This little tree ornament is made from soft fan-shaped shells stacked in three tiers. The tiers have three fans, then two, then one, so they make a neat pyramid. A short brown trunk sits under the bottom tier, and a sturdy corded loop lets you hang it on a branch, a gift tag or a window hook.
The sample uses sage green and chocolate brown cotton. Mercerized cotton gives the fans crisp stitch definition and a gentle sheen. The style is calm and Scandinavian-inspired, and it looks lovely in multiples on a tree.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures 4 in (10.2 cm) wide and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall from the bottom of the trunk to the tip. The hanging loop adds about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
Construction is simple and has very few ends to weave in. You work the green body flat in turned rows, starting with a foundation of single crochet. Fans are added tier by tier, and each new tier is anchored on chain arcs across the fan centers below. Then you work one round of single crochet around the whole silhouette as a border. The brown trunk is worked straight down from the border, and the hanging loop is added last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall, without the loop
- Hanging loop: about 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2 fine), cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 (the trunk and loop are worked directly onto the tree)
- Layout: 3 tiers of fans (3, then 2, then 1)
- Green body before border: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide × 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall
- Border depth: 1 round of sc, adding about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) to each edge
- Green body after border: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall
- Trunk: 1 in (2.5 cm) wide × 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall
Materials
Yarn: Choose a smooth sport weight cotton or cotton blend. Mercerized cotton shows the fan shapes best. Avoid fuzzy or very splitty yarns, because the 7-dc fans need clean, separate stitches to read as shells.
- Sage green: 8 g, about 24 m (26 yd)
- Brown: 2 g, about 6 m (6.5 yd)
These quantities include a margin of about 30% for your gauge swatch and tails. One ornament uses less than this.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch marker (optional, helpful for marking fan centers)
- Ruler or tape measure
- Pins and a blocking mat or folded towel
- Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special stitch – Fan: Work 7 dc into the same stitch or chain space. The 4th dc of a fan is its center dc. Each fan has 3 dc on either side of the center dc.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 sc and 22 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc. One relaxed fan measures about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide × 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall.
Gauge isn’t critical for an ornament, but it controls the final size and how firm the fans are. The best test is to work Rows A1 and A2 (the bottom tier), measure, and then decide whether to continue or restart.
Checkpoints:
- After Row A1: 19 sc measure about 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide.
- After Row A2: the bottom tier is 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall.
- After Row B2: the middle tier is about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide, and the total height is about 1.6 in (4.1 cm).
- After Row C2: the green body is 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide × 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
- After the border: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall.
- After the trunk: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) total height.
If your piece is too big, change to a 3.25 mm (D-3) hook. Also check that your fans aren’t loose and ruffled.
If your piece is too small, change to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook. Also check that the dc aren’t so tight that the fans cup upward.
Tree Body
Use sage green.
Bottom Tier (3 fans)
Foundation: Ch 20.
Row A1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (19 sc)
Row A2: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch). Sc in the first sc. Sk 2 sc, work a Fan in the next sc, sk 2 sc, sc in the next sc. Repeat from * to * 2 more times. Turn. (3 fans and 4 sc = 25 sts)
Check: each repeat uses 6 sc of Row A1, so 1 + (3 × 6) = 19. The fans sit in sc 4, 10 and 16 of Row A1. The anchoring sc are in sc 1, 7, 13 and 19.
Middle Tier (2 fans)
Row B1: Do not ch. Sl st in each of the first 4 dc of the first fan, so you are in its center dc. Ch 1, then sc in the same center dc. Ch 5, sc in the center dc of the next fan. Repeat from * to * once more. Turn. (3 sc and 2 ch-5 sps)
The two ch-5 arcs each span from one fan center to the next. Each arc becomes the base of a middle-tier fan.
Row B2: Ch 1. Sc in the first sc. Work a Fan in the next ch-5 sp, sc in the next sc. Repeat from * to * once more. Turn. (2 fans and 3 sc = 17 sts)
Each middle fan sits centered over a gap between two bottom fans, which gives the offset pyramid shape. Under each fan you’ll see the ch-5 arc, which looks like a fine outline.
Top Tier (1 fan)
Row C1: Sl st in each of the first 4 dc of the first fan, so you are in its center dc. Ch 1, sc in the same center dc. Ch 5, then sc in the center dc of the next fan. Turn. (2 sc and 1 ch-5 sp)
Row C2: Ch 1. Sc in the first sc, work a Fan in the ch-5 sp, sc in the last sc. (1 fan and 2 sc = 9 sts)
Fasten off and weave in both green tails. The body should now be 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide × 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
Border
Border gauge: Work the border at the same tension as the body, at about 5 sc per inch (2.5 cm) along the straight bottom edge. Along the fans, work 1 sc into the top of each dc. This keeps the curves smooth without frilling.
Hold the piece with the RS facing (the side where Row A2 was worked) and the foundation edge at the bottom.
Round 1: Join sage green with a sl st in the free loop of the first foundation ch at a bottom corner. Ch 1. Work the edges in this order:
- Bottom edge: Work 2 sc in the same loop, sc in each of the next 17 free loops, and 2 sc in the last loop. (21 sc)
- First side, going up:
- Sc in the end sc of Row A2.
- Sc in each of the first 3 dc of the end bottom fan.
- Sc in its center dc, the same dc that holds the Row B1 sc. Insert the hook under the dc’s top loops.
- Sc in each of the first 3 dc of the end middle fan.
- Sc in its center dc, under the Row C1 sc.
- Sc in each of the first 3 dc of the top fan. (12 sc)
- Top point: Work 3 sc in the center dc of the top fan. (3 sc)
- Second side, going down: Work this edge as a mirror of the first side.
- Sc in each of the last 3 dc of the top fan.
- Sc in the center dc of the end middle fan.
- Sc in each of the last 3 dc of that fan.
- Sc in the center dc of the end bottom fan.
- Sc in each of its last 3 dc.
- Sc in the end sc of Row A2. (12 sc)
Sl st to the first sc. (Round total: 21 + 12 + 3 + 12 = 48 sc) Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Why the math works: Each fan has 7 dc, with 3 dc on each side of the center dc. The outside edge of each tier shows 3 dc tops plus 1 center dc where the tier above is anchored, so each tier contributes 4 sc to each side. The top fan contributes only its 3 side dc, because its center dc gets the 3-sc point. Each side therefore has 1 + 4 + 4 + 3 = 12 sc.
The bottom edge follows the 19 foundation loops, plus 1 extra sc at each corner: 19 + 2 = 21 sc. Every border stitch sits in one existing stitch, except the 2 corner increases and the 2 extra sc at the top point. This keeps the outline flat and adds about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) to each edge.
Trunk
Use brown. The trunk is worked straight down from the border.
Count the 21 bottom border sc from the corner where you joined. The center stitch is sc 11.
Row 1: With the RS facing and the bottom edge on top, join brown in bottom border sc 9. Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each of the next 4 sc (sc 9–13). Turn. (5 sc)
Rows 2–4: Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (5 sc in each row)
Fasten off after Row 4. Weave the tails into the trunk only, so no brown shows through the green.
The stacked sc rows make the little vertical columns you see on the trunk. The trunk is 1 in (2.5 cm) wide × 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall, and the total ornament height is now 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
Hanging Loop
Use sage green.
- Join green with a sl st in the middle sc of the 3 sc at the top point.
- Ch 16, then sl st in the same sc to form a loop.
- Ch 1, then work 24 sc into the ch-16 loop. Pack them closely so they completely cover the chain.
- Sl st in the base sc.
Fasten off and weave the tail down into the top fan.
The covered loop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, firm and slightly corded. It holds its shape on a branch.
Final Blocking
- Lightly spritz the ornament with water until it is damp but not wet.
- Lay it RS up on a blocking mat or folded towel.
- Pin the bottom edge straight at 4 in (10.2 cm) wide.
- Pin the top point so the green body measures 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall.
- Ease each fan into a smooth half-circle with your fingertips. Fan the dc out evenly so no gaps open between them.
- Straighten the trunk into a neat rectangle, 1 in (2.5 cm) wide × 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall.
- Lay the hanging loop straight above the point.
- Let it dry completely before you unpin it. For extra crispness, you can mist it lightly with fabric stiffener before drying.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] The tiers have 3, 2 and 1 fans, and each fan has 7 dc.
- [ ] Each upper fan is centered over the gap between two fans below it.
- [ ] The border has 48 sc: 21 on the bottom, 12 on each side and 3 at the top point.
- [ ] The trunk is 5 sc wide × 4 rows, centered under the middle bottom fan.
- [ ] The finished size is 4 in (10.2 cm) × 3.5 in (8.9 cm), and the loop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
- [ ] All ends are woven into same-color stitches.
- [ ] The ornament lies flat, without cupping or ruffling.
Troubleshooting
Fans ruffle or wave. Your dc are too loose, or you added an extra dc. Recount to 7 per fan and try a smaller hook.
Fans cup upward. Your dc are too tight. Loosen up or go up a hook size, then block the fans flat.
The middle tier pulls the bottom fans together. Your ch-5 arcs are too short or tight. Chain more loosely, or use ch 6 and keep working 7 dc into each arc.
An upper fan sits off-center. Check that each Row B1 or C1 sc went into the center dc, which is the 4th of 7.
The border puckers along the bottom. You missed the 2-sc corners or skipped foundation loops. You should have 21 sc on the bottom edge.
The trunk is off-center. Recount the bottom border sc. The trunk must start in sc 9 and end in sc 13 of 21.
The hanging loop shows chain gaps. Add 2–4 more sc into the loop so the chain is fully covered.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and press out excess water in a towel. Reshape and dry flat. If you used fabric stiffener, you may need to stiffen the ornament again after washing.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and easy to check:
- 19 foundation sc measure 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
- The 3, 2 and 1 fan tiers build a body 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide × 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
- The 48-sc border brings it to 4 in (10.2 cm) × 2.75 in (7.0 cm).
- The 4-row trunk adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm), for a finished height of 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
- The covered loop adds about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) on top.
Once you have made one, you’ll find the rhythm quick and relaxing, and a handful makes a sweet set of ornaments or gift toppers.
Happy crocheting!