Three cheerful snowmen, one in a black top hat with a red scarf, one in a teal beanie with a matching scarf, and one in a red striped hat with a green scarf, each sitting above a long two-colour crochet spiral with a snowflake and a small coloured bauble hanging underneath.
All three are the same basic piece. The snowman head is identical, the spiral construction is identical and the centre cord is identical. Only the hat, scarf and main colour change.
The useful trick is the spiral. It looks like a loose decorative ribbon, but it needs hidden structure or it will gradually collapse. The centre line also keeps the snowflake and bauble hanging directly below the snowman instead of pulling the coil to one side.
What you’ll need
DK cotton in white plus red, teal, green and black.
Small amounts of orange for the carrot noses, pink for the cheeks and dark brown or black for the mouths and eyes.
A 2.5 mm hook.
You’ll also want polyester fibrefill, about a metre of 0.8 mm florist wire, strong cotton cord, a tapestry needle, small beads for the lower baubles and a hanging ring or hook for the top.
Finished length is about 40 to 45 cm.
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 spiral band
The band is worked flat first and then shaped.
For the red snowman use red and white.
For the teal snowman use teal and white.
For the green-scarf snowman use red and white for the spiral, which keeps the three pieces visually connected.
Starting in your main colour, ch 14.
Change to white and ch 14.
Change back to the main colour and ch 14.
Continue alternating until you have 84 chains.
Row 1. Sc in the second ch from the hook and in every chain across (83).
Keep the yarn matched to the colour section underneath.
Rows 2 to 5. Turn, ch 1 and sc across.
Keep all the colour blocks lined up.
You now have a flat striped band about 2 cm wide.
Do not make the band much wider. The finished coil looks substantial because of the curve, not because the strip itself is thick.
Part 2. The white edging
Join white yarn along one long edge.
Work sl st into the first stitch.
Ch 3, skip one stitch, sl st into the next.
Repeat along the whole edge.
Work the same edging along the opposite side if you want the spiral to have the white scalloped border visible from both directions.
Keep the tension loose.
A tight edge will pull the band inward before you even begin coiling it.
Part 3. Wiring and coiling
Thread florist wire through the stitches along one long edge.
Weave it in and out every few stitches.
Repeat along the opposite side.
Fold approximately 1 cm of wire back at every end and tuck it into the crochet so no sharp point remains exposed.
Wrap the band around a wine bottle or narrow jar in an even spiral.
Press it gently against the bottle.
Slide it off.
Open the turns until they sit approximately 4 cm apart.
Hold the piece vertically while you adjust the spacing.
The spiral should look open and regular rather than like a tightly wound spring.
Part 4. The centre cord
Cut a length of strong cord about 55 to 60 cm.
Knot one end.
This cord runs through the middle of the spiral and carries the lower decorations.
Position the snowflake below the final turn.
The small coloured bauble hangs beneath the snowflake.
Do not attach either of these pieces directly to the side of the spiral.
They need to hang from the central cord so the weight stays balanced.
The snowman head
All three snowmen use the same head.
In white.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6)
Round 2. Inc six times (12)
Round 3. Sc, inc repeated six times (18)
Round 4. Sc twice, inc repeated six times (24)
Round 5. Sc three times, inc repeated six times (30)
Round 6. Sc four times, inc repeated six times (36)
Rounds 7 to 13. Sc around (36)
Place the eyes between rounds 9 and 10.
Leave approximately seven stitches between them.
You can use safety eyes, but embroidered eyes work too.
Round 14. Sc four times, dec repeated six times (30)
Round 15. Sc three times, dec repeated six times (24)
Round 16. Sc twice, dec repeated six times (18)
Stuff firmly.
Round 17. Sc, dec repeated six times (12)
Round 18. Dec around and close.
The head should be round rather than elongated.
The carrot nose
In orange.
Round 1. 4 sc in MR (4)
Rounds 2 and 3. Sc around.
Round 4. Sc, inc repeated twice (6)
Rounds 5 and 6. Sc around.
Fasten off.
Stuff very lightly.
Sew the wide end to the centre of the face.
Point the carrot slightly outward and upward.
The smile
Use black embroidery thread.
Make five or six small stitches in a shallow curve under the carrot nose.
Do not connect them into one solid line.
The separate little stitches give the snowman the dotted coal smile visible in the design.
Add soft pink cheeks on both sides.
Use embroidery, yarn or a little dry blush.
Snowman 1. The black top hat
This is the traditional version.
The head is white, the hat is black and the scarf is red.
Hat crown
In black.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6)
Round 2. Inc around (12)
Round 3. Sc, inc repeated (18)
Round 4. Sc twice, inc repeated (24)
Round 5. Sc three times, inc repeated (30)
Work in BLO for one round.
Rounds 7 to 11. Sc around.
Fasten off.
Hat brim
Join black yarn into the unused front loops.
Work 2 dc in each stitch around.
Next round. Dc, 2 dc repeated around.
Fasten off.
Block the brim flat.
The brim should extend clearly beyond the head but should not cover the eyes.
Holly decoration
Make two small leaves in green.
Ch 7.
Sc in the second chain, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc.
Work back along the opposite side.
Finish with sl st.
For the berries, make three tiny red bobbles.
Sew the leaves and berries to one side of the hat.
Snowman 2. The teal beanie
This version uses teal with white.
The hat is a soft winter beanie with a white band and white pompom.
In teal.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR.
Round 2. Inc around.
Round 3. Sc, inc repeated.
Round 4. Sc twice, inc repeated.
Continue increasing until the hat fits the head.
Work four plain rounds.
Change to white.
Work two rounds of sc for the folded-looking band.
Fasten off.
Make a small white pompom.
Sew it securely to the top.
The hat should sit low enough to touch the top of the cheeks but not cover the eyes.
Snowman 3. The striped red hat
The third version uses red, white and a touch of green.
Begin in red.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR.
Round 2. Inc around.
Continue increasing until the hat fits.
Work two rounds in red.
Change to white for two rounds.
Change back to red for two rounds.
Add another narrow white stripe if needed.
Finish in red.
Add a large red pompom to the top.
The striped section should remain fairly simple. Too many narrow colour changes make the stitches look busy.
The scarves
The scarf pattern is the same for all three.
Use red for the top-hat snowman.
Use teal for the blue snowman.
Use green for the striped-hat snowman.
Ch 46.
Row 1. Hdc in the second chain and across.
Rows 2 to 4. Ch 1, turn and hdc across.
Fasten off.
Cut six short strands of yarn for each end.
Fold each strand in half and pull it through the edge to make the fringe.
Wrap the scarf around the bottom of the snowman head.
Cross the ends at the front.
Sew the crossing point with two hidden stitches so it stays in position.
One end should hang slightly lower than the other.
Attaching the snowman to the spiral
Place the snowman directly above the first turn of the coil.
Sew the top of the spiral securely to the lower back of the head.
Go through the same area several times.
Then bring the scarf around the attachment.
The scarf helps hide the join between the snowman and the spiral.
Do not use the scarf itself to support the weight.
The coil must be attached directly to the snowman.
The crochet snowflake
In white.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR.
For each arm, ch 7.
Sl st into the second chain from the hook.
Ch 3 and sl st back into the same chain.
Sl st into the next chain.
Ch 3 and sl st back.
Sl st down the remaining chains.
Sl st into the next stitch of the centre ring.
Repeat until you have six arms.
Fasten off.
Block the snowflake.
Pin every arm separately while it dries.
The snowflake should remain fairly flat because it hangs directly beneath the spiral.
The lower bauble
The bauble is intentionally small.
Its job is to finish the hanging rather than compete with the snowman.
In your chosen colour.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6)
Round 2. Inc around (12)
Rounds 3 and 4. Sc around (12)
Round 5. Dec around (6)
Stuff firmly.
Close.
Use red for the black-hat snowman.
Use blue for the teal version.
Use green for the striped red-and-green version.
Attach the bauble 3 to 4 cm beneath the snowflake.
That small gap allows both pieces to move separately.
Putting it together
Sew the top of the spiral firmly beneath the snowman.
Drop the strong centre cord through the middle of the coil.
Hold the entire piece up.
Make sure the cord hangs through the centre of every turn.
Attach the snowflake beneath the lowest spiral turn.
Attach the coloured bauble below it.
Secure the upper end of the cord inside the bottom of the snowman head.
Now add the hanging loop.
If you are using a metal ornament ring, sew it firmly into the top of the hat while also passing the supporting cord down into the head.
Do not attach the entire ornament only to the hat.
The weight should be carried through the stuffed head.
The red traditional version
Use white for the snowman, black for the top hat, red for the scarf and red with white for the spiral.
Add green holly leaves and red berries to the hat.
Finish with a white snowflake and red bauble.
This one looks the most traditional and works especially well on a Christmas tree or against evergreen garland.
The teal winter version
Use white for the snowman with a teal hat and scarf.
Work the spiral in teal and white.
Finish the hat with a large white pompom.
Use a white snowflake and bright blue bauble underneath.
This version looks particularly good against a snowy window because the teal remains strong enough to stand out against pale blue winter light.
The red and green version
Use a red striped hat with white bands.
Make the scarf green.
Work the spiral in red and white.
Finish with a white snowflake and green bauble.
The scarf is the only large green element, which is enough.
Making both the spiral and scarf green would reduce the contrast between the three pieces.
The miniature version
Same snowman, shorter spiral.
Shorten the foundation chain to 56.
Keep the band five rows deep.
Make the snowman head with a maximum of 30 stitches instead of 36.
Reduce the scarf to 34 chains.
Use a smaller snowflake underneath.
This size works well for a Christmas tree rather than a window.
The extra-long window version
Increase the band to 112 foundation chains.
Keep the same width.
Add one additional decorative charm inside the lower part of the spiral.
A small heart, bell or star works well.
Do not increase the snowman head.
The longer coil already gives the piece enough visual weight.
Notes and variations
Traditional red, green and white works from exactly the same instructions.
For a softer winter palette, try pale blue, silver grey and cream.
Make all three and hang them from one decorative wooden bar. The repeating snowman heads make them feel like a set while the different hats keep them from looking identical.
Swap the top hat for earmuffs if you want an easier version.
A small crochet Christmas tree or gingerbread man can also replace the snowman while keeping the same spiral underneath.
For a child-friendly decoration, embroider the eyes and avoid loose beads or detachable parts.
Cotton gives the cleanest spiral.
Acrylic also works, especially if the florist wire is firm enough to carry the shape.
Questions I get asked
Why does my spiral become flat after a few days? The wire is too soft or the coil was not shaped firmly enough. Wrap it around the bottle again and press the turns into position before hanging.
Why is my snowman turning sideways? The top attachment or centre cord is off-centre. Loosen the join, hang the ornament and rotate the head until everything faces forward.
Why does my scarf twist? Block it flat before sewing it around the neck and tack both ends into position.
Do I need the wire? Yes. Without it, a long strip like this gradually relaxes and loses the open spiral shape.
Can I make the snowflake larger? Yes, but keep it narrower than the widest part of the spiral. An oversized snowflake makes the bottom look heavier than the snowman.
Can I use acrylic yarn? Yes. Cotton gives sharper details, but acrylic works well for soft scarves and hats.
Which version is easiest? The teal beanie version. The beanie is faster than the top hat and does not need the separate holly decoration.
How long does one take? Around five to six hours for the first one. Once the head and spiral construction are familiar, the next two are considerably faster.