This lace bell is a small, flat Christmas ornament. It has a rounded crown, tiers of fans with open arches between them, and a gold scalloped hem that catches the light on the tree. A white chain loop for hanging and a small gold bow finish the top.
The main color is ivory-white cotton, and antique gold is used for the hem border and the bow. The style is classic vintage lace, but the stitches are easy: chains, single crochet, double crochet, and one decrease. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
The finished bell is 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide at the hem and 3.375 in (8.6 cm) tall, not counting the hanging loop. The loop adds about 2.75 in (7.0 cm).
You work the bell flat in rows from the top down. You start with a crown fan, then alternate chain-arch rows with fan rows, adding one fan per tier. Two rows of gold single crochet scallop the four bottom fans. Last, you add the hanging loop and tie on a separate gold cord as a bow.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide x 3.375 in (8.6 cm) tall
- Hanging loop: about 2.75 in (7.0 cm) above the crown
- Skill level: Easy–Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport (#2) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 3.0 mm (US C/2 or D/3)
- Number of pieces: 1 bell, plus 1 gold bow cord
- Layout: single motif, worked flat in rows
- Piece size before border: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 3.125 in (7.9 cm) tall
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm), along the hem only
Materials
Use a smooth, mercerized cotton. It gives the fans clear definition and holds its shape after blocking. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns, because they blur the arches and the bell will sag when it hangs.
- Ivory-white (main color): about 8 g, 25 m (27 yd)
- Antique gold (border and bow): about 3 g, 9 m (10 yd)
These quantities include a margin for your gauge swatch and for weaving in ends. One 50 g ball of each color is enough for a whole set of bells.
Tools:
– 3.0 mm crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Blocking mat or folded towel
– Rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle with water (optional: light spray starch)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- tch – turning chain
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
Special stitch – Fan: Work 7 dc into the same stitch.
Edge Fan: At the start of a row, ch 3 (this counts as the first dc), then work 6 dc into the first st, for 7 dc total.
sc2tog: Insert the hook into the next st and pull up a loop. Insert the hook into the next stitch you are told to use and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge matters less for an ornament than for a garment, but it controls the final size and how firm the lace feels. Before you commit to a set of bells, make one bell through Row 3 and measure it.
Gauge: One 7-dc Fan measures 0.875 in (2.2 cm) across its top edge and 0.625 in (1.6 cm) tall. One arch row adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of height.
Measurement checkpoints (laid flat, unblocked):
- After Row 1 (crown): 1 in (2.5 cm) wide x 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall
- After Row 3 (2 fans): 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide x 1.375 in (3.5 cm) tall
- After Row 5 (3 fans): 2.625 in (6.7 cm) wide x 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall
- After Row 7 (4 fans): 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 3.125 in (7.9 cm) tall
- After the border: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide x 3.375 in (8.6 cm) tall
If your bell is too big: Go down to a 2.75 mm hook, or tighten the chain arches a little. If the arches look loose and droopy, work them as ch 6 instead of ch 7. This does not change any stitch counts.
If your bell is too small: Go up to a 3.25 mm hook. If the fans cup or ripple instead of lying flat, the arches are too short for your tension. Loosen your chains, or work them as ch 8.
Bell Pattern
Work with ivory-white. The bell is worked flat. Turn at the end of every row. The ch 3 at the start of a fan row counts as a dc. The ch 1 at the start of an arch row does not count as a stitch.
Row 1 (RS) – Crown: Ch 4. Work 8 dc in the 4th ch from the hook. The skipped ch-3 counts as the first dc. Turn.
(9 dc)
The crown should be a small half-circle fan, 1 in (2.5 cm) wide.
Row 2 (WS) – Arch row: Ch 1. Sc in the first dc, ch 7, sk the next 7 dc, sc in the top of the tch. Turn.
(2 sc, 1 ch-7 arch)
The arch runs under the whole crown. Its two sc sit at the outer edges of the crown, and the next row’s two fans will grow from them.
Row 3 (RS) – Tier 2: Work an Edge Fan in the first sc. Sc in the ch-7 arch, then work a Fan (7 dc) in the last sc. Turn.
(14 dc + 1 sc = 15 sts; 2 fans)
The sc in the arch sits right under the center of the crown, so the two new fans are offset half a fan from the crown. This offset is what makes the brick-like layering.
Checkpoint: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide x 1.375 in (3.5 cm) tall.
Row 4 (WS) – Arch row: Ch 1. Sc in the first dc, ch 7, sk the remaining 6 dc of this fan, sc in the sc. Ch 7, sk the next 6 dc, sc in the top of the tch. Turn.
(3 sc, 2 ch-7 arches)
Each arch spans one fan. The sc are placed only at the fan edges and between fans, never in fan centers.
Row 5 (RS) – Tier 3: Work an Edge Fan in the first sc. Sc in the next ch-7 arch, Fan in the next sc. Repeat from * to * once more. Turn.
(21 dc + 2 sc = 23 sts; 3 fans)
Checkpoint: 2.625 in (6.7 cm) wide x 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall.
Row 6 (WS) – Arch row: Ch 1. Sc in the first dc. Ch 7, sk the remaining 6 dc of this fan, sc in the next sc. Repeat from * to * once more. Ch 7, sk the next 6 dc, sc in the top of the tch. Turn.
(4 sc, 3 ch-7 arches)
Row 7 (RS) – Tier 4 (hem fans): Work an Edge Fan in the first sc. Sc in the next ch-7 arch, Fan in the next sc. Repeat from * to * twice more. Do not turn.
(28 dc + 3 sc = 31 sts; 4 fans)
Checkpoint: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 3.125 in (7.9 cm) tall.
Fasten off the ivory-white and weave in the end at the hem.
Stitch-count logic: A fan row for tier n has 7n dc plus (n − 1) sc. An arch row after tier n has (n + 1) sc and n arches. Check the counts against this:
| Tier | Fans | Fan-row count | Next arch row |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (crown) | 1 | 9 dc | 2 sc, 1 arch |
| 2 | 2 | 15 | 3 sc, 2 arches |
| 3 | 3 | 23 | 4 sc, 3 arches |
| 4 | 4 | 31 | – |
The crown has 9 dc instead of 7, which gives the top of the bell its rounded, slightly domed look.
Border
The gold border covers the hem only and is worked across the tops of the four Row 7 fans. It adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of depth and about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) of width on each side.
Border gauge: 12 sc across one fan should lie flat along that fan’s curved edge without pulling it straight or making it ruffle.
Border Row 1 (RS): With RS facing, join gold with a sl st in the top of the ch-3 at the start of Row 7. Ch 1.
– Fan 1: sc in the same st, 2 sc in each of the next 5 dc, sc in the last dc of this fan. (12 sc)
– Between fans: sl st in the sc between fans.
– Work Fans 2, 3, and 4 the same way, with a sl st in each between-fan sc. Do not sl st after Fan 4.
(48 sc + 3 sl st = 51 sts)
Why the math works: Each fan’s top edge is a curve of 7 dc. Working 1 + (2 × 5) + 1 = 12 sc across it adds 5 stitches. That is just enough extra length for the outer curve, so the scallop stays rounded and doesn’t flatten. The sl st sinks into the valley between fans and anchors each dip.
Border Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, turn.
– Fan 4 scallop: sc in each of the first 11 sc, then sc2tog over the 12th sc and the first sc of the next scallop, skipping the sl st.
– Fan 3 scallop: sc in the next 10 sc, then sc2tog over the last sc of this scallop and the first sc of the next, skipping the sl st.
– Fan 2 scallop: work as for Fan 3.
– Fan 1 scallop: sc in the remaining 11 sc.
(11 + 1 + 10 + 1 + 10 + 1 + 11 = 45 sts)
Check: Each scallop uses exactly 12 sc from Border Row 1. The outer scallops use 11 sc plus one half of a sc2tog. The inner scallops use one half of a sc2tog, 10 sc, and one half of the next sc2tog. Four scallops x 12 = 48 sc used, and all 3 sl sts are skipped. The sc2tog decreases pull each valley in, which gives the deep dip between scallops.
Fasten off the gold and weave in the ends.
Hanging Loop
With ivory-white, join with a sl st at the base of the crown (the starting ch of Row 1), centered at the top of the bell. Ch 30, then sl st into the same st to close the loop. Work 1 sl st in each ch around the loop to make a firmer cord. Sl st into the base again and fasten off.
The finished loop rises about 2.75 in (7.0 cm) above the crown.
Gold Bow
With gold, ch 50, which is about 6 in (15.2 cm). Work 1 sl st in the back bump of each ch back along the chain. Fasten off and leave 4 in (10.2 cm) tails.
Wrap the cord once around the base of the hanging loop where it meets the crown, and tie a small bow about 2 in (5.1 cm) wide. Use a tail to tack the knot to the crown with 2 or 3 small stitches so it can’t slide. Trim the bow tails to match each other, then thread the ends back into the cord.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all the ends before blocking, and trim them close.
- Wet the bell in cool water, or spray it until it is evenly damp. For a crisper ornament, use light spray starch.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the hem first, to 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide. Put a pin at the tip of each gold scallop and one in each valley.
- Pin the crown top in the center, so the bell is 3.375 in (8.6 cm) tall.
- Push a pin into each chain-arch hole and nudge it into a smooth rounded opening.
- Fan out the dc of each fan evenly with your fingertip.
- Let the bell dry completely, at least 4 hours, before unpinning.
- Pin the bow loops into shape and let them dry the same way.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Crown has 9 dc in a smooth half-circle.
- Tiers have 2, 3, and 4 fans, each with 7 dc.
- Each fan sits centered under the gap between two fans above it.
- All chain arches are the same length and open evenly.
- The bell is symmetrical. Fold it in half to compare the sides.
- Border Row 1 has 12 sc on each fan, with the sl sts in the valleys.
- Border Row 2 totals 45 sts, with clean dips between the scallops.
- Size is 3.75 in (9.5 cm) x 3.375 in (8.6 cm).
- The loop is centered, and the bell hangs straight.
- The bow is tacked down and all ends are hidden.
Troubleshooting
Fans cup or curl: The arches are too short. Rework that arch row with ch 8.
The bell looks narrow and stretched: The arches are too long, or your dc are tight. Use ch 6 arches, or go up a hook size for the fan rows only.
Wrong number of fans in a tier: Check the arch row before it. You need one sc at each edge and one in every between-fan sc, and never in a fan center.
The gold border ruffles: Your tension is loose. Work Border Row 1 with 1 + (2 × 4) + 2 = 11 sc per fan by working 1 sc in the last two dc. Then work Border Row 2 with 10 and 9 sc in place of 11 and 10.
The gold border pulls the hem flat: Go up a hook size for the border rows.
The bell hangs crooked: Move the hanging loop so it sits exactly over the center dc of the crown.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and re-block flat to dry. Store the bell flat between tissue paper so the scallops and bow keep their shape.
Final Notes
The size of this bell builds through a short chain of measurements. Each Fan is 0.875 in (2.2 cm) wide, so four hem fans give 3.5 in (8.9 cm). Each tier pair adds 0.875 in (2.2 cm) of height above the 0.5 in (1.3 cm) crown, for a body of 3.125 in (7.9 cm). The gold border adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm), for a finished bell of 3.75 in (9.5 cm) x 3.375 in (8.6 cm). If your first bell hits these checkpoints, every bell in the set will match.
Happy crocheting!