Crochet Angel Ornament with Gold Halo

A crochet angel ornament is the gentlest decoration on a Christmas tree. A round cream face, a little bell-shaped body, white wings and a shining gold halo — it looks lovely on a branch, beautiful on the very top of a small tree, and it is one of the most treasured handmade gifts there is.

This angel is the second ornament in the Festive Christmas Tree Ornament Set. She is made from a small sphere for the head, a bell-shaped body with a flat base so she stands on a shelf, two small wings and a ring of gold metallic yarn for the halo, which doubles as her hanging loop.

You need a magic ring, single crochet, increases and decreases, plus double crochet for the wings. Everything is counted, round by round.

Step-by-step photos: how to crochet a crochet angel Christmas ornament with gold halo — The main steps at a glance.

Why this crochet angel works

The head is a small sphere that grows by six stitches a round to 18, works straight, then closes again. The body is a cone that grows by only three stitches a round — 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 — which makes a narrow top and a wide, flaring skirt like a bell. A back-loop round at the bottom turns the skirt in to make a flat base.

The wings are worked separately as small fans of double crochet, which gives them a soft, feathered edge. The halo is simply a ring of chain in gold metallic yarn, sewn behind the head so it stands up. Because it is gold, it catches the tree lights beautifully.

The honest trade-off: metallic yarn is slippery and can fray. Work the halo slowly with a slightly smaller hook, and knot the ends securely before weaving them in.

Materials you will need

Cream yarn: about 20 yards of worsted weight cotton for the head and body
White yarn: about 5 yards for the wings
Gold metallic yarn: about 2 yards for the halo
Black and pink yarn: a little for the face
Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
Stuffing: a small handful of fibrefill
Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors

Finished size

About 3½″ tall including the halo, and about 4″ across the wings.

Abbreviations

MR = magic ring: a loop of yarn you work the first round into, then pull tight to close the centre.
ch = chain: yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook.
sl st = slip stitch: insert hook, pull a loop through the stitch and the loop on your hook together.
sc = single crochet: insert hook, yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through both.
hdc = half double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over and pull through all 3.
dc = double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over and pull through 2, yarn over and pull through the last 2.
inc = increase: 2 sc in the same stitch.
dec / sc2tog = decrease: pull up a loop in each of the next two stitches (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3. In amigurumi, work it through the front loops only for an invisible decrease.
BLO / FLO = back loop only / front loop only.

Pattern notes

The head and body are worked in continuous spiral rounds.
Place a marker in the first stitch of each round.
The body grows by three stitches a round; the head by six.
Make the face before sewing the head on, while it is easy to reach.

Step by step

Part 1: The head

With cream:

Round 1: 6 sc into a MR. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Round 3: *Sc in next st, inc*; repeat around. (18)

Rounds 4 to 6: Sc in each st around. (18 per round — three rounds)

Round 7: *Sc in next st, dec*; repeat around. (12)

Stuff firmly.

Round 8: Dec around. (6)

Fasten off, leaving a 12″ tail for sewing.

Part 2: The body

With cream:

Round 1: 6 sc into a MR. (6)

Round 2: *Sc in next st, inc*; repeat 3 times. (9)

Round 3: *Sc in next 2 sts, inc*; repeat 3 times. (12)

Round 4: *Sc in next 3 sts, inc*; repeat 3 times. (15)

Round 5: *Sc in next 4 sts, inc*; repeat 3 times. (18)

Round 6: *Sc in next 5 sts, inc*; repeat 3 times. (21)

Round 7: *Sc in next 6 sts, inc*; repeat 3 times. (24)

Rounds 8 and 9: Sc in each st around. (24)

Round 10: Working in BLO, sc in each st around. (24)

This makes the flat base.

Round 11: *Sc in next 2 sts, dec*; repeat around. (18)

Stuff firmly, filling the narrow top of the bell.

Round 12: *Sc in next st, dec*; repeat around. (12)

Round 13: Dec around. (6)

Fasten off and close.

Part 3: The wings (make 2)

With white: ch 6. Sl st in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in the next ch, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, and work 3 dc in the last ch. Fasten off, leaving a tail.

Each wing is narrow at the tip and fans out at the base. The three double crochet in the last chain give it a soft, rounded edge.

Part 4: The face

With black, make two tiny French knots for eyes about halfway down the head and a stitch apart. Add a small straight stitch of pink or peach below them for the nose or a smile. Keep the face simple and small — it makes the angel look peaceful.

Part 5: Assembly

Sew the head to the narrow top of the body, going round the join twice so it does not wobble. Sew the wide end of each wing to the back of the body, just below the neck, angled up and out. Tack the wings once more halfway along so they stay spread.

Part 6: The halo

With gold metallic yarn and a slightly smaller hook, ch 16 and sl st into the first ch to make a ring. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Sew the bottom of the ring to the back of the head so it stands up behind it like a halo. The halo is also the hanging loop: thread a short length of gold yarn or ribbon through it and tie to the branch, or hang it directly over a twig.

Choosing yarn for Christmas ornaments

Ornaments hang in warm rooms near lights for weeks, get packed away and unpacked year after year, and are handled by small hands. That makes yarn choice more important than it looks. Worsted weight cotton or a cotton blend is the best all-rounder: it holds a firm shape, shows every stitch clearly, does not fuzz or pill with handling, and is not affected by the warmth of tree lights.

Acrylic is softer and cheaper and comes in every Christmas colour, but it can look slightly fuzzy after a few seasons. Wool looks beautiful and traditional but can attract moths in storage, so pack wool ornaments with a cedar block. For sparkle, use a gold metallic yarn or hold a fine metallic thread together with your main yarn for halos, trims and hanging loops — it catches the tree lights without making the whole ornament look busy.

A star-shaped angel variation

For an angel like a flat star, make the star from this set in cream, then sew a small cream head (Rounds 1 to 3 of the head, then decrease) to the top point, add the two wings behind and the gold halo above. Edge the star in gold and it becomes a lovely flat angel that sits flush against the branch.

Using angels

Tree topper: make a larger angel in bulky yarn and sit her on the top branch.
Gift for a new baby: a single angel is a beautiful first-Christmas keepsake — embroider the year on the back.
Memorial ornament: many people make an angel each year in memory of a loved one.
Mantel display: a row of three standing angels among candles and greenery.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

The body is too pointed

That is the cone shape; make sure the head covers the top. If it still looks pointed, add an extra round of 6 at the top before Round 2.

The wings droop

Tack them halfway along as well as at the base, or stiffen them lightly with fabric stiffener.

The halo leans

Sew it at two points behind the head rather than one.

A note on safety

Hand-crocheted ornaments are decorations. If young children or pets will be near the tree, embroider the faces instead of using safety eyes, sew every part on very firmly, skip any wire or beads, and hang the ornaments on higher branches. Never hang yarn ornaments where they touch bulbs that get hot, and use LED tree lights where you can.

Storing ornaments so they last

At the end of the season, make sure each ornament is completely dry and dust-free. Wrap each one in tissue paper and pack them in a shoebox or an egg box, which stops rounded ornaments getting squashed and keeps halos and wings in shape. Store the box somewhere cool and dry, with a cedar block or a lavender sachet if any are wool. Packed this way, crochet ornaments come out looking new every December.

Making the whole set in one go

The five ornaments in this set share their techniques, so it is quickest to make them together in stages rather than one at a time. Make all the spheres first — the snowman’s two balls, the angel’s head and the bauble — then all the flat pieces: the stars, the stocking pieces and the angel’s wings. Do all the stuffing and closing in one sitting, then all the embroidery, and finally all the hanging loops. Working this way you change hooks and colours far less often, and every ornament comes out the same scale as the others.

The Festive Christmas Tree Ornament Set

This pattern is one of five matching ornaments designed to hang together on the same tree: a snowman, an angel, a striped stocking, an embroidered bauble and a gold-edged star. They all use the same yarn weight, the same hook and the same palette of red, forest green, white, cream and gold, so a mix of all five looks like a planned collection rather than a handful of odds and ends.

Frequently asked

How long does it take?

About an hour and a half, including assembly and the halo.

Can I use regular yellow yarn for the halo?

Yes, a mustard yellow works, but gold metallic yarn catches the lights and looks far more festive.

Free pattern pin: crochet angel Christmas ornament with gold halo — Save this pattern to Pinterest for later.

Before you start

Make the body and check that it stands up. Then the head, wings and halo come together quickly. More festive makes are in Christmas & Winter.