches of the same color, through the solid fans, not across the open loops.
- Soak the star in cool water for a few minutes. Gently press out the water in a towel without wringing.
- Lay it right side up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the center ring flat and round, about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
- Pin the five ch-2 tips outward at even distances, so the motif measures 5 in (12.7 cm) across the widest span.
- Pin each V-notch toward the center so the notches are sharp and all five are the same depth.
- Ease each teardrop opening into a smooth, even shape. You can slip a pin inside each opening to hold its curve.
- Mist with light starch if you want a stiff ornament. Let it dry completely before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Center ring is closed tight, with a small, round hole.
- All five teardrop openings are the same size and shape.
- Each arm has 25 sts in Round 5, with a ch-2 tip.
- All five notches are worked as sc3tog and look equally sharp.
- The star measures 5 in (12.7 cm) across after blocking.
- No ends show on the front, and none run across the openings.
- The optional hanging loop, if used, is 1.75 in (4.4 cm) and secure.
Troubleshooting
Petals are uneven in size: Count the chains in Round 2. Each loop must be exactly ch 16.
Fan stitches bunch to one side of a loop: Work all 20 Petal group sts, then slide them along the loop before closing the round so each side holds 10 sts.
Points curl or cup: Your dc may be tighter than your chains. Loosen the dc slightly, or go up 0.25 mm in hook size for Round 4 only.
Notches look rounded: Make sure you worked sc2tog in Round 4 and sc3tog in Round 5, not separate sc.
Star ripples after blocking: You probably have extra sts. Recount Round 4 (115) and Round 5 (125).
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and lay flat to dry, re-pinning the points if needed. Store flat or hanging, away from direct sunlight, so the cream color doesn’t yellow.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple:
- Round 1 ring: 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
- Round 2 loops: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long, motif 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Round 3: 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Round 4: 4.75 in (12.1 cm)
- Blocked edging round: 5 in (12.7 cm)
If you hit each checkpoint, the stitch counts (15, 15 plus 5 loops, 100, 115, 125) will keep the star balanced and the points sharp. One star takes about an hour, and it makes a lovely ornament, gift tag, or window decoration.
Happy crocheting!