Crocheted wall mobile with cream angels, stars, and pearl beads arranged on a wooden dowel.

Gilded Lace Angels Door Hanging Crochet Pattern

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This hanging fills a doorway with a soft column of lace angels, little stars and cream beads. Seven crocheted cords hang from a natural wooden dowel in a gentle V. The strands are longest at the center and step up toward the sides.

The palette is quiet and warm. Everything is worked in ivory cotton thread, and a single round of metallic gold outlines each skirt hem, wing and star. The style is airy and vintage, and it suits a Scandinavian or cottage-style Christmas.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished hanging measures 24 in (61.0 cm) across the strands on a 34 in (86.4 cm) dowel. The longest strand drops 58 in (147.3 cm).

Each angel has four parts: a flat skirt worked in rows from the bodice down, two fan wings and a stuffed ball head. The stars are worked in the round. A cream scallop row and a gold round finish every motif. You then sew the motifs and beads onto slip-stitch cords and tie the cords to the dowel.

Finished Size and Construction

  • Finished size: 24 in (61.0 cm) wide; strands hang 40–58 in (101.6–147.3 cm)
  • Skill level: Intermediate
  • Terminology: US
  • Yarn weight: Super Fine (#1) / size 3 cotton thread, plus metallic gold
  • Hook: 2.25 mm (US B-1)
  • Number of pieces: 3 large angels, 8 small angels, 21 stars, 7 cords
  • Layout: 7 strands, 4 in (10.2 cm) apart, staggered in a V
  • Piece size: small angel 3.3 in (8.4 cm) tall × 3 in (7.6 cm) wide; large angel 4 in (10.2 cm) × 3.75 in (9.5 cm); star 1.75 in (4.4 cm) point to point
  • Skirt size before border: small 2.7 in (6.9 cm) wide × 2.3 in (5.8 cm) tall; large 3.3 in (8.4 cm) × 2.85 in (7.2 cm)
  • Border depth: 0.3 in (0.8 cm)

Materials

Choose a mercerized cotton thread. It gives crisp stitch definition and blocks cleanly. For the gold, use a metallic thread of similar thickness, because a very fine metallic will disappear against the cream.

  • Cream: 100 g, about 340 m (372 yd), which is two 50 g balls of 170 m (186 yd) each
  • Metallic gold: 25 g, about 100 m (109 yd)
  • 32 cream wooden beads, 14 mm (0.55 in), with holes at least 4 mm (0.16 in) wide
  • Wooden dowel, 34 in (86.4 cm) long and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) in diameter
  • 2.25 mm (US B-1) hook
  • A small amount of fiberfill
  • Tapestry needle, sewing needle and cream sewing thread
  • Stitch markers, blocking mat, rustproof pins and spray starch
  • Measuring tape and scissors

These quantities include a margin of roughly 30%, so you have enough to swatch and redo a piece or two.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • ch: chain
  • sl st: slip stitch
  • sc: single crochet
  • hdc: half double crochet
  • dc: double crochet
  • tr: treble crochet
  • inc: 2 sc in the same stitch
  • dec: sc2tog
  • MR: magic ring
  • sp(s): space(s)
  • st(s): stitch(es)
  • tch: turning chain
  • RS: right side

Position (special term): In skirt rows, every dc and every ch-1 sp counts as one position. Solid rows place one dc in each position.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Gauge: 14 dc and 7 rows = 2 in (5.1 cm) in rows of dc, after blocking.

Make one small skirt before you start the full set, and check it at these points:

  • After Row 1: the bodice is 1 in (2.5 cm) wide.
  • After Row 8: the skirt is 2.7 in (6.9 cm) wide at the hem and 2.3 in (5.8 cm) tall.
  • After the border: the hem is 3 in (7.6 cm) wide.

If your skirt is too big, change to a 2.0 mm hook. If it is too small, change to a 2.5 mm hook. Each angel hangs on its own, so a difference of 0.25 in (0.6 cm) is fine. What matters most is that all your skirts match each other.

Delicate cream crocheted angel with openwork lacy wings trimmed in gold metallic on blurred background.

Angel Skirt

The skirt is worked flat from the bodice down. Each solid row adds 2 dc at each edge, and each mesh row keeps the same count, so the rows build a flared bell.

Solid row (on N positions): Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in the first st, dc in each position across to the last st, 3 dc in the last st (top of tch). Turn. This makes N + 4 dc.

Mesh row (on N positions): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip the next position, [dc in the next position, ch 1, skip the next position] (N − 3) ÷ 2 times, dc in the last st. Turn. This keeps N positions: (N + 1) ÷ 2 dc and (N − 1) ÷ 2 ch-1 sps.

Small skirt (make 8). With cream, ch 9.

  • Row 1 (RS): Dc in the 4th ch from the hook (the skipped 3 ch count as a dc) and in each of the remaining 5 ch. Turn. (7 dc)
  • Row 2 (mesh): 4 dc and 3 ch-1 sps (7 positions)
  • Row 3 (solid): 11 dc
  • Row 4 (mesh): 6 dc and 5 ch-1 sps (11 positions)
  • Row 5 (solid): 15 dc
  • Row 6 (mesh): 8 dc and 7 ch-1 sps (15 positions)
  • Row 7 (solid): 19 dc
  • Row 8 (mesh): 10 dc and 9 ch-1 sps (19 positions)

Don’t fasten off. Go straight on to the border.

Large skirt (make 3). Work Rows 1–8 as for the small skirt, then:

  • Row 9 (solid): 23 dc
  • Row 10 (mesh): 12 dc and 11 ch-1 sps (23 positions)

Wings

Make 2 per angel, for 16 small and 6 large wings in total. Use cream.

  • Row 1: Ch 4, sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 6 dc in the ring. Turn. (7 dc)
  • Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), [dc in the next dc, ch 1] 5 times, dc in the 3rd ch of the tch. Turn. (7 dc, 6 ch-1 sps)
  • Row 3: Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), [dc in the next dc, ch 2] 5 times, dc in the 3rd ch of the tch. Turn. (7 dc, 6 ch-2 sps)
  • Row 4 (large wings only): Ch 6 (counts as dc + ch 3), [dc in the next dc, ch 3] 5 times, dc in the 3rd ch of the tch. Turn. (7 dc, 6 ch-3 sps)

Before the border, small wings measure 1 in (2.5 cm) from the ring and large wings measure 1.3 in (3.3 cm).

Head

Work in continuous rounds with cream, and mark the first stitch of each round.

Small head (make 8):

  • Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
  • Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
  • Rnd 3: [Sc in the next st, inc] 6 times. (18)
  • Rnds 4–6: Sc in each st around. (18)
  • Rnd 7: [Sc in the next st, dec] 6 times. (12) Stuff the head firmly.
  • Rnd 8: Dec 6 times. (6)

Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. The small head measures 0.7 in (1.8 cm) across.

Large head (make 3): Work Rnds 1–3 as for the small head, then:

  • Rnd 4: [Sc in each of the next 2 sts, inc] 6 times. (24)
  • Rnds 5–8: Sc in each st around. (24)
  • Rnd 9: [Sc in each of the next 2 sts, dec] 6 times. (18)
  • Rnd 10: [Sc in the next st, dec] 6 times. (12) Stuff the head.
  • Rnd 11: Dec 6 times. (6)

The large head measures 0.9 in (2.3 cm) across.

Star

Make 21 with cream.

  • Rnd 1: Make a MR. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 9 dc in the ring, sl st to the top of the ch-3. (10 dc)
  • Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each dc around, sl st to the first sc. (20 sc)
  • Rnd 3 (points): *Ch 5, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, tr in the next ch, skip the next 3 sc, sl st in the next sc. Repeat from * 4 more times. The last sl st lands in the first sc. (5 points)

Each point uses 4 sc of Rnd 2, and 5 × 4 = 20 sc, so the points come out even. Fasten off.

Cords

Make 7 with cream. For each cord, chain the target length plus 1 in (2.5 cm). Then sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and in the back bump of each ch across. Each length below includes 8 in (20.3 cm) for tying to the dowel.

  • Strands 1 and 7: 48 in (121.9 cm)
  • Strands 2 and 6: 54 in (137.2 cm)
  • Strands 3 and 5: 60 in (152.4 cm)
  • Strand 4: 66 in (167.6 cm)

Make All Pieces

  • Cream pieces: 3 large skirts and 8 small skirts; 6 large wings and 16 small wings; 3 large heads and 8 small heads; 21 stars; 7 cords
  • Gold border: on all 11 skirts, all 22 wings and all 21 stars
  • Beads: 32

Layout (top to bottom). o = bead, S = star, a = small angel, A = large angel:

Strand:  1   2   3   4   5   6   7
         o   o   o   o   o   o   o
         S   a   S   A   S   a   S
         o   o   o   o   o   o   o
         S   S   A   S   A   S   S
         o   o   o   o   o   o   o
         S   a   S   a   S   a   S
         o   o   o   o   o   o   o
         S   S   a   S   a   S   S
                 o   o   o
                 S   a   S
                     o
                     S

Check your totals against the grid: 21 S, 8 a, 3 A and 32 o.

Joining

Assemble each angel. Sew the head (Rnd 8 side down) centered on the foundation edge of Row 1. Then sew both wings to the back of the skirt over Rows 1–3, with the ring ends meeting at the center back and the scallops angled up and out.

Thread the beads. Thread all the beads for one strand onto its cord with the tapestry needle. Push them toward the bottom for now.

Attach the motifs. The first item sits 5 in (12.7 cm) below the tie point. After that, space the items evenly, about 3–3.75 in (7.6–9.5 cm) apart, so the last star ends at the bottom of the cord. Sew each piece on from the back with cream sewing thread:

  • Angels: Tack the cord to the center back of the head, then to the center dc of each solid row: dc 4 of Row 1, dc 6 of Row 3, dc 8 of Row 5 and dc 10 of Row 7. On large angels, also tack it to dc 12 of Row 9. Let the cord continue below the hem.
  • Stars: Tack the cord to the back of Rnd 1 at the top and bottom, and to the tip of the top point.
  • Beads: Slide each bead into place and secure it with 2–3 stitches through the cord directly above and below it.

Tension. Make the stitches snug but never tight. If you pull too hard, the lace puckers and the angels tilt forward.

Size checkpoint. Hold each strand at its tie point and measure the drop. Strands 1 and 7 should hang 40 in (101.6 cm), and strand 4 should hang 58 in (147.3 cm). If a strand is off by more than 0.5 in (1.3 cm), move its last star.

Tie the cords to the dowel. Mark the dowel 5 in (12.7 cm) from each end and every 4 in (10.2 cm) between those marks: 5 + (6 × 4) + 5 = 34 in (86.4 cm). Wrap the top 8 in (20.3 cm) of each cord twice around its mark, knot it, and sew the tail down the cord.

Border

Border gauge: 3 scallops = 1 in (2.5 cm).

Every border works the same way. A cream scallop row sits on the last row, then a gold row follows on the RS.

Small skirt:

  • Row 9 (cream scallops, RS): Ch 1, sc in the first dc, [3 dc in the next ch-1 sp, sc in the next dc] 9 times. This is a conversion row: 10 sc worked 1 per dc, plus 27 dc added in the 9 sps, for 37 sts. Fasten off.
  • Row 10 (gold): With RS facing, join gold in the first sc. Ch 1, sc in the same sc, [sc in the next dc, 3 sc in the next dc, sc in the next dc, sc in the next sc] 9 times. That is 37 sts worked 1 per st, plus 18 added at the 9 tips, for 55 sc. The hem now measures 3 in (7.6 cm).

Large skirt:

  • Row 11 (cream scallops): Work as Row 9, repeating the bracket 11 times. That gives 12 sc plus 33 dc, for 45 sts.
  • Row 12 (gold): Work as Row 10, repeating the bracket 11 times. That gives 45 sts plus 22 added, for 67 sc. The hem now measures 3.7 in (9.4 cm).

Small wing:

  • Row 4 (cream): Ch 1, sc in the first dc, [4 dc in the next ch-2 sp, sc in the next dc] 6 times. That gives 7 sc plus 24 dc, for 31 sts.
  • Row 5 (gold): Sc in the first sc, [sc in the next dc, 2 sc in each of the next 2 dc, sc in the next dc, sc in the next sc] 6 times. That gives 31 sts plus 12 added, for 43 sc. The finished wing measures 1.25 in (3.2 cm).

Large wing:

  • Row 5 (cream): Ch 1, sc in the first dc, [5 dc in the next ch-3 sp, sc in the next dc] 6 times. That gives 7 sc plus 30 dc, for 37 sts.
  • Row 6 (gold): Sc in the first sc, [sc in each of the next 2 dc, 3 sc in the next dc, sc in each of the next 2 dc, sc in the next sc] 6 times. That gives 37 sts plus 12 added, for 49 sc. The finished wing measures 1.6 in (4.1 cm).

Star:

  • Rnd 4 (gold): Join gold in any sl st between points. *Work 4 sc evenly up the side of the point, (sc, ch 1, sc) in the tip, 4 sc evenly down the other side, sl st in the next sl st. Repeat from * 4 more times. Each point gets 10 sc and a ch-1 tip, so the round has 50 sc, 5 ch-1 tips and 5 sl sts.

Why the math works. The number of scallops always equals the number of spaces in the last mesh row, and each sc lands on a dc. That way both edges start and end on an sc and the hem stays symmetrical. The gold row adds exactly 2 or 3 sts only at the tips of the scallops, which is just enough to go around each curve without ruffling. Together, the scallop row and the gold row add the 0.3 in (0.8 cm) border depth.

Final Blocking

  1. Weave in all ends before blocking, except the sewing tails.
  2. Dampen the skirts, wings and stars, then press them in a towel.
  3. Pin each skirt so the hem is 3 in (7.6 cm) for small angels or 3.7 in (9.4 cm) for large ones, and pin out every scallop tip.
  4. Pin the wings flat into fans, and pin each star point straight.
  5. Mist everything with spray starch and let it dry completely.
  6. Assemble and join only after the pieces are dry. Don’t block the heads.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

  • Small skirts measure 3 in (7.6 cm) at the hem and large skirts measure 3.7 in (9.4 cm).
  • Every scallop has a gold outline with no gaps.
  • The wings sit symmetrically behind each bodice.
  • The heads are round and firm, and no stuffing shows.
  • Every bead is secured above and below.
  • The strands hang 40, 46, 52, 58, 52, 46 and 40 in (101.6, 116.8, 132.1, 147.3, 132.1, 116.8 and 101.6 cm) from left to right.
  • Every knot on the dowel is tight, with its tail sewn in.

Troubleshooting

  • The skirt curls up: Your mesh rows are too tight. Loosen your ch-1s.
  • The hem ruffles: Use 2 sc at the scallop tips in place of 3.
  • The star points lean: Block them straighter, and work the tr fully.
  • An angel spins on its cord: Add another tack at the center of Row 7.
  • The gold splits: Use a hook with a smoother throat, and work more slowly.
  • A strand is too short: Move the items up evenly rather than adding cord at the top.

Care

Dust the hanging gently, or spot clean it with cool water and let it dry flat. Store it rolled loosely around the dowel in tissue paper.

Cream-colored crocheted angels and stars hang from a wooden rod in a sunlit window, with beaded string accents.

Final Notes

The measurement chain is simple. Your gauge of 14 dc = 2 in (5.1 cm) gives a 1 in (2.5 cm) bodice. Eight rows bring the small skirt to 2.7 in (6.9 cm), and the border finishes it at 3 in (7.6 cm). Seven strands spaced 4 in (10.2 cm) apart span 24 in (61.0 cm) on a 34 in (86.4 cm) dowel. Check each stage and the angels will hang evenly.

Happy crocheting!

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