These festive hanging spirals twist down in red, white, and green candy stripes, topped with a crochet bow and finished with a cute Christmas character and a jingle bell. Little ornaments dangle from the twists on beaded strings: snowflakes, trees, stars, gifts, a candy cane, a gingerbread man, and poinsettias. They are perfect for windows, doorways, mantels, and Christmas trees.
The set is made in four parts. First you crochet the striped corkscrew spirals, then the bows, then the small hanging charms and bottom characters. Finally you thread everything together with beads, bells, and string.
Materials
- Worsted weight acrylic yarn in red, about 60 g
- Worsted weight acrylic yarn in white, about 60 g
- Worsted weight acrylic yarn in green, about 50 g
- Small amounts of black, brown, gold, yellow, peach, and orange yarn for the characters
- Crochet hook 3.5 mm
- Fiberfill stuffing
- 6 mm safety eyes or black embroidery thread
- Red, green, white, and gold wooden or plastic beads, 8 to 12 mm
- 3 gold jingle bells, 25 mm
- 3 gold jump rings and hanging loops
- Strong cotton string or fishing line
- Fabric stiffener or a mix of white glue and water
- Tapestry needle, scissors, and stitch markers
Finished Size
Each hanger is about 60 cm (24 inches) long from the top loop to the bell
Stitches Used (US Terms)
- ch chain
- sl st slip stitch
- sc single crochet
- hdc half double crochet
- dc double crochet
- inc 2 single crochet in the same stitch
- dec single crochet two together
- MR magic ring
Part 1: The Striped Spirals (make 3)
The spiral is worked lengthwise. Increasing in every stitch makes the strip twist on its own into a corkscrew.
With green, chain 81.
Row 1: Half double crochet in the 3rd chain from the hook. Work 2 half double crochet in each chain across. Fasten off green.
Row 2: Join white. Chain 1 and single crochet in each stitch across. Fasten off white.
Row 3: Join red. Chain 2 and work 2 half double crochet in each stitch across. Fasten off red.
Row 4: Join white. Chain 1 and single crochet in each stitch across. Fasten off and weave in all ends.
The strip will curl into a tight spiral. Gently stretch it to open the twists.
To set the shape, wrap the spiral loosely around a paper towel tube. Brush it with fabric stiffener and let it dry completely before removing it.
Part 2: The Bows (make 3)
Make one red bow, one white bow, and one green bow.
Row 1: Chain 31 and join into a loop without twisting.
Rounds 2 to 5: Chain 1 and single crochet in each stitch around. Join. Fasten off and flatten the tube.
Center band: Chain 6. Single crochet in the 2nd chain from the hook and across. Work 4 rows. Wrap the band around the middle of the flat tube to pinch it into a bow, and sew the ends together.
Tails: Chain 15. Single crochet in the 2nd chain from the hook and across. Make 2 and sew them under the bow.
Part 3: The Bow Trims
Holly leaves (make 6 in green): Chain 9. Slip stitch in the 2nd chain, then sc, hdc, dc, hdc, dc, hdc, and sc across. Work the same down the other side. Fasten off.
Holly berries (make 9 in red): Magic ring, 6 single crochet. Pull closed and fasten off. Or use red beads.
Poinsettia (make 3 in red): Magic ring, 5 single crochet. Join. In each stitch work chain 6, then slip stitch, sc, hdc, dc, and tr back down the chain, and slip stitch into the next stitch. Add a few yellow French knots in the center.
Sew two holly leaves and three berries to the red and white bows. Sew a poinsettia to the center of the green bow.
Part 4: The Small Hanging Charms
Snowflakes (make 4 in white): Magic ring. Chain 1 and work 6 single crochet. Join. Chain 5, slip stitch in the 3rd chain from the hook for a picot, chain 2, and slip stitch in the next stitch. Repeat around to make 6 arms. Fasten off.
Stars (make 4 in gold): Magic ring, 10 single crochet. Join. Chain 4, slip stitch in the 2nd chain, sc and hdc down the chain, skip 1 stitch, and slip stitch in the next stitch. Repeat to make 5 points.
Mini balls (make 10 in red and green): Magic ring, 6 sc. Round 2: inc in each stitch (12). Round 3: sc around. Round 4: dec around (6). Stuff lightly and close.
Tree: With green, magic ring, 4 sc. Increase 2 stitches every round until you have 16 stitches, then close the bottom with a brown trunk worked in 3 rounds of 6 sc. Add bead or French knot ornaments.
Gift box: With red, chain 7. Work 14 rows of single crochet. Fold and sew into a cube, stuff, and wrap with a white yarn ribbon and bow.
Candy cane: With white, chain 21. Single crochet in the 2nd chain and across. Wrap with a red yarn stripe and bend the top into a hook.
Peppermint: Make two flat circles of 3 rounds in white. Embroider red swirl wedges, sew together, and stuff lightly.
Gingerbread man: With brown, make two flat gingerbread shapes in single crochet. Embroider white icing, add a red bow, sew together, and stuff lightly.
Part 5: The Bottom Characters
Santa: Make a red body, a peach head, a white beard of loop stitches, a red hat with a white brim and pompom, black boots, and a black belt with a gold buckle. Stuff and sew together.
Snowman: Make a large white body ball and a smaller head ball. Add a black top hat, a red scarf, black buttons, and an orange nose.
Wreath: With green, chain 30 and join. Work 3 rounds of single crochet, then fold and sew into a ring. Add a red bow and red berries.
Gingerbread house: Make a red stuffed box with a triangle roof. Add a white wavy roof trim, white windows, and a small green wreath above the door.
Assembly
Tie a hanging loop to the top of each bow with a gold jump ring and a white bead.
Sew the top of each spiral to the back of its bow.
Cut strings of different lengths and thread them with beads. Tie a small charm to the end of each string. Attach 4 to 6 strings along the inner edge of each spiral so the charms dangle between the twists.
Sew one character to the bottom of each spiral: Santa on the red bow hanger, the snowman and wreath on the white bow hanger, and the gingerbread house on the green bow hanger.
Thread a few beads below each character and finish with a gold jingle bell.
Weave in all ends.
Blocking
Stiffen the spirals as described in Part 1 so they keep their shape. Lightly stiffen the snowflakes and stars and pin them flat to dry. Do not stiffen the stuffed characters.
Ways to Use Your Spiral Hangers
- Hang them in a front window to greet guests.
- Hang them from a mantel, curtain rod, or doorway.
- Use a single spiral as a large tree topper or tree ornament.
- Tie one to a wrapped gift as a keepsake topper.
- Make shorter versions as car mirror or bag charms.
Color Ideas
- Blue, white, and silver stripes for a frosty winter theme
- Pink, white, and mint stripes for a pastel candy Christmas
- Gold, white, and red stripes for a classic elegant look
- Black, white, and red stripes for a modern Scandinavian style
Tips for Success
- Keep your increases even so the spiral twists smoothly.
- Use a longer starting chain for a longer spiral, and keep the count even.
- Make all the small charms first, then lay them out before tying.
- Use fishing line for an almost invisible hanging string.
Final Thoughts
These candy stripe spiral hangers are a joyful scrap yarn project that fills your home with Christmas cheer. Make a set of three for a window or a whole row for a mantel. Share your finished spirals in the comments below. We would love to see your holiday makes!