Crocheted teal and cream lace trim with dangling turquoise beads and scalloped shell motifs on neutral background.

Peacock Plume Window Valance Crochet Pattern

by

This valance turns a plain window into a soft wall of peacock feathers. A lacy teal header with a beige band of fans and a row of rounded beige scallops hangs from a wooden rod. Below it, seven strands of feathers, oval beads and teardrops catch the light.

The palette has three colors: deep peacock teal, natural beige, and a little bright turquoise for accent centers. The style is boho and open, so sunlight shows through every motif.

The pattern uses US terms. The header measures 36.6 in (93.0 cm) wide by 4.6 in (11.7 cm) deep. The short strands drop 14 in (35.6 cm) and the long strands drop 19.75 in (50.2 cm), for a total drop of 24.35 in (61.8 cm).

You work the header in rows and then add a frame and a scalloped edge. Next you make the feathers, beads and teardrops separately and link them into strands with chains.

Finished Size and Construction

  • Finished size: header 36.6 x 4.6 in (93.0 x 11.7 cm); total drop 24.35 in (61.8 cm)
  • Skill level: Intermediate
  • Terminology: US
  • Yarn weight: DK (light, #3) cotton
  • Hook: 3.5 mm (E/4)
  • Number of pieces: 35 (1 header, 7 feathers, 17 oval beads, 10 teardrops)
  • Layout: 7 strands, alternating short (A) and long (B): A-B-A-B-A-B-A
  • Piece sizes: feather 4 x 5 in (10.2 x 12.7 cm); oval 1.25 x 0.9 in (3.2 x 2.3 cm); teardrop 1 x 1.5 in (2.5 x 3.8 cm)
  • Header before border: 36.2 x 3.0 in (91.9 x 7.6 cm)
  • Border depth: 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on top and sides; 1.4 in (3.6 cm) along the bottom, scallops included

Materials

Choose a smooth DK cotton. It keeps the lace open and the feather loops crisp, and it won’t stretch as it hangs.

  • Teal (main): 200 g, about 440 m
  • Beige (contrast): 150 g, about 330 m
  • Turquoise (accent): 25 g, about 55 m

These quantities include a margin of about 25% for swatching and tension differences.

Tools: 3.5 mm (E/4) hook, tapestry needle, stitch markers, a little fiberfill, 9 clip rings, a curtain rod, rust-proof pins, blocking mats and a spray bottle.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • ch – chain
  • sl st – slip stitch
  • sc – single crochet
  • hdc – half double crochet
  • dc – double crochet
  • tr – treble crochet
  • sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
  • MR – magic ring
  • sp(s) – space(s)
  • st(s) – stitch(es)

Special stitch – Shell: (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in the same stitch.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Gauge: 20 sts and 8 dc rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). Chain gauge: 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm).

Make one feather first. It uses every stitch height in the project, so it shows quickly whether your tension works.

Feather checkpoints:
– After Rnd 2: disc is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across.
– After Rnd 3: ring is 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across.
– After Rnd 5: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
– After Rnd 7: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide x 5 in (12.7 cm) tall, not counting the hanging loop.

Header checkpoints: after Row 1, every 10 in (25.4 cm) holds 50 sc. After Row 5, the body measures 36.2 x 3.0 in (91.9 x 7.6 cm).

If your piece comes out too big, go down one hook size. If it comes out too small, go up one hook size. Re-check after Rnd 2 of a new feather.

Crocheted teal and cream pendant with open-work lace pattern and dark center, held in hand against blurred background.

Header

With teal, ch 182.

Row 1 (RS, teal): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (181 sc)

Row 2 (teal): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), sk next 2 sc, dc in next sc, ch 2, sk next 2 sc, dc in next sc across, turn. (61 dc, 60 ch-2 sps) Fasten off.

Row 3 (beige, fans): Join beige in first dc. Ch 1, sc in same dc, ch 4, sk (ch-2 sp, dc, ch-2 sp), Shell in next dc, ch 4, sk (ch-2 sp, dc, ch-2 sp), sc in next dc 15 times, turn. (16 sc, 15 shells, 30 ch-4 sps) Each repeat covers 4 mesh spaces, which is 12 stitches of Row 1. Fasten off.

Row 4 (teal): Join teal in first sc. Ch 9 (counts as tr + ch 5), sc in ch-3 sp of first shell, ch 5, tr in next sc, ch 5, sc in ch-3 sp of next shell 14 times, ch 5, tr in last sc, turn. (16 tr, 15 sc, 30 ch-5 sps) This row brings the fans back to a straight edge.

Row 5 (teal): Ch 1, sc in first tr, 5 sc in next ch-5 sp, sc in next st 30 times, working the last sc in 4th ch of the turning ch. (181 sc: 31 in stitches + 150 in spaces) Do not fasten off.

Checkpoint: 36.2 x 3.0 in (91.9 x 7.6 cm).

Feather (make 7)

Make 3 feathers with a turquoise Rnd 1 (for the long strands) and 4 with a teal Rnd 1 (for the short strands).

Rnd 1 (teal or turquoise): MR, ch 3 (counts as dc), 15 dc in ring, sl st to top of ch-3. (16 dc)

Rnd 2 (teal): Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, sl st to top of ch-3. (32 dc) Fasten off.

Rnd 3 (beige): Join in any st. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st 15 times, sl st to top of ch-3. (48 dc)

Rnd 4 (beige, shaping): Ch 1, (sc, ch 4, sc) in same st for the tip. Number the remaining 47 sts 1–47. Sc in next 3, hdc in next 4, dc in next 6, tr in next 21, dc in next 6, hdc in next 4, sc in next 3, sl st to first sc. (49 sts + ch-4 tip) Short stitches at the top and tall ones at the bottom give the pointed teardrop shape. Fasten off.

Rnd 5 (teal, outline): Join in ch-4 tip sp. Ch 1, (sc, ch 5, sc) in tip sp, ch 3, sk st 1, sc in st 2, ch 3, sk next st, sc in next st 22 times, ch 3, sk st 47, sl st to first sc. (25 sc, 1 ch-5 tip, 24 ch-3 sps) Fasten off.

Rnd 6 (beige, fringe loops): Join in ch-5 tip sp. Ch 1, (sc, ch 5, sc) in tip sp, [3 sc in next ch-3 sp] 4 times, [(sc, ch 8, sc) in next ch-3 sp] 16 times, [3 sc in next ch-3 sp] 4 times, sl st to first sc. (58 sc, 1 ch-5 tip, 16 ch-8 loops) Fasten off.

Rnd 7 (teal, loop outline): Join in ch-5 tip sp. Ch 1, (2 sc, ch 6, 2 sc) in tip sp, sk next sc, sc in next 12 sc, sk next sc, (sc, hdc, 2 dc, tr, ch 3, tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc) in next ch-8 loop, sk next 2 sc 15 times, work the same group in the last loop, sk next sc, sc in next 12 sc, sl st to first sc. (188 sts: 4 tip sc + 24 side sc + 160 loop sts; 16 ch-3 points; ch-6 hanging loop) Fasten off.

The center bottom of the feather sits between the 8th and 9th loops.

Oval Bead (make 17)

Make 7 with a turquoise center and 10 with a teal center.

Rnd 1 (turquoise or teal): Ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Working along the opposite side, sc in next 2 ch, 2 sc in last ch, sl st to first sc. (10 sc) Fasten off.

Rnd 2 (beige): Join in first sc. Ch 1, 2 sc in same st, sc in next 2, 2 sc in each of next 3, sc in next 2, 2 sc in each of last 2, sl st to first sc. (16 sc) Fasten off.

Teardrop (make 10)

Work in continuous rounds with teal.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st. (12)
Rnd 3: Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (18)
Rnds 4–5: Sc in each st. (18)
Rnd 6: Sc in next st, sc2tog 6 times. (12)
Rnd 7: Sc in each st. (12) Stuff lightly.
Rnd 8: Sc2tog 6 times. (6)
Rnd 9: Sc2tog 3 times. (3) Fasten off and close the point.

The pointed end is the top.

Make All Pieces

Piece Teal center Turquoise center Total
Feather 4 3 7
Oval bead 10 7 17
Teardrop 10 (all teal) – 10

Strand A (short, make 4): ch 10 – turquoise oval – ch 5 – feather (teal center) – ch 5 – teal oval – ch 5 – teardrop.

Strand B (long, make 3): ch 10 – teal oval – ch 5 – teardrop – ch 5 – turquoise oval – ch 5 – feather (turquoise center) – ch 5 – teal oval – ch 5 – teardrop.

Layout along the 15 scallops (· = no strand):

Scallop: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11 12 13 14 15
Strand:  ·  A  ·  B  ·  A  ·  B  ·  A  ·  B  ·  A  ·

Joining

Finish the border before you add the strands. Every connector is a teal chain that starts with a sl st in the piece above and ends with a sl st in the piece below.

  1. Join with sl st in the ch-3 tip of the scallop, ch 10, then sl st in the center of one rounded end of the first oval. Fasten off.
  2. Join in the center of the oval’s opposite end, ch 5, and sl st into the next piece. Fasten off. Repeat down the strand.
  3. To attach a feather, sl st through its ch-6 hanging loop. To continue below a feather, join at its center bottom, between the 8th and 9th loops.
  4. To attach a teardrop, sl st through its top point. To continue below a middle teardrop, join at the center of its magic ring.

Keep the chains at gauge: 10 ch = 2 in (5.1 cm) and 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm). Chains that are too tight make the strands twist, and loose ones sag.

Strand A: 2 + 1.25 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 1.25 + 1 + 1.5 = 14 in (35.6 cm).
Strand B: 2 + 1.25 + 1 + 1.5 + 1 + 1.25 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 1.25 + 1 + 1.5 = 19.75 in (50.2 cm).

The long-strand feathers start 9 in (22.9 cm) below the header, just as the short-strand feathers end at 9.25 in (23.5 cm). This is what creates the staggered line.

Border

The border uses the header gauge: 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).

Rnd 1 (teal frame): Continuing from Row 5, ch 1 and work down the first short end. Work 15 sc there: 1 in Row 5, 6 in Row 4, 4 in Row 3, 3 in Row 2 and 1 in Row 1. Ch 1 at the corner. Work 181 sc across the top, one in each free loop of the foundation chain. Ch 1 at the corner, then work 15 sc down the other short end with the same spacing. Ch 1 at the corner. Sc in each of the 181 sts of Row 5, ch 1, sl st to first sc. (Top 181 sc, bottom 181 sc, each short end 15 sc; 392 sc + 4 corner ch-1 sps) The corner chains are not included in the side counts. Fasten off.

The header now measures 36.6 x 3.4 in (93.0 x 8.6 cm).

Row 2 (beige, bottom edge only): Join in first sc of the bottom edge. Ch 1, sc in same st, ch 5, sk next 5 sc, sc in next sc 30 times, turn. (31 sc, 30 ch-5 sps)

Row 3 (beige, scallops): Ch 1, sc in first sc, 5 dc in next ch-5 sp, (dc, ch 3, dc) in next sc, 5 dc in next ch-5 sp, sc in next sc 15 times. (16 sc, 180 dc, 15 ch-3 tips) Fasten off.

Why the math works: 181 = 1 + (30 x 6), so the ch-5 mesh fits the bottom edge exactly. Each scallop spans 2 mesh spaces, or 12 stitches, so the 15 scallops sit right under the 15 fans of Row 3. Each scallop is 2.4 in (6.1 cm) wide. With strands on every other scallop, they hang 4.8 in (12.2 cm) apart and the layout is symmetrical. Rows 2–3 add 1.2 in (3.0 cm), for a header depth of 4.6 in (11.7 cm).

Final Blocking

  1. Block every piece before you join the strands.
  2. Soak in cool water for 10 minutes, then roll in a towel to press the water out. Don’t wring.
  3. Pin the header to 36.6 x 4.6 in (93.0 x 11.7 cm), with a pin in every fan and scallop tip.
  4. Pin each feather to 4 x 5 in (10.2 x 12.7 cm), pinning every ch-3 point so the loops fan out.
  5. Pin the ovals flat and shape the teardrops by hand.
  6. Let everything dry for 24 hours. For crisper feathers, mist lightly with starch first.
  7. Join the strands. Hang the valance with the rings 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

  • Header is 36.6 x 4.6 in (93.0 x 11.7 cm).
  • The 15 fans and 15 scallops line up.
  • Each feather is 4 x 5 in (10.2 x 12.7 cm) and has 16 even loops.
  • Strand A is 14 in (35.6 cm) and Strand B is 19.75 in (50.2 cm).
  • Strands hang from scallops 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14.
  • All ends are woven in and the teardrops are closed securely.

Troubleshooting

  • Feather is round, not pointed: Keep the Rnd 4 sc snug and the tr relaxed.
  • Fringe loops curl: Work Rnd 6 one hook size larger.
  • Header too wide after Row 5: Re-work Row 2 with tighter ch-2s.
  • Scallops ruffle: Check that each scallop has exactly 12 dc.
  • Strands twist or uneven: Re-count the connector chains (1 ch = 0.2 in / 0.5 cm), then block hanging with a light weight.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Dry flat and reshape the feathers while damp.

Teal and cream crocheted peacock feather window valance displayed above white flowers and upholstered seating in bright modern living room.

Final Notes

Each measurement builds on the one before. At gauge, the 181-stitch header body measures 36.2 in (91.9 cm). The frame brings it to 36.6 x 3.4 in (93.0 x 8.6 cm), and the scallops finish it at 4.6 in (11.7 cm) deep. The fixed piece sizes and chain lengths give strands of 14 in (35.6 cm) and 19.75 in (50.2 cm), for a total drop of 24.35 in (61.8 cm). If you check at each stage, the valance will hang straight and balanced.

Happy crocheting!

Leave a Comment