How to Crochet a Cone: The Increase Formula That Works Every Time

The cone is the shape nobody teaches you, and the shape you suddenly need the moment you want to make a Christmas tree, a gnome hat, a carrot, an ice cream, a party hat, a unicorn horn or a witch hat. Most beginners try to improvise it, end up with something that either flares out like a bowl or stays stubbornly tube-shaped, and quietly give up. The frustrating part is that a cone is not a difficult shape at all. It is the easiest of all the amigurumi shapes to control, because it runs on one single number that you choose at the start and then never think about again.

That is the whole secret. A cone is not a separate technique you have to learn — it is a flat circle slowed down. Once you understand that the increase rate controls the angle of the wall, you stop following cone patterns and start designing your own, at any height and any steepness you like. In this guide you will get the formula, the exact round-by-round numbers for three different cone angles, the placement rule that keeps the surface smooth instead of hexagonal, the fixes for the four problems every cone maker hits, and a shortlist of projects that are really just cones in disguise.

Everything here uses US crochet terms, worsted or DK weight cotton, and a hook one or two sizes smaller than the yarn band recommends — the standard amigurumi setup that keeps stitches tight enough that no stuffing shows through. If you are brand new to working in the round, read the magic ring and flat circle guides linked below first, then come back. The cone will make instant sense afterwards.

How to crochet a cone, step by step

This is the medium cone — three increases per round, the most useful all-purpose angle. Work in a continuous spiral without joining or chaining, and keep a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round. US terms throughout.

1. Make a magic ring with 6 single crochet. Pull it tight so the tip of the cone closes completely. The tip is the most visible part of a cone, so a loose magic ring is the first thing people notice. If the ring will not close cleanly, tug the tail firmly before you move into round 2, not afterwards.
2. Place your marker immediately. Clip a locking stitch marker into the very first stitch of round 1. A spiral has no seam to count from, and a cone is unforgiving about lost rounds because a missed increase shows as a dent in the wall. Move the marker up as the first stitch of every new round.
3. Round 2: increase 3 times, evenly spaced. Work single crochet into the first stitch, then 2 single crochet into the next, and repeat that pairing around. You end round 2 with 9 stitches. Already the piece will want to curve rather than lie flat — that is the cone forming.
4. Round 3 onwards: add exactly 3 stitches per round. Spread the three increases roughly evenly around the round and shift where they fall each time. Round 3 gives 12, round 4 gives 15, round 5 gives 18, round 6 gives 21, and so on in steps of three. The stitch count is the only thing you need to track.
5. Stagger the increase positions every round. After you work an increase, count a couple of extra plain stitches before the next one compared to the previous round. Over several rounds the increases walk around the cone in a slow spiral and the wall stays smooth.
6. Keep going until the base is the diameter you want. There is no fixed end round. Lay the cone flat and measure across the opening. Stop when the width matches your project — about 12 to 15 rounds makes a small tree or gnome hat in worsted cotton.
7. Stuff lightly as you go, not at the end. A cone narrows to a point, so once the opening is small you can no longer reach the tip. Push a pinch of fiberfill up into the point around round 6 to 8, while your fingers still fit, then add more as you climb.
8. Finish the base. For a closed cone, work a flat circle separately in the same stitch count and whipstitch it on, or decrease the opening shut if the cone sits on a shelf. For a hat, simply fasten off and leave the opening as the brim.
9. Fasten off with an invisible finish. Cut the yarn, pull it through the loop, then thread it under the V of the next stitch and back down through the centre of the last stitch. This closes the round without leaving the small step a plain fasten-off creates.
10. Weave the tail inside the cone. Push the needle through the stuffing and out the far side, pull gently, and snip close to the surface. The tail disappears into the filling and cannot work its way loose.

The cone cheat sheet: three angles, round by round

Pick your increase rate from the project, then follow the matching column. All three start from a 6-stitch magic ring.

Notice that the slim cone grows slowly and climbs high before it gets wide, while the wide cone spreads fast and stays short. If you want a tall slender tree, pick the 2-increase column and simply work more rounds. If you want a squat cheerful gnome, take the 4-increase column and stop early. The formula scales in both directions without ever changing technique.

Four problems every cone maker hits

These four complaints cover almost every cone that goes wrong, and each has a one-line fix.

How tall will my cone be?

Height is not something you set directly — it is a consequence of the increase rate and the number of rounds. In worsted weight cotton on a 3.0 mm hook, one round is roughly 4 to 5 mm of height. A 15-round medium cone therefore stands about 7 cm tall with a base around 9 cm across. The slim cone at the same 15 rounds reaches the same height but with a base of only about 6 cm, which is why it reads as elegant rather than chunky.

If a pattern gives you a finished size and you want to hit it exactly, crochet six rounds, measure the height and the width, and scale from there. This takes two minutes and saves you from finishing an entire tree that turns out too small for the ornament you planned. Gauge matters more on cones than on most shapes, because the error compounds with every round rather than staying constant.

Working a cone from the wide end instead

Everything above builds the cone from the tip downward, which is the standard approach and the easier one for beginners because the stitch count only ever grows. You can also work from the wide end upward by starting with a chain joined into a ring and decreasing instead of increasing. The arithmetic is identical in reverse: three decreases per round produces the same medium cone.

Which direction should you pick? Build from the tip when the cone is a standalone object like a tree or a carrot, because the closed point is cleaner and you can stuff as you go. Build from the wide end when the cone is a hat that has to fit over an existing amigurumi head, because you can try it on repeatedly as you shape it and stop at exactly the right moment. Most gnome and witch hat patterns use the top-down tip method anyway, since gravity does the fitting for you.

Yarn and hook choices that flatter a cone

Cotton is the best yarn for cones and it is not close. A cone has to hold a rigid geometric silhouette, and cotton has almost no memory or stretch, so the walls stay crisp and the point stays sharp. Acrylic works but softens the angles slightly. Avoid anything fluffy or brushed for your first cone — faux fur and chenille hide the stitch definition completely, which means you cannot see your increases and cannot count your rounds.

For hook size, go one to two sizes below the yarn band. A worsted cotton labelled for 5.0 mm wants a 3.0 or 3.5 mm hook in amigurumi. The tighter fabric matters more on cones than on spheres because the angled wall is constantly pulling the stitches apart, and a loose cone will show stuffing along the whole slope rather than just at the seams.