This floor-length strand curtain is made from many small crocheted pieces strung into vertical strands: hot pink flowers with navy centers, pointed navy leaves with an openwork lattice, round stuffed beads, and a tassel at the bottom of every strand. Each strand hangs from its own tab looped over the curtain rod.
The palette has just two colors, hot pink and deep navy, and they switch roles from piece to piece. Half the flowers have a pink outline and half have a navy one. Every leaf has a pink outline and a pink center spine. The beads alternate navy and pink. Seen from across the room, the curtain reads as a bold, airy column of color with the light coming through.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. Each strand is 84 in (213.4 cm) long from the top of the rod to the end of the tassel. One panel of 8 strands spans about 28 in (71.1 cm), and the curtain shown has two panels.
You crochet every piece separately, finish the edging on each one, then link them with short navy chains in a set order. The tabs and tassels go on last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished strand length: 84 in (213.4 cm), tab top to tassel end
- Panel width: about 28 in (71.1 cm), 8 strands spaced 3.5 in (8.9 cm) on center
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK (3), mercerized cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 2 panels × 8 strands = 16 strands; each strand has 6 flowers, 6 leaves, 12 beads, 1 tab, 1 tassel
- Layout: 6 repeats per strand of flower, navy bead, leaf, pink bead
- Piece sizes: flower 3.5 in (8.9 cm) across; leaf 4 × 2.25 in (10.2 × 5.7 cm); bead 1.25 in (3.2 cm)
- Size before edging: flower 3.25 in (8.3 cm); leaf 3.75 × 2 in (9.5 × 5.1 cm)
- Edging depth: about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) per side, one round of sc
Materials
Pick a smooth, mercerized DK cotton of about 110 m per 50 g. It gives crisp stitch definition, its weight helps the strands hang straight, and it won’t stretch much over time.
- Navy: 950 g (2,090 m), which is 19 balls of 50 g
- Hot pink: 750 g (1,650 m), which is 15 balls of 50 g
These amounts include a margin of about 10% for swatching, joining tails and tension differences.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- About 200 g (7 oz) of polyester fiberfill for the beads
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers
- Stiff card 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide, for tassels
- Scissors, tape measure, rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
- Curtain rod at least 60 in (152.4 cm) long
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- inc – 2 sc in the same st
- dec – sc2tog (invisible decrease recommended for beads)
- MR – magic ring
- FO – fasten off
Surface slip stitch: hold the yarn behind the work, insert the hook from front to back, pull up a loop and draw it through the loop on the hook. Repeat to “draw” a line of chain-like stitches on the surface.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 19 sc and 22 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc rows.
Make one flower, one leaf and one bead before you go any further, then measure each one:
- Flower after Rnd 2: 1.75 in (4.4 cm)
- Flower after Rnd 4: 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Flower after edging: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Leaf after Rnd 1: 3.5 × 1.5 in (8.9 × 3.8 cm)
- Leaf after Rnd 2: 3.75 × 2 in (9.5 × 5.1 cm)
- Leaf after edging: 4 × 2.25 in (10.2 × 5.7 cm)
- Stuffed bead: 1.25 in (3.2 cm)
If your pieces come out more than 0.125 in (0.3 cm) too big, go down half a hook size. If they come out too small, go up half a size. Each strand has 24 pieces, so small errors add up quickly. A flower that is 0.25 in (0.6 cm) too big makes the strand 1.5 in (3.8 cm) longer.
Flower (Rounds 1–4)
Make 96: 48 Flower A (pink edging) and 48 Flower B (navy edging).
Rnd 1 (navy): MR, ch 3 (counts as dc), 11 dc in ring, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (12 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, join. (24 dc) FO navy.
Checkpoint: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across.
Rnd 3 (pink): Join pink in any st. Ch 1, sc in same st, ch 3, sk 3, sc in next st, ch 3, sk 3 5 times, join to first sc. (6 sc, 6 ch-3 sps)
Each repeat covers 4 sts of Rnd 2, and 6 × 4 = 24, so the spaces come out evenly.
Rnd 4 (petals): Sl st into first ch-3 sp. (Sc, hdc, 5 dc, hdc, sc) in ch-3 sp in each of the 6 sps, join to first sc. (6 petals of 9 sts = 54 sts) FO pink and weave in the ends.
Checkpoint: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across, measured petal tip to opposite petal tip.
Leaf (Rounds 1–2)
Make 96.
Foundation (navy): Ch 17.
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 1 ch, tr in next ch 5 times, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch. Then work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the last ch for the tip.
Rotate the work and continue along the other side of the foundation chain: hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 1 ch, tr in next ch 5 times, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch. Sc in the same ch as the first sc, ch 2, and join to the first sc to make the bottom point.
Count: side one has 10 sts, the tip has 2 sts, side two has 9 sts and the bottom has 1 st, for 22 sts, 10 ch-1 sps and 2 ch-2 points. The ch-1 spaces between the treble crochets form the open “ladder” veins on each side of the center.
Rnd 2 (navy): Ch 1, sc in first sc. Along side one, work 1 sc in each st and each ch-1 sp (14 sc). Sc in next sc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in tip sp, sc in next sc. Along side two, work 1 sc in each st and each ch-1 sp (14 sc). Sc in last sc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in bottom sp, join. (36 sc, 2 ch-2 points) FO.
The total is 1 + 14 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 14 + 1 + 2 = 36 sc.
Checkpoint: 3.75 × 2 in (9.5 × 5.1 cm).
Beads
Make 192: 96 navy and 96 pink.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12)
Rnd 3: Sc in next st, inc 6 times. (18)
Rnds 4–5: Sc in each st. (18)
Rnd 6: Sc in next st, dec 6 times. (12) Stuff firmly.
Rnd 7: Dec 6 times. (6) Add more stuffing, then FO, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. Thread the tail through the front loops of the last 6 sts, pull tight and weave in.
Checkpoint: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across.
Tabs and Tassels
Tab (make 16, navy): Ch 7.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (6 sc)
Rows 2–28: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st. (6 sc) FO, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
The tab is 1.25 × 5 in (3.2 × 12.7 cm). Work a line of pink surface slip stitch up the center, one sl st per row (28 sl st), to match the leaf spines.
Tassel (make 16): Wrap navy around the card 30 times. Tie the top with a 10 in (25.4 cm) navy strand, leaving both ends long for joining. Cut the loops at the bottom. Wrap pink tightly 6 times, 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the top, and knot. Trim to 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
Edging (Border Rounds)
The edging round is what gives every piece its clean, outlined look. One round of sc is about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) deep, so it adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) to each piece’s length and width.
Flower Rnd 5 (pink for Flower A, navy for Flower B): Join yarn with a sl st in any Rnd 3 sc between two petals. Sk first sc of petal, sc in hdc, sc in next dc, 2 sc in each of next 3 dc, sc in next dc, sc in hdc, sk last sc, sl st in next Rnd 3 sc between petals 6 times. Join and FO.
Per petal: 1 + 1 + 6 + 1 + 1 = 10 sc + 1 sl st = 11 sts. The total is 6 × 11 = 66 sts (60 sc + 6 sl st).
Why this works: skipping the two plain sc at each petal base and slipping into Rnd 3 pinches the petals apart. The 3 increases over the top of each petal give exactly the extra length the outer curve needs, so the petal tips stay flat and don’t ruffle.
Leaf Rnd 3 (pink): Join pink in any Rnd 2 sc. Work 1 sc in each sc along each side (18 sc per side, counting from one ch-2 point to the other). Work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the tip sp and again in the bottom sp. Join. (40 sc, 2 ch-2 points) FO.
How the count works: Rnd 2’s 36 sc are each worked once, and 4 sc are added at the two points, so 36 + 4 = 40 sc. Per side, that is 18 + 18 + 2 + 2 = 40. Because the increases go only at the points, the sides stay straight and the tips stay sharp.
Leaf spine (pink): Starting at the bottom point, surface sl st up the foundation chain, one per ch, to the tip (16 sl st). FO.
Checkpoint: flower 3.5 in (8.9 cm), leaf 4 × 2.25 in (10.2 × 5.7 cm).
Make All Pieces
Full curtain totals:
| Piece | Navy part | Pink part | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flower A | center | petals + edging | 48 |
| Flower B | center + edging | petals | 48 |
| Leaf | body | edging + spine | 96 |
| Navy bead | whole bead | — | 96 |
| Pink bead | — | whole bead | 96 |
| Tab | body | spine | 16 |
| Tassel | body | wrap | 16 |
Strand order (top to bottom), for odd-numbered strands:
TAB
Flower A – navy bead – Leaf – pink bead (repeat 1)
Flower B – navy bead – Leaf – pink bead (repeat 2)
Flower A – navy bead – Leaf – pink bead (repeat 3)
Flower B – navy bead – Leaf – pink bead (repeat 4)
Flower A – navy bead – Leaf – pink bead (repeat 5)
Flower B – navy bead – Leaf – pink bead (repeat 6)
TASSEL
For even-numbered strands, start with Flower B so that neighboring flowers alternate across the panel.
Panel layout (one panel, 8 strands):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
A B A B A B A B <- first flower
Joining
Each strand is joined with short navy chain links. Every link is a ch 5, which hangs about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long.
Link method: Join navy with a sl st into the bottom point of the upper piece. Ch 5, then sl st into the top point of the lower piece. FO and weave the tails into the pieces.
Attachment points:
- Flower: the center 2-sc group of one petal for the top, and the matching group on the opposite petal for the bottom. Six petals put these two points exactly 180° apart.
- Leaf: the ch-2 points.
- Bead: one st of Rnd 1 for the top and one st of Rnd 7 for the bottom.
Order of work: Lay out the strand pieces flat. Join from the top down, working all 24 links of the strand: 4 per repeat × 6 repeats, with the last link of repeat 6 running from the pink bead to the tassel.
Tension: Keep the chains loose and even. Don’t pull the link tight before slipping into the next piece, because a short link puckers the piece edges.
Tab and tassel: Fold the tab in half, sew the short ends together, then sew them to the top petal of the first flower. The tab loop hangs 2.5 in (6.4 cm) below the top of the rod. For the tassel, thread its tie ends through the last link and knot them securely.
Size checkpoint: One repeat is flower 3.5 + link 0.75 + bead 1.25 + link 0.75 + leaf 4 + link 0.75 + bead 1.25 + link 0.75 = 13 in (33.0 cm). Six repeats come to 78 in (198.1 cm). Adding the tab drop of 2.5 in (6.4 cm) and the tassel of 3.5 in (8.9 cm) gives 84 in (213.4 cm).
Final Blocking
- Before joining, wet-block every flower and leaf: soak in cool water, gently squeeze out the water, and roll in a towel.
- Pin each flower to 3.5 in (8.9 cm), with one pin per petal tip.
- Pin each leaf to 4 × 2.25 in (10.2 × 5.7 cm), with pins at both points and at the widest part. Open the ladder spaces with your fingertips.
- Let them dry completely flat. Don’t block the beads.
- After joining, hang each strand for 24 hours, then re-measure it and adjust any link that is noticeably longer or shorter.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- All flowers measure 3.5 in (8.9 cm) and lie flat.
- All leaves measure 4 × 2.25 in (10.2 × 5.7 cm), with straight spines and sharp points.
- All beads are firm, round and 1.25 in (3.2 cm).
- Each strand has 24 links of ch 5.
- Flower A and Flower B alternate down each strand and across each panel.
- Each strand measures 84 in (213.4 cm).
- Tabs are sewn securely and no ends are visible.
Troubleshooting
- Petals ruffle: your edging tension is loose. Replace one “2 sc” with a single sc at the petal top.
- Petals cup: the center is too tight. Go up half a hook size for Rnds 1–2 only.
- Leaf twists: the foundation chain is tight. Chain the foundation with a hook one size larger.
- Leaf spine wanders: follow the foundation chain exactly, one sl st per ch.
- Strands are uneven in length: count the chains in each link, since one missing ch costs about 0.15 in (0.4 cm).
- Stuffing shows through the beads: use a smaller hook for the beads only.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry the strands flat. Don’t tumble dry, because the strands can tangle.
Final Notes
Everything in this curtain depends on a short chain of measurements:
- Flower center 1.75 in (4.4 cm), petals 3.25 in (8.3 cm), edged flower 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Leaf 3.75 × 2 in (9.5 × 5.1 cm) before edging, 4 × 2.25 in (10.2 × 5.7 cm) after
- Bead 1.25 in (3.2 cm), link 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
- One repeat 13 in (33.0 cm), six repeats 78 in (198.1 cm), finished strand 84 in (213.4 cm)
Check each stage against these numbers and all 16 strands will hang evenly.
Happy crocheting!