A open spiral crochet Christmas tree ornament is a small hanging decoration made from a green crocheted strip, a five-point star and a ribbon. The open turns widen toward the base, leaving room for Christmas lights to shine through.
This original pattern is inspired by the reference photo. The tree starts as a straight strip with a covered shaping wire, so you can adjust each turn after hanging it. A separate crocheted star hides the top attachment.
Use firm stitches to cover the wire and keep the upper turns compact. Let each turn widen as you work downward, then tuck the last section inward to finish the base.
Skill level: Confident beginner. Estimated size: About 4–6 in (10–15 cm) tall, excluding the ribbon. The height depends on yarn, tension and the spacing of the coils.
Open Spiral Crochet Christmas Tree Ornament Materials
- Worsted-weight cotton yarn in dark green.
- 3.5 mm crochet hook, or a size that produces firm fabric.
- Flexible, coated craft wire that holds its shape, plus wire cutters and round-nose pliers.
- Narrow ribbon, yarn needle, scissors and stitch markers.
The stitch counts have been checked against the written instructions. The pattern has yet to be tested with a physical sample. The finished size depends on your strip length and how widely you shape the turns.
US Crochet Abbreviations
See the Craft Yarn Council crochet abbreviations for standard US terms.
U.S. terms: ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, st = stitch.
Open Spiral Crochet Christmas Tree Ornament Pattern
Make the strip
- Foundation and row 1. Ch 61. Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each remaining chain. Turn. 60 sc.
- Row 2. Ch 2, which does not count as a stitch. Work the first hdc into the first sc below the turning chain, then hdc in each remaining sc. Turn. 60 hdc.
- Row 3. Ch 1, which does not count as a stitch. Sc in each hdc across. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. 60 sc.
Cover the wire and shape the tree
- Lay the wire against the relaxed strip before cutting. Allow extra wire at both ends for small closed loops. Use pliers to curl the cut tips inward, then check that the finished wire fits inside the strip without stretching it.
- Lay the wire along the middle row. Fold the long edges around it and whipstitch the foundation edge to the final row, matching the 60 positions along both edges. Sew the short ends closed so the wire loops stay fully covered. Keep the seam toward the inside of the spiral.
- Shape a small turn at the top. Continue downward, widening each turn until the lowest full turn is the widest. Curve any remaining length inward along the base.
Crochet the five-point star
- Round 1. Make a magic ring. Ch 1, which does not count as a stitch. Work 10 sc into the ring, pull it closed and join with a sl st in the first sc. 10 sc.
- Round 2. Starting from the join, repeat this sequence five times: ch 4, sl st in the second chain from the hook, sc in the next chain, hdc in the last chain, skip the next base sc and sl st in the following base sc. On the fifth repeat, the anchor returns to the first sc. 5 points. Fasten off with a long sewing tail.
Attach the star and hanging ribbon
Orient the star with one point upward. Sew the narrow end of the spiral to the lower center of the star with several passes through the crocheted fabric. Sew both ends of a folded ribbon to the back of the upper point. Hang the ornament and adjust the spacing until the turns are visible from the front.
Adjusting the shape
For a more compact tree, bring the turns closer together and keep the lower curves narrow. For extra turns, add chains to the foundation and work one stitch per foundation chain after the skipped chain. Match the stitch count in each subsequent row and measure the wire against the new strip.
Open Spiral Crochet Christmas Tree Ornament Count Check
- Strip: ch 61, then 60 sc, 60 hdc and 60 sc. The turning chains do not count.
- Star: 10 base sc and five points. Each point starts with ch 4, then uses one sl st, one sc and one hdc along the chain. Each repeat skips one base stitch and anchors in the next.
Troubleshooting the Open Spiral Tree
The strip twists at the seam
Mark the two ends and the midpoint on both long edges before sewing. Match the markers and sew one foundation position to one stitch of the final row. Keep the seam facing inward when you shape the spiral.
The turns touch or the tree hangs sideways
Hang the ornament from its ribbon and adjust the coated wire a little at a time. Open a gap between each turn and center the top coil under the star. Adjust the bottom curl last.
The star has fewer than five points
Check that Round 1 has ten single crochet stitches. Start at the first stitch, skip exactly one base stitch between anchors, and use the first stitch again to close the fifth repeat.
More Christmas Crochet Ornaments
For a tree built around a crocheted core, see the white spiral Christmas tree. For a flat decoration, try the smiling Christmas tree appliqué.
Pair it with the lace fan crochet angel, a flat ornament with a crocheted hanger.
Pins and Open Spiral Tree Charts
