A flat crochet semi-circle becomes a tiny tiered Christmas tree with a bright star, white edging, and sparkling ornaments for a festive keychain.
Folded layers give this little crochet Christmas tree its surprisingly dimensional shape. The yellow crocheted semi-circle is worked in just a few expanding rounds, then accordion-folded into three tiers before the star, trunk, keychain ring, and decorations are added.
You’ll get the complete crochet pattern for the tree, border, trunk, and five-point star, followed by the folding and assembly steps that give the finished piece its shape. The pattern uses simple crochet stitches, so the main thing to watch is how the flat semi-circle is folded before you glue the layers in place.
Credit Art of crochet by Rina
Before You Start: The Shape Comes From the Fold
The tree does not begin as three separate crocheted pieces. You’ll first crochet one yellow semi-circle, add a white border along its curved edge, and then fold that piece accordion-style into three sections. This folding step creates the tiered Christmas tree shape.
Because the final shape depends on those folds, it helps to identify the straight bottom edge and curved outer edge before moving on to assembly. Keep the folds even enough that the three tiers sit neatly on top of one another.
Materials & Tools Needed
- Yarn: Light worsted or DK weight yarn in Yellow for the tree body, White for the border, Brown for the trunk, and Pink or Purple for the star
- Crochet Hook: Size appropriate for your yarn, typically 2.5 mm or 3.0 mm for amigurumi/keychain-style work
- Scissors
- Tapestry Needle: For weaving in yarn ends
- Hot Glue Gun
- Keychain Ring
- Embellishments: Small craft rhinestones or beads
Pattern Abbreviations
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- inc = increase, worked as 2 double crochet in the same stitch
- slst = slip stitch
- [ ] = total number of stitches at the end of the round
Crochet the Flat Tree Shape
The yellow portion starts small and expands by six stitches at a time. By Round 6, you’ll have the wide semi-circle that will later become the three-tiered tree.
Round 1: ch 1, work 6 dc into the magic ring. [6]
Round 2: ch 3, work 6 inc (2 dc in each stitch). [12]
Round 3: ch 3, 1 dc, 1 inc - repeat from * to * 6 times. [18]
Round 4: ch 3, 2 dc, 1 inc - repeat from * to * 6 times. [24]
Round 5: ch 3, 3 dc, 1 inc - repeat from * to * 6 times. [30]
Round 6: ch 3, 4 dc, 1 inc - repeat from * to * 6 times, ch 1. [36]
Cut the yarn, leaving a short tail, and fasten off. At this stage, the piece should look like a flat semi-circle rather than a tree.
Add the White Curved Border
The white edging follows the curved outside edge of the semi-circle. It gives that edge a clean finished line and makes the yellow tiers stand out once the piece is folded.
Round 7: Attach white yarn to the corner of the curved edge. ch 1, work 1 slst into every stitch along the entire curved edge of the semi-circle.
Fasten off and weave in all loose yellow and white yarn ends with your tapestry needle.
Give the Tree Its Tiered Shape
Now comes the step that changes the flat crochet piece into the recognizable tree. Take the yellow semi-circle and fold it accordion-style, making three zig-zag sections. The folds should create three visible tiers.
Once you are happy with the placement, use a hot glue gun to carefully secure the layers at the folds. Let the glue hold the shape firmly before adding the remaining details.
Make the Brown Trunk
With the straight edge of your folded tree facing down, locate the center of the bottom edge. The trunk is worked directly from this area.
Row 1: Attach brown yarn to the bottom center and work 3 sc along the edge.
Row 2: ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3, slst back into the same area to finish the trunk.
Fasten off and weave in the brown ends.
Add the Five-Point Star
The small star is worked separately and then placed at the top of the folded tree. Its five chain loops create the points once the center is tightened.
Round 1: ch 1, (1 sc, ch 3) - repeat from * to * 5 times into the magic ring. slst to join.
Pull the magic ring tight to form the 5 points of the star. Fasten off and trim the ends.
Finish the Keychain
With the main tree already folded and secured, the remaining details can be added without disturbing its shape.
- Apply a small drop of hot glue to the back of the pink or purple star and press it onto the top point of the folded tree.
- Attach the keychain ring to the top loop of the tree, positioning it right behind the star.
- Add tiny rhinestones randomly across the yellow tiers with small drops of hot glue to create the look of Christmas ornaments.
Finished Size & Easy Variations
The finished tree is approximately 2.5 to 3 inches tall, making it suitable for a keychain or bag charm.
For a more traditional holiday look, swap the yellow tree yarn for forest green and use yellow for the star. Tiny buttons or puffy paint can replace the rhinestones, while chunky yarn and a larger hook can turn the same basic idea into a larger decorative piece or coaster.
The finished result is a small festive tree with very little crocheting and plenty of room for your own holiday color and decoration choices.
