The Nordic Twilight Bell is a small, lacy Christmas bell worked in cream cotton thread. It has an open V-stitch mesh body and a softly scalloped hem. A hand-tied bow and a wooden bead sit at the top, and it hangs from a twisted cord with a second wooden bead. The set in the photo is five separate bells, each hung on its own cord against a window, so the light shines through the openwork.
The look is simple and Scandinavian: one natural color, warm wood, and lace that reads well against a sunset or a frosty window. Each bell is one crocheted piece. Make as many as you like and hang them at different heights for a cascading effect.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. One finished bell is 2.7 in (6.9 cm) tall including the scalloped hem. After shaping, it measures 2.6 in (6.6 cm) across the hem.
Construction is top-down in joined rounds. You start with a small single crochet crown, then work four rounds of V-stitch mesh that flare toward the hem. One round of shells forms the scalloped edge. A light stiffening gives the bell its shape, and then you add the cord, bow, and beads.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 2.7 in (6.9 cm) tall x 2.6 in (6.6 cm) across the hem
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Size 3 cotton crochet thread (light fingering / lace category)
- Hook: 2.25 mm (US B-1)
- Number of pieces: 1 crocheted piece per ornament, plus cord, bow, and beads
- Layout: Single bell, worked top-down in joined rounds; no assembly
- Piece size: Crown is 1.1 in (2.8 cm) across after Rnd 3
- Size before border: 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall after Rnd 7
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) scalloped shell round
Materials
Yarn advice: Choose a smooth, mercerized or matte cotton crochet thread in size 3. Cotton holds stiffener well and keeps the mesh crisp. Acrylic will not hold the bell shape. A slightly rustic, unmercerized cotton gives the soft twine look shown in the photo.
Color, per bell:
– Cream: 6 g, about 16 m (17.5 yd) total. This covers about 12 m for the bell, about 1.4 m for a 12 in (30.5 cm) cord, and 0.3 m for the bow.
For a set of five bells: 30 g, about 80 m (87.5 yd).
All quantities include a margin of about 15% for swatching and tails.
Tools:
– 2.25 mm (US B-1) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– 1 wooden bead per bell, 12 mm (0.47 in), with a hole of at least 3 mm (0.12 in)
– 1 wooden bead per bell, 8 mm (0.31 in), with a hole of at least 3 mm (0.12 in)
– Fabric stiffener (or a sugar-water or diluted glue solution)
– A shaping form about 2.6 in (6.6 cm) wide at the base, such as a small cone, an egg cup, or a plastic-wrapped paper cone
– Plastic wrap, rustproof pins, and a small dab of clear-drying glue (optional)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- rnd – round
- beg – beginning
Special stitches:
– V-st (V-stitch): (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch or space.
– Beg V-st: ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in the same stitch or space.
– Shell: 6 dc in the same space.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Exact gauge matters less than for a garment, but the bell needs the right proportions to hang nicely. Make one test bell first and check it against these measurements before you make a full set.
Gauge: Rnds 1–3 = 1.1 in (2.8 cm) across, lying flat.
Checkpoints (measured from the top center of the crown, unstiffened, gently stretched downward):
– After Rnd 3: flat disc, 1.1 in (2.8 cm) across
– After Rnd 5: 1.3 in (3.3 cm) tall
– After Rnd 7: 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall
– After Rnd 8: 2.7 in (6.9 cm) tall
– After shaping: hem is 2.6 in (6.6 cm) across
The crown adds about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) of height once it domes. Each mesh round adds about 0.45 in (1.1 cm). The shell round adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
If the crown is too big (over 1.2 in / 3.0 cm), go down to a 2.0 mm hook.
If the crown is too small (under 1.0 in / 2.5 cm), go up to a 2.5 mm hook.
If the crown is correct but the mesh rounds are too tall, pull your dc slightly snugger. If they are too short, lift the loops a little more before yarning over.
Bell Pattern
Work in joined rounds with the right side facing throughout. Do not turn.
Crown
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 8 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed but leave a tiny opening for the cord. Join with sl st to the first sc. (8 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around. Join. (16 sc)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; repeat from * around. Join. (24 sc)
Checkpoint: The disc should measure 1.1 in (2.8 cm) across. From here, the rounds stop increasing in stitch count. The edge will start to cup downward and form the rounded crown of the bell.
Mesh Body
Rnd 4: Beg V-st in the same st as the join. Skip next 2 sc, V-st in next sc; repeat from * 6 more times. Skip the last 2 sc and join with sl st to the 3rd ch of the beg ch-4. (8 V-sts)
The V-sts land on sc 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, and 22, which uses all 24 sc evenly (24 ÷ 3 = 8).
Rnd 5: Sl st into the first ch-1 sp. Beg V-st in the same sp. Ch 1, V-st in the ch-1 sp of the next V-st; repeat from * 6 more times. Ch 1, then join to the 3rd ch of the beg ch-4. (8 V-sts, 8 ch-1 sps between them)
Checkpoint: 1.3 in (3.3 cm) tall.
Rnd 6: Sl st into the first V-st sp. Beg V-st in the same sp. Ch 2, V-st in the next V-st sp; repeat from * 6 more times. Ch 2, then join. (8 V-sts, 8 ch-2 sps between them)
The longer chains start the flare.
Rnd 7: Sl st into the first V-st sp. Beg V-st in the same sp. Ch 1, V-st in the next ch-2 sp, ch 1. V-st in the next V-st sp, ch 1, V-st in the next ch-2 sp, ch 1; repeat from * 6 more times. Join. (16 V-sts, 16 ch-1 sps between them)
Working a V-st into every V-st sp and every ch-2 sp doubles the count from 8 to 16. This is what makes the bell’s skirt flare outward.
Checkpoint: 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall. The bottom edge should ripple slightly. That is the extra width that will open into the hem.
Border: Scalloped Hem
Border gauge: One scallop (1 shell plus its anchoring sc) is about 1.0 in (2.5 cm) wide along the hem after shaping. Eight scallops fit evenly around the opening.
Rnd 8: Sl st into the first V-st sp. Ch 1, sc in the same sp. Skip the next ch-1 sp, work a shell (6 dc) in the next V-st sp. Skip the next ch-1 sp, sc in the next V-st sp; repeat from * 6 more times. Skip the next ch-1 sp, work a shell in the last V-st sp, skip the last ch-1 sp, and join with sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in the end. (8 shells and 8 sc; 48 dc + 8 sc = 56 sts)
Per repeat: 1 sc + 6 dc = 7 sts. Eight repeats give 7 x 8 = 56 sts.
Why the math works: Rnd 7 has 16 V-st spaces. The scallop repeat uses 2 V-st spaces, one for the sc and one for the shell. So 16 ÷ 2 = 8 repeats with nothing left over. All ch-1 spaces are skipped, so each shell sits cleanly between two sc anchors and fans into a rounded scallop.
Checkpoint: 2.7 in (6.9 cm) tall.
Hanger, Bow, and Beads
Twisted cord (12 in / 30.5 cm finished):
1. Cut 54 in (137.2 cm) of thread. A useful rule is to cut about 4.5 times the finished cord length.
2. Fold the strand in half and anchor the fold on a hook or doorknob.
3. Twist the two loose ends together in one direction until the strand kinks when slackened.
4. Bring the ends up to the anchored fold, keeping it taut, and let the cord twist back on itself.
5. Knot the loose ends together. The folded loop becomes the hanging loop.
For a cascading set like the photo, vary the cord length. A 10 in (25.4 cm) cord needs 45 in (114.3 cm) of thread. A 14 in (35.6 cm) cord needs 63 in (160.0 cm).
Beads: Slide the 8 mm bead onto the knotted end of the cord, then the 12 mm bead.
Attach: Thread the knotted end through the center of Rnd 1, from the outside of the crown to the inside. Tie a firm overhand knot inside the bell so it cannot pull back through, and trim the excess.
Bow:
1. Cut 10 in (25.4 cm) of thread.
2. Wrap it once around the cord right at the crown and tie a square knot.
3. Tie a bow with loops about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) long and tails about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long.
4. Add a tiny dab of glue to the knot if you like.
Let the 12 mm bead rest on top of the bow, with the 8 mm bead stacked above it.
Final Blocking
Shape the bell before you attach the cord, or tuck the cord out of the way while you work.
- Cover the shaping form with plastic wrap.
- Soak the bell in fabric stiffener and squeeze out the excess. Press it in a towel so the mesh holes are not filled with film.
- Slide the bell over the form so the crown sits snugly on top.
- Ease the hem outward until it measures 2.6 in (6.6 cm) across.
- Pin each shell so it fans open. Space the 8 scallops evenly, about 1.0 in (2.5 cm) apart.
- Open each V-st with a fingertip or needle tip so the lace looks even.
- Check that the height is 2.7 in (6.9 cm).
- Let it dry completely, usually overnight, then remove it from the form.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Crown is a smooth dome with no puckering, and the ring is tight around the cord.
- Rnd 4 has 8 V-sts. Rnd 7 has 16 V-sts.
- There are exactly 8 shells, each separated by one sc.
- Height is 2.7 in (6.9 cm). Hem is 2.6 in (6.6 cm) across.
- Mesh holes are open and free of stiffener film.
- The inside knot is secure, the bow is centered, and the beads sit flush.
- Ends are woven in and trimmed close.
- The bell hangs straight, not tilted.
Troubleshooting
Crown ruffles instead of doming: Your tension is too loose or you added extra stitches. Recount to 24 sc and go down a hook size.
Body stays narrow with no flare: You may have worked only into the V-st spaces in Rnd 7. Every ch-2 sp also needs a V-st, for 16 total.
Shells don’t fit evenly: Recount Rnd 7. You need 16 V-st spaces for 8 repeats.
Scallops curl inward: Re-stiffen and pin each shell open while it dries.
Bell hangs crooked: The cord knot is off-center. Re-thread it through the exact center of Rnd 1.
Beads won’t fit on the cord: Use beads with holes of at least 3 mm (0.12 in), or thread a needle onto the cord to push it through.
Cord untwists: Twist more tightly before folding and knot the ends firmly.
Care
Dust gently or spot clean with a damp cloth. If the bell softens over time, dampen it, re-stiffen, and reshape it on its form.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple:
– Crown: 1.1 in (2.8 cm) across at Rnd 3
– Body: 1.3 in (3.3 cm) tall at Rnd 5 and 2.2 in (5.6 cm) at Rnd 7
– Scalloped hem: adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm), for a finished height of 2.7 in (6.9 cm) and a 2.6 in (6.6 cm) hem after shaping
The stitch counts follow the same logic: 24 sc become 8 V-sts, which double to 16, which divide into 8 shell scallops. Check your first bell against each checkpoint, and every bell after it will match.
Optional: Five bells on cords of different lengths, as in the photo, make a lovely window display.
Happy crocheting!