Today is a such a perfect day weather-wise. The sun is shining brilliantly, the high temperature will be in the 60’s, and a slight breeze blows the tree tops and caresses my skin. Such perfection belies the tragic sacrifice that was made for humanity some 2,000 years ago. I wonder if we will ever get this thing called “life” right. That’s a mystery to be pondered, probably for eternity. But today, instead of pontificating, I’m going to share what I’ve been working on for the past couple of weeks: a winged Easter bell.

What is a winged Easter bell, you might ask. I would answer, It’s a French tradition.

You see, gentle reader, in France, the Easter Bunny is not the one to deliver candy to children on Easter Sunday. No, that honor belongs to the church bells. On Good Friday (today),none of the church bells ring. They can’t ring, for all of them have left their belfries to fly all the way to Rome. There they stay until Easter morning when they fly back to their home churches. On their way home, they drop chocolates in the yards of the children. Once at their home churches, they ring once again, to announce the resurrection.

I love this tradition. It doesn’t commercialize the holiest day of the year, rather commemorates it. So to bring this custom to Granddaughter, I searched online for a crocheted bell pattern, but couldn’t find a bell with wings. Wheels of my brain started turning, and I came up with my own. I am not a pattern-maker, and only self-taught in this regard! It takes a lot of trial and error, back and forth, ripping and recreating for me to write a pattern. No one tested this pattern for errors or comprehensibility. Contact me here if you have any questions.

Without further ado, here is my 3D Winged Easter Bell pattern:

Materials: size C (2.75 mm) hook, 1 ball size 3 cotton crochet thread, white glue, 1 jingle bell, candy for filling

To make the Bell:

Magic ring
R1: 6 sc in ring, sl st to first sc (6)
R2: 2 sc in ea st around, join w/ sl st to 1^st sc, ch 1 (12)
R3: *2 sc in next st, 1 sc* Repeat ** pattern around, sl in 1^st sc (18)
R4: *(hdc, dc, trc in next st), (trc, dc, hdc in next st), sl st in next st* Repeat ** pattern around (6 petals)
R5: *sl behind first hdc in petal, ch 3, sl st behind last hdc in petal* Repeat ** pattern around (6 loops)
R6: *sl in next loop, (hdc, dc, 3 trc, dc, hdc, sl st in same loop* Repeat ** pattern around (6 petals)
R7: Ch 1, *dc in 1^st st, bpdc, bphdc, 3 bpsc, bphdc, bpdc, dc* Repeat ** pattern around. Join with sl st in 1^st dc. (48)
R8: ch1, sc in each st around, join with sl st in 1^st sc. (48)
R9: Ch 3 (counts as dc). This round will be crocheted in back loops. 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, dc next 2 dc tog (decrease made). *dc in each of next 4 dc, dc next dc tog (decrease made)* Repeat ** pattern around. Sl st in top of ch 3. (40)
R10: Ch 3 (counts as dc), *sk next to sts, V-st in next st* Repeat ** pattern until last st. Sk last st, dc in same st as ch-3, ch 1, sl st in top of ch 3 (14 V-sts)
R11: Ch , *3 sc in V-st* Repeat ** around. Join w/ sl st in 1^st st. (42)
R12-13: Repeat rows 10-11.
R 14: Ch 4 (counts as 1^st dc, ch 1), sk next st. *dc in next st, ch 1 sk next st* Repeat ** pattern around. (21 dc, ch1 posts)
R15: Ch 1, sc in ea dc and ea ch-1 around. Sl st in 1^st sc to join. (42)
R16: Ch 3 (counts as 1^st dc). This round will be crocheted in back loops. Dc in next 7 sc, 2 dc in next sc, *dc in next 8 dc, 2 dc in next sc* Repeat ** 2 times, dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in last sc. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join. (47)
R17: *ch 7, sk next st, sl st in next st* Repeat ** pattern around. Join w/ sl st in 1^st ch 7 (23 loops)
R18: Sl st in each of 1^st 4 chs in 1^st loop. *ch 3, sl st in 4^th ch of next loop* Repeat ** pattern around. Sl st in top of first loop to join. (23 loops)
R19: Sl st in st loop, ch 3 (counts as dc), 3 dc in same loop, *3 dc in next loop, 4 dc in next loop* Repeat ** around until last loop. 3 dc in last loop. Join w/ sl st at top of ch-3. (80 dc)
R20: Ch 1, sc in each dc around. Join w/ sl st to first sc. (80)
R21: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 4 dc in same st, sk next 2 sts, sl st in next st. *5 dc in next st, sk next 2 sts, sl st in next st. * Repeat ** pattern around. Sl st in bottom of ch 3 to join. (13 shells) Finish off.

To make bottom closure of bell

On the underside of the bell, join with a sl st to any dc in row 9.
R1: Ch 17, sl st in 10 ch from hook (loop made), ch 7. On opposite side of bell from beginning of ch, sl st between 11^th and 12^th loops from beginning sl st (directly across from beginning). Be careful not to twist the chain.
R2: Sl st into next dc on body of bell, ch 1, turn. You will now be working the attached chain in the opposite direction – towards the beginning of the ch. Sc in each across. (15 sc) On body of bell, sk next dc, sl st in next dc, ch 1, turn.
R3:. Sc first 2 sc tog (decrease made), sc in ea sc until last sc, sk lst sc on ch. (14 sc) On body of bell, sk next dc, sl st in next dc, join w sl st to next dc, ch 1, turn.
R4: Ch 1 sc 1^st  2 sc tog (decrease made), sc in next 11 sts (13 sc), join w sl st to next dc, ch 1, turn.
R5-7: Repeat pattern, making one decrease per row. You will have 10 sc at the end of row 7.
R8: *Sl st into next dc, sk dc* Repeat ** pattern until all sts have been attached to bell.

Opposite side of closure:

Sl st on dc next to beginning of first flap. Sc in first 4 sc, ch 6 (opening of flap), sc in next 4 sc. Repeat rows 2-8 to create the other half of the bottom of the bell. Now the bell has a bottom with a small opening for stuffing candy. You will attach the jingle bell to the second flap opposite the loop. Use the loop like a button hole to close the opening.

To make wings

Magic ring, *5 sc, ch 4, 3 sc, ch 4* Repeat ** pattern once more, sl st in ring to join. (4 loops)
R1:  ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in loop, ch 4, 3 dc in loop, 3 dc in next loop, ch 4, 3 dc in loop, ch 3, turn. (2 loops on 1^st wing). The other 2 loops will be used to work the second wing.
R2: st st in 1^st dc, ch 3, *sl st in next dc, ch 3* Repeat ** once more, 2 dc in loop, *ch 4, 3 dc in loop* Repeat pattern in next loop, ch 3, turn. (4 loops)
R3: Repet row 2, adding 4 loops. (8 loops)
R4: Repeat row 3, adding a picot at the top of each loop. (8 loops) Sl st to join.

Repeat pattern on remaining two loops on opposite side of wing just made.

To attach jingle bell

Ch 10, finish off. Tie bell to beg ch. Leave tail on other end for attaching bell to flap after blocking.

To block bell and wings

Mix one part water to one part glue. Immerse bell and wings in solution and saturate. Squeeze out excess solution, shape, and allow to dry. I used a glass spice jar covered in plastic wrap to support the bell while drying. Sew wings to bell. Sew jingle bell to flap under bell opposite the loop. Fill with candy and button the flaps.

Voilà! French tradition American style. 😊

These are unprecedented times for the world. Do the best you can to have a safe, healthy, and grateful Easter.