Three elegant Christmas tree hangings in deep forest green, each built around a tall spiral shape with a cream snowy border, pearl beads, small white flowers, gold details and a dark green bow at the top.
All three use the same basic construction. The green tree body is identical, the cream spiral is identical and the hanging cord runs through the centre in the same way. The difference is mainly the size and the placement of the flowers and beads. The centre tree is slightly larger and fuller, while the two side trees are a little narrower.
The part that makes these look finished is the contrast between the dense green crochet and the open cream spiral winding around it. The spiral should not sit flat against the tree. It needs enough structure to float slightly away from the green body so the white edge remains visible from top to bottom.
Finished length is about 42 to 50 cm depending on the size of the tree.
What you’ll need
DK cotton in deep forest green and warm cream.
Small amounts of white, pale yellow and metallic gold.
A 2.5 mm crochet hook.
You’ll also need polyester fibrefill, about one metre of 0.8 mm florist wire, strong cotton cord, small pearl beads, small gold beads, a tapestry needle, thin gold hanging cord and one decorative dark green ribbon bow for the top.
The flowers can be crocheted in white with pale yellow centres, or you can use very small handmade fabric flowers if this is intended only as decorative wall or window décor.
Abbreviations are US terms. ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, inc is two stitches in one, dec is an invisible decrease, MR is magic ring and BLO is back loops only.
Part 1. The green tree body
The tree is worked from the top downward.
In forest green:
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6)
Round 2. Sc around (6)
Round 3. Inc every second stitch (9)
Round 4. Sc around (9)
Round 5. Sc twice, inc repeated three times (12)
Round 6. Sc around (12)
Round 7. Sc, inc repeated around (18)
Round 8. Sc around (18)
Round 9. Sc twice, inc repeated around (24)
Round 10. Sc around (24)
Round 11. Sc three times, inc repeated around (30)
Round 12. Sc around (30)
Continue increasing gradually in this way until the lower part reaches the width you want.
For a narrow side tree, stop at around 42 stitches.
For the larger centre tree, continue to around 48 stitches.
Work one or two plain rounds between increase rounds whenever the sides begin to flare too quickly.
The aim is a long tapered cone, not a short triangular tree.
Stuff lightly as you go.
Do not pack the filling tightly.
A very firm tree becomes heavy and loses the soft crochet texture.
Part 2. Shaping the lower edge
Once the tree reaches the full width, work three plain rounds.
Then begin a gentle decrease.
Sc four times, dec repeated around.
Work one plain round.
Sc three times, dec repeated around.
Continue until the opening becomes small enough to close.
Stuff the bottom lightly before the final decrease.
The finished tree should have a softly rounded bottom rather than a completely flat base.
That rounded shape helps the lowest part of the spiral sit naturally around it.
Part 3. The cream spiral band
The white spiral is made separately.
It is worked as a long narrow strip and then wrapped around the green tree.
In cream, ch 100 for the side trees.
For the larger centre tree, ch 112.
Row 1. Sc in the second chain from the hook and across.
Rows 2 to 4. Ch 1, turn and sc across.
The strip should be long and narrow.
Do not make it too wide.
Once wrapped around the tree it should look like a snowy garland rather than a second body.
Part 4. The scalloped edge
Join cream yarn along one long edge.
Work sl st into the first stitch.
Ch 3.
Sl st into the next stitch.
Repeat across.
This gives a small soft scalloped finish.
For a fuller version, work ch 4 instead of ch 3.
Keep the tension deliberately loose.
The edge needs to bend around the tree without puckering.
Part 5. Wiring the spiral
Thread a thin length of florist wire through the stitches along the centre or inner edge of the strip.
Do not place the wire directly through the outer scallops.
The scalloped side should remain soft.
Fold the last centimetre of wire back at both ends and hide it inside the stitches.
Shape the band loosely around a bottle first.
This gives it a natural curved memory before it is attached to the tree.
Part 6. Wrapping the spiral around the tree
Start near the top.
Pin the cream strip to the green tree.
Wrap it diagonally around the body.
Leave roughly 4 to 5 cm between turns.
The centre tree can use slightly wider spacing because it is broader.
Do not pull the band tightly against the green crochet.
Allow the outer scalloped edge to lift slightly away from the surface.
This creates the layered snowy look.
When you reach the bottom, pin the final turn.
Now hang the tree vertically and look at the spiral from the front.
Rotate or reposition the turns until every major section of cream is visible.
Only then sew it into place.
Use small hidden stitches on the inner edge.
Do not sew the entire band flat.
Part 7. The pearl border
The pearl beads follow the cream spiral.
Thread a strong sewing needle with matching cream thread.
Sew one pearl at a time along the outer edge.
Space them about 2 to 3 cm apart.
Do not put a pearl on every scallop.
The design looks more elegant when there is visible crochet between the beads.
Add a tiny gold bead between some of the pearls.
The gold should stay secondary.
If you use too many gold beads, the cream spiral begins to look more like jewellery than crochet.
Part 8. The gold edging
Using fine metallic gold thread, work a loose row of slip stitch along the lower edge of the cream spiral.
Go into approximately every second stitch.
Do not pull the metallic yarn tightly.
It has very little stretch and will gather the band if the tension is too firm.
Another option is to couch the gold thread onto the surface instead of crocheting with it.
Lay it along the edge and sew over it with tiny cream stitches.
This is slower but gives a cleaner line.
The white flowers
The flowers are small and flat.
They sit mainly on the green sections between the turns of the spiral.
In white:
Round 1. 5 sc in MR.
For each petal work sl st, ch 3, 2 dc, ch 3, sl st into the same stitch.
Repeat five times.
Fasten off.
For the centre, make one small French knot in pale yellow or sew on one tiny gold bead.
The side trees need about three flowers each.
The centre tree can take four or five.
Do not place the flowers at perfectly equal distances.
A slightly irregular arrangement looks more natural.
The top bow
The bow is one of the most important details in this design because it finishes the narrow top of the tree and hides the hanging attachment.
Use dark green satin ribbon with a narrow gold edge if available.
Make two wide loops and two short tails.
Wrap a smaller piece of ribbon around the centre.
Stitch firmly.
Do not rely on glue alone if the ornament will hang vertically for a long time.
Sew the bow directly to the top of the crochet tree.
Pearl cluster above the bow
Thread three or four pearl beads onto the main hanging cord.
Add one small gold bead between them.
Place the cluster directly above the bow.
The beads should be large enough to notice, but not larger than the centre knot of the bow.
For the centre tree, use one extra pearl to make the top slightly fuller.
The hanging cord
Use strong gold cord or doubled crochet thread.
Cut around 60 cm.
Pass it down through the top pearl cluster.
Continue through the centre of the tree.
Secure it near the bottom.
This inner cord supports the weight.
Do not attach the ornament only through the bow.
The bow is decorative and should not carry the whole tree.
Knot a long hanging loop above the pearl cluster.
The bottom bead finish
The bottom decoration is simple.
Thread one cream pearl onto the centre cord.
Then add one dark green bead.
Finish with one small gold bead or cap.
For the side trees, keep the bottom cluster small.
For the centre tree, use two cream pearls with one green bead between them.
Secure everything with a strong knot.
Leave only a short length of cord visible below the final bead.
Tree 1. The narrow pearl tree
Use dark forest green for the body.
Work the cream spiral fairly tightly around the tree.
Decorate with three small white flowers.
Use small cream pearls along the spiral and only a few gold beads.
Make the top bow wide enough to balance the height of the tree.
Finish with a three-bead cluster underneath.
This version is the cleanest of the three.
Tree 2. The full centre tree
Make the body slightly wider and longer.
Use the 112-chain cream spiral.
Open the turns slightly more than on the side trees.
Add four or five white flowers across the green sections.
Use a little more pearl decoration along the cream spiral.
The top bow can also be slightly larger.
Finish with a longer bottom bead cluster.
This version works well as the main ornament when all three are hung together.
Tree 3. The slim floral tree
Use the same body size as the first tree.
Position the white flowers higher and slightly closer to the cream turns.
Keep the lower part cleaner.
Use a little more gold edging and fewer pearls if you want the right-hand tree to feel different without changing the basic design.
Finish with a small pearl and green bead underneath.
The flower placement
Do this only after the spiral is completely attached.
Hang the tree at eye level.
Look at the exposed green spaces between the white turns.
Pin one flower into the centre of each large visible green area.
Stand back.
Move any flower that looks hidden behind the spiral.
Only sew them down when the spacing looks balanced.
This is much easier than trying to calculate the positions while the tree is flat on a table.
Putting it together
Finish and stuff the green tree.
Shape the cream wired spiral.
Wrap it around the tree and pin it.
Hang the ornament temporarily from the centre cord.
Adjust the turns until the spiral travels smoothly from top to bottom.
Sew the inner edge of the spiral to the tree.
Add the pearl beads.
Add the gold edging.
Sew the white flowers into the exposed green sections.
Attach the bottom bead cluster.
Thread the supporting cord through the entire tree.
Attach the bow over the top connection.
Add the pearl cluster above the bow.
Make the hanging loop.
Hang the piece one final time and rotate the bow or tree slightly if necessary.
The front should show a continuous cream spiral rather than several disconnected white patches.
The plain snow-covered version
Same green tree, same spiral, fewer decorations.
Skip the flowers.
Skip the gold beads.
Use only cream pearls along the white spiral.
Make a plain dark green bow at the top.
This version feels more wintery and less formal.
It also takes considerably less time.
The gold Christmas version
Work the tree in dark green.
Use warm cream for the spiral.
Add a fine gold edge along both sides of the cream strip.
Replace the white flowers with small gold stars.
Use alternating cream and gold beads along the spiral.
Make the top bow in green velvet or satin with a metallic gold border.
This version suits warm white Christmas lights particularly well.
The red bow version
Keep the tree completely unchanged.
Replace only the dark green bow with deep Christmas red.
Add three red beads into the top pearl cluster.
Use one red bead in the bottom finish.
Do not add red anywhere else.
A small amount is enough to change the whole look.
The miniature tree version
Start the tree with the same 6 sc in MR.
Stop increasing at around 30 stitches.
Keep the body shorter.
For the spiral, ch 64.
Work only three rows instead of four.
Use smaller pearl beads.
Add two white flowers.
Skip the bottom green bead and finish with one pearl.
This size works well for a Christmas tree rather than a window.
The extra-long window version
Increase the green body until the widest point reaches around 54 stitches.
Make the tree longer by adding extra plain rounds between the increases.
For the cream spiral, ch 130.
Do not increase the width of the strip.
A longer narrow spiral looks more elegant than a very wide one.
Add five to six flowers.
Use a longer pearl cluster underneath.
Notes and variations
Deep forest green gives the strongest contrast against the cream spiral.
Sage green also works, but the result is softer and less traditional.
For a Scandinavian version, use natural cream instead of bright white and wooden beads instead of pearls.
For a luxury version, add fine gold metallic thread along the green tree itself, but use it sparingly.
Make all three and hang them at slightly different heights.
The centre tree should hang a little lower than the side trees.
The bow does not need to be crocheted. A real ribbon bow adds a different texture and makes the ornament look more finished.
Cotton yarn gives the clearest tree shape.
Acrylic works too, but use firmer florist wire in the spiral.
Questions I get asked
Why does my tree look too round? You increased too quickly near the top. Add more plain rounds between the increase rounds so the cone becomes longer and narrower.
Why does the cream spiral keep falling flat? The internal wire is too soft or you have sewn too much of the band directly against the tree. Support the inner edge and leave the scalloped side free.
Why does my spiral look uneven? Hang the tree vertically before sewing it permanently. Gravity changes the spacing of the turns.
Can I make the spiral without wire? Not if you want this open raised shape. Without support, the cream strip gradually settles against the green body.
Can I use ready-made pearl trim? Yes. Sew it onto the cream spiral after the strip is attached to the tree. Do not glue it if you want the ornament to last.
Can I use a crochet bow instead of ribbon? Yes. Make a flat rectangle, pinch the centre and wrap a narrow crochet strip around it.
Which version is easiest? The plain side tree with three flowers. The centre version takes longer because the body, spiral and bead work are all slightly larger.
How long does one take? Around four to five hours for a side tree and roughly five to six hours for the larger centre tree.