A cheerful Halloween wall hanging made from six small toppers – jack-o’-lantern witch, pumpkin, ghost, little witch, witch hat and one-eyed monster – each finishing in a coiled crochet tail.
The ornaments hang from a crocheted branch or a real wooden dowel, making the whole piece read like a miniature Halloween garland.
Finished ornament length is approximately 20 to 26 cm.
What you’ll need
DK cotton in orange, black, purple, white, green and small amounts of yellow.
A 2.5 to 3 mm hook, stuffing, black embroidery thread, optional safety eyes, tapestry needle and a 35 to 45 cm wooden dowel or crocheted branch.
Shared round topper
For the pumpkin, ghost, witch face and monster:
Round 1. 6 sc in MR.
Round 2. Inc around. (12)
Round 3. Sc, inc around. (18)
Round 4. 2 sc, inc around. (24)
Rounds 5 to 8. Sc around.
Round 9. 2 sc, dec around. (18)
Round 10. Sc, dec around. (12). Stuff.
Round 11. Dec around. Close.
1. Jack-o’-lantern witch
Work the shared head in orange. Embroider triangular black eyes and a jagged smile.
Add a tiny black witch hat: start with 4 sc in MR, increase slowly into a cone, then make a wider brim. Add a purple or yellow buckle.
Coil: black and deep red.
2. Smiling pumpkin
Work in orange. Add a short green leaf and brown stem.
Embroider a simple smiling face or use small safety eyes.
Coil: orange and black.
3. Ghost
Work the shared ball in white but stop before closing. Continue 2 to 3 rounds with gentle increases, then finish with a scalloped lower edge.
Add black oval eyes and pink cheeks.
Coil: purple.
4. Little witch
Work a skin-tone or cream head. Add black hair using short yarn strands or surface crochet.
Make a purple cone hat with black or gold band. Add a tiny bow at the neck.
Coil: purple and black.
5. Witch hat
Work a standalone black cone.
Round 1. 4 sc in MR.
Round 2. Sc around.
Round 3. Inc every second stitch.
Continue gradual increases until about 24 stitches.
Work 2 rounds even.
Brim: work front loop only with regular increases until the brim flares to about 36 stitches.
Add a green band, yellow buckle and a small star.
Coil: black and green.
6. One-eyed monster
Work the shared head in purple.
Make a large white eye disc: 6 sc in MR, inc to 12, then 18. Add a black pupil.
Sew one small tooth under the mouth. Add two tiny horn nubs and green antenna tips.
Coil: green and purple.
Spiral coil
For each character, ch 50 to 58.
Row 1. Starting in third chain, 2 dc in every chain.
Row 2. Sc across in the same or contrasting colour.
The strip will curl naturally. Twist it into a neat open spiral before sewing.
Crocheted branch cover
If you do not want to use a real branch, crochet a long brown tube.
Ch 7, join to form a ring, then sc in continuous rounds until the tube reaches 35 to 45 cm. Insert a wooden dowel or stiff cord.
Add a few crocheted leaves near the ends.
Hanging loops
Make each loop 14 to 20 chains. Vary the lengths slightly.
Sew the loops around or through the branch so the characters hang evenly but not perfectly level.
Assembly
Attach each topper to its coil, then attach the hanging loop to the top.
Arrange the six ornaments in a balanced order, alternating dark and bright colours.
Variations
Make a smaller trio using pumpkin, ghost and witch hat. Replace the monster with a bat or black cat. For a nursery-safe version, embroider all facial features.