Description
Create small and cheerful crochet Halloween appliqués to use as gift tags, garlands, cards, or seasonal decorations.
Ingredients
- About 115 yards total of worsted weight (weight 4, medium) cotton or acrylic yarn, using one 100 g skein of about 170 yards plus small scraps in orange, cream, green, charcoal, and black
- One H-8 (5.0 mm) crochet hook, with half a size up or down fine depending on your tension
- Yarn needle for sewing details and weaving in the ends
- Sharp scissors
- One stitch marker, optional but useful for marking the beginning of continuous rounds
- Tape measure for checking the finished size and gauge
- Small scraps of black and cream yarn for faces, optional
- Small scraps of green yarn for pumpkin stems, optional
- Fabric glue for attaching appliqués to paper or fabric, optional and used according to the item’s care needs
Instructions
- Make a magic ring, also called a magic circle. Chain 1, then work 6 single crochet into the ring. Pull the yarn tail gently to close the center, but leave the ring loose enough that the stitches do not pucker. You should have 6 stitches at the end of Round 1.
- Round 2: Work 2 single crochet in each stitch around. An increase means working two stitches into one stitch. You should have 12 stitches at the end of the round.
- Round 3: Repeat “1 single crochet in the next stitch, 2 single crochet in the next stitch” around. Move the stitch marker to the first stitch as you finish the round. You should have 18 stitches.
- Round 4: Repeat “1 single crochet in each of the next 2 stitches, 2 single crochet in the next stitch” around. The circle will begin to flatten and widen under your fingers. You should have 24 stitches.
- Round 5: Repeat “1 single crochet in each of the next 3 stitches, 2 single crochet in the next stitch” around. Keep your tension even rather than pulling tightly on the yarn. You should have 30 stitches.
- Round 6: Repeat “1 single crochet in each of the next 4 stitches, 2 single crochet in the next stitch” around. This gives you 36 stitches and the full base size.
- Round 7: Work 1 single crochet in each stitch around, with no increases. You should still have 36 stitches.
- Shape the top edge: slip stitch in the next stitch, chain 1, then work 1 single crochet in each of the next 8 stitches. Skip 1 stitch, then slip stitch in the next stitch. Repeat this small curve around the piece until you reach the beginning. Fasten off with a long tail for sewing.
- For the pumpkin, weave the orange yarn tail toward the back. With green yarn, chain 4 for the stem, then slip stitch back across the chain. Sew the stem to the top edge. Add three loose vertical lines with orange yarn.
- For the ghost, use cream yarn and keep the base plain. With black yarn, embroider two small eyes using short straight stitches. Add a tiny open mouth if you like.
- For the cat, use charcoal yarn and add two small triangular ears with surface stitches. Make each ear with three straight stitches that meet at the top. Embroider two eyes in cream or green, then add a short black nose and three whiskers on each side.
- Weave in the ends with the yarn needle, passing each tail through several stitches on the back before trimming it.
Notes
Ensure to use cotton yarn for a firm surface and clean embroidered details. If using a different yarn, be mindful of the texture and weight, especially when designing small motifs. Store completed appliqués properly to maintain their shape.