Row 2: Ch 1. Repeat four times. 4 shells containing 12 hdc, plus 4 sl sts. Fasten off with a sewing tail.
Middle band
Row 1: With white, ch 15. Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each remaining chain. 14 sc. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1. Repeat seven times. 7 shells containing 21 hdc, plus 7 sl sts. Fasten off with a sewing tail.
Each shell repeat uses two foundation stitches. Pin the straight foundation edge across the front of its matching tier base, letting the scallops hang downward. Sew along the straight edge only. Adjust its position rather than stretching the band to cover the triangle’s side corners.
Trunk, face circles and bow
Beige trunk
Row 1: Ch 7, sc in the second chain from the hook and in each remaining chain. 6 sc. Turn. Rows 2–4: Ch 1, sc in every stitch. 6 sc in each row. Turn after Rows 2 and 3. Fasten off with a sewing tail.
Two eyes and two cheeks
Make two black circles and two red circles. For each circle, make a MR, ch 1 and work 6 sc into it. Pull closed and join to the first sc with a sl st. 6 sc per circle. Fasten off with a tail for sewing. The joining stitch is excluded.
Use the red circles as cheeks. The black circles are yarn eyes, with an optional tiny white embroidery stitch for a highlight. Pin all four circles onto the largest tier before sewing. Leave room below the eyes for the smile and keep the cheeks inside the white outline.
Red bow
Row 1: Ch 7, sc in the second chain from the hook and in each remaining chain. 6 sc. Turn. Rows 2–3: Ch 1, sc across. 6 sc per row. Turn after Row 2. Fasten off.
Pinch the middle of the rectangle and wrap red yarn around it three times. Secure the wraps with a needle on the back, leaving a tail for attaching the bow. For optional tails, make two separate pieces: ch 7, then sl st in the second chain from the hook and in the remaining five chains. 6 sl sts per tail. Sew their upper ends behind the bow center.
Assemble the three-tier tree
- Lay the largest triangle flat with its point upward. Center the middle triangle above it and overlap the upper two or three rows of the larger triangle as a starting arrangement.
- Add the smallest triangle above the middle, again overlapping enough to conceal the lower triangle’s point. Keep all three center lines aligned and check that each tier widens below the preceding one.
- Adjust the overlap until the lower tier has clear room for the face. Pin first: the starting row overlap is a placement guide, not a measured fit.
- Sew the middle tier to the base through the hidden overlap, then attach the top tier to the middle. Keep the scalloped edges free and the seam behind the visible snow bands.
- Sew the top edge of the trunk behind the middle six green stitches of the base row. On the 20-stitch base, these are stitches 8–13, leaving seven stitches on either side. Let the remaining trunk rows project below the tree.
- Sew the eye and cheek circles to the largest tier. Use short black backstitches to embroider a shallow curved smile between the cheeks. Attach the bow center securely to the top tier.
Add optional red French-knot berries to the top two tiers: three on the smallest and five on the middle is a starting layout. Bring the yarn up, wrap twice around the needle, insert beside the exit point and draw through while holding the wraps gently. Secure the tails behind the same tier. Omit or reposition a berry if it conflicts with an attachment seam.
Troubleshooting the smiling crochet Christmas tree
- A triangle stops widening: check both ends of the row. From Row 3 onward, work two sc in the first stitch and two in the last.
- The white outline has extra stitches: check that the last green row ends were treated as base corners, without additional side-row stitches in those same locations.
- A snow band twists: keep the slip stitches relaxed and confirm each shell uses the second stitch of a two-stitch repeat. Pin the foundation edge without flattening the scallops.
- The face is partly hidden: adjust the tier overlap before sewing. The face belongs on the largest tier, below the middle triangle’s lower edge.
- The tree bends at the seams: loosen the sewing stitches and catch both layers through the overlap without gathering either one.
Finish and use the applique
Weave every tail securely through the backs of matching stitches. Lay the tree down after each finishing step and correct any pulling before trimming. Follow the yarn label for cleaning, and reshape the tiers and snow bands gently while drying.
Attach the finished tree to a fabric gift bag, a decorative panel or another item that suits its actual size. For a hanging ornament, sew a separate cord through sturdy stitches at the back of the top tier, below the bow, so the bow itself does not carry the weight.
For other holiday projects, the Christmas tree granny square offers a square base, the Christmas crochet bows use a different bow construction, and the crochet snowman applique provides another flat character motif.
Tree images and construction diagrams
The three Pin layouts are followed by a photograph and overall triangle schematic, a white-outline and snow-band guide, and an assembly guide. Interior stitches are abbreviated in the overall diagram; the printed row totals and written instructions give the complete counts. These are teaching schematics, not tested full stitch charts. Styled photographs suggest the character and color placement rather than an exact stitch-by-stitch sample.
