Feathered Ball Ornament-Crochet Pattern

The Feather Ornament is a very three-dimensional bauble that is wonderful for Christmas decorating or as a gift. 

About This Project

This feathery ornament is great for anyone who wants to make a unique ornament, either for themselves or for others. If you’ve never done a stitch like the crocodile stitch before, this may also be an enjoyable challenge. Working the Crocodile Stitch in rounds (and around the foam craft ball that fills out the shape), does add one more element to crocheting this project. So with that in mind, I’ve also created a full video tutorial that you can find in the Maker’s Crochet Vault. 

My video demonstrates the exact directions that you can find in the pattern for this project. It’s a great way to get the hang of the crocodile stitch and working it in the round(with increases and decreases) all at once. 

You can find the complete pattern and video in the Crochet Makers Vault:

Sizing 

The craft ball/foam ball that I used as the inside of this ornament is 3” in diameter. Covering this foam core with crochet that is very three-dimensional makes the final ornament a little bit larger. 

Materials Needed

To create this ornament for yourself, you’ll need the following: 

• E/3.5mm hook
• 3” foam craft ball(or a close size)
• 60 yards of fingering weight yarn 

For my first version of the feather ball ornament, I used the WeCrochet Hawthorne yarn in spark speckle. This created very natural-looking “feathers”. 

The second one that I crocheted is made in lots of different colors of embroidery thread. This created a really fun result (and is also the version you’ll see if you watch the video tutorial). However, it’s worth noting that the embroidery floss is a bit thinner than fingering weight, so the “feathers” don’t have quite the same look. 

SKill Level

While the crocodile stitch mainly uses double crochet stitches, it can seem rather intimidating. The thing to know about this stitch is that each row of “scales”/”feathers” that you see in this stitch is actually made using two rows of crochet(or in this case, rounds since we are working in a circle for this project). One row creates a foundation, and the second row in the repeat puts all of the visible stitches on the top of the first row. 

Final Thoughts

It’s been great having you at Amelia Makes today! If you like this project, be sure to get on the list for updates and so you can be the first to see new projects just like this one. Each week I send crochet tips and tutorials, behind-the-scenes info, and other resources for my readers. Plus, as a bonus for signing up you’ll immediately get my mini bundle of surprise patterns straight to your inbox!

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Keep the Crafting Delightful!

Amelia

Using the Crocodile Stitch, this ornament design creates a very “feathery” affect. 

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