Layered Lace Crochet Angel – Free Christmas Ornament Pattern

Layered Lace Crochet Angel Materials

Sport-weight cotton in ivory, sage and forest green.
Gold crochet thread and a hook suited to the thread. Use a 2.75 mm hook for the cotton.
Tapestry needle, removable stitch markers, rustproof blocking pins and a little stuffing.

Skill level: Intermediate. Estimated height: 4–5 in (10–13 cm), depending on yarn and tension. Counts were checked against the written instructions. The pattern has not been physically tested.

Before You Start the Layered Lace Crochet Angel

Use cottons of the same weight for the bodice, wings and skirt so the pieces meet without stretching. A slightly smaller hook can help close gaps in the stuffed head. Stop tightening the adjustable ring as soon as the center closes, and weave its tail through the first round before stuffing.

Put a marker in the first working stitch of each joined round. After joining, check that the starting chain and slip stitch have stayed outside the count. On the green skirt, keep the unused front loops of the ivory round facing outward so you can find them later.

US Crochet Terms

ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet, inc = 2 sc in one stitch, sc2tog = single crochet two stitches together, sp = space. See the Craft Yarn Council abbreviations.

Layered Lace Crochet Angel Pattern

Ivory head

Work in a continuous spiral and mark the first stitch.

Round 1: Work 6 sc in an adjustable ring. Tighten the ring. 6 sc.
Round 2: Inc six times. 12 sc.
Round 3: Repeat (sc in next st, inc in next st) six times. 18 sc.
Rounds 4–6: Sc around. 18 sc per round.
Round 7: Repeat (sc in next st, sc2tog) six times. Stuff lightly. 12 sc.
Round 8: Sc2tog six times. Fasten off. Draw the tail through the six front loops and pull closed. Leave the tail for attaching the head. 6 sc.

Ivory bodice and lower green skirt

Work joined rounds. Ch 2 before a dc round and ch 1 before a round that begins with sc. Starting chains do not count. Join each round with a sl st to its first working stitch.

Round 1: In ivory, ch 12 and sl st into the first ch to form a ring. Ch 1 and sc into every chain. Join. 12 sc.
Round 2: Ch 2. Repeat (dc in next sc, ch 1) twelve times. Join. 12 dc, 12 ch-1 spaces.
Round 3: Sl st into the next ch-1 sp. Ch 2 and work 2 dc in every ch-1 sp. Join. 24 dc.
Round 4: Fasten off ivory. Join forest green in the back loop of the first dc. Ch 2. In back loops only, repeat (dc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st) eight times. Join. 32 dc.
Round 5: Ch 2. Repeat (dc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st) eight times. Join. 40 dc.
Round 6: Ch 1. Repeat (sc in next dc, skip 1 dc, 7 dc in next dc, skip 2 dc) eight times. Join and fasten off. 8 scallops.
Round 7: Join ivory in an anchoring sc. Ch 1 and sc in each sc and each dc around. Join and fasten off. 64 sc.

Upper green skirt tier

With the outside of the bodice facing you, join green to the first unused front loop of Round 3. Ch 2, dc in each of the 24 unused loops and join. 24 dc.
Ch 1. Repeat (sc in next dc, skip 1 dc, 7 dc in next dc, skip 1 dc) six times. Join and fasten off. 6 scallops.
Join ivory in an anchoring sc. Ch 1 and sc in each sc and each dc around. Join and fasten off. 48 sc.

Sage lace wings, make two

Turning chains do not count.

Row 1: Ch 7, dc in the third chain from the hook and each remaining chain. Turn. 5 dc.
Row 2: Ch 2, work 2 dc in the first dc, then repeat (ch 1, dc in next dc) four times. Turn. 6 dc, 4 ch-1 spaces.
Row 3: Ch 1 and sc in the first dc. Four times, work (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in the next ch-1 sp and sc in the dc immediately after it. Sc in the last dc. Fasten off with a sewing tail. 4 fans, 6 sc.

Gold halo and assembly

Ch 24 in gold and sl st into the first ch. Ch 1, work 24 sc around the chain ring and sl st to the first sc. Block the halo flat. Sew its back edge to the back of the head so the ring sits above the crown. Sew the closed bottom of the head around the ivory neck opening.

Block the wings as mirror images and set their short edges behind the bodice. Pin the outer tips at the same angle and sew the inner edges in place with sage yarn. Add a separate hanging thread at the back of the head. Shape both skirt hems while damp and allow them to dry before hanging.

Count Check and Troubleshooting

The lower skirt has eight five-stitch repeats across 40 dc. The upper skirt has six four-stitch repeats across 24 dc. Each repeat adds seven dc and one sc, so the ivory edges contain 64 and 48 sc respectively.

If you cannot find 24 front loops for the upper tier, check that Round 4 used only back loops. If the skirt tiers overlap unevenly, spread their scallops before blocking. If the angel tilts, hold it by the hanging thread and adjust the attachment point before tying the thread off.

Check the Fit Before Sewing

Keep the head centered over the neck

Pin the closed end of the head over the neck ring. Tack it at opposite points first, then stitch around the ring, catching the fabric without drawing the opening into a tight knot.

Keep the wings level

Lay the angel face down and pin both wings behind the bodice before sewing either one. Check the height of the two outer tips from the front. Stitch through the inside edges of the wings so the lace fans remain free.

Give the two hems room to open

Shape the lower skirt first. Lift the upper tier and smooth it separately so it can dry without sticking to the lower scallops. If the ivory edge pulls inward, check that each seven-double-crochet fan and its single-crochet anchor received eight edging stitches in total.

More Christmas Crochet Ornaments

Try the lace fan crochet angel for a flat ornament, the wooden bead angel for a different head construction, or the white pearl crochet tree for another shell motif.