Cherry Orchard Window Valance Crochet Pattern (US Terms)

This valance has a cream fan-lace header with a soft scalloped lower edge. Fifteen strands of red cherries, green leaves and small cream flowers hang from it. Hung on a wooden rod, it brings cottage-kitchen color to a window while still letting the light through.

The palette is cream, cherry red, leaf green and a touch of yellow for the flower centers. The style is vintage and farmhouse, with crisp lace above and plump, three-dimensional fruit below.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished header measures 36.6 in (93.0 cm) wide by 4.25 in (10.8 cm) deep, not counting the hanging tabs. Each strand hangs 17.2 in (43.7 cm) below the scallops, for a total drop of about 21.5 in (54.6 cm).

You work the header flat in rows from the top down. Next you make the cords, flowers, leaves and cherries, and assemble them into 15 strands. You sew one strand to the center of each fan, then work a border that locks the strands in place and adds the rod tabs.

Finished Size and Construction

Finished size: 36.6 in (93.0 cm) wide x 4.25 in (10.8 cm) deep header; total drop about 21.5 in (54.6 cm)
Skill level: Intermediate
Terminology: US
Yarn weight: DK (3), 100% cotton
Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
Number of pieces: 1 header + 15 strands. Each strand has 1 cord, 3 flowers, 6 leaves and 6 cherries.
Layout: 15 strands in a single row, one at the center of each fan
Piece size: header 36.2 x 3.5 in (91.9 x 8.9 cm); each strand 17.2 in (43.7 cm) long
Size before border: 36.2 x 3.5 in (91.9 x 8.9 cm)
Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on the sides and bottom; 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on the top, plus 7 tabs

Materials

Use a smooth, mercerized DK cotton. It gives crisp lace, holds the cherry shapes well and doesn’t fuzz in sunlight. The amounts below assume about 2.3 m per gram (115 m per 50 g).

Cream: 120 g / 276 m (header, border, flower petals)
Red: 150 g / 345 m (90 cherries)
Green: 90 g / 207 m (cords, leaves, stems)
Yellow: 10 g / 23 m (flower centers)

These quantities include a margin of about 15% for swatching and tails.

Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
– Polyester fiberfill, about 40 g
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– Rust-proof pins, blocking mats and a spray bottle
– Tape measure and scissors

Abbreviations (US Terms)

ch – chain
sl st – slip stitch
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
MR – magic ring
sk – skip
sp – space
st(s) – stitch(es)
RS – right side

Special stitch, fan: work 11 dc in the same stitch.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Single crochet: 20 sc and 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
Double crochet: 20 dc and 8 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
Fans: one 12-stitch fan repeat = 2.4 in (6.1 cm)

Test one piece first. Make a small header swatch: ch 26 and work Rows 1–8 below with 2 fan repeats. Your 25 stitches should measure 5 in (12.7 cm), and the two fans together should measure 4.8 in (12.2 cm). Then make one complete strand unit (1 flower, 2 leaves, 2 cherries) and check it against these measurements:

After Row 1: 181 sc = 36.2 in (91.9 cm)
After Row 3: depth 1 in (2.5 cm)
After Row 8: depth 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
Cherry: about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) across when stuffed
Leaf: 1.8 in (4.6 cm) long
Flower: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
Cord: 14 in (35.6 cm)

If your swatch is too big, go down 0.5 mm. If it’s too small, go up 0.5 mm. Cherries should be worked firmly. If stuffing shows through, drop to a 3.0 mm hook for the cherries only.

Crocheted red cherry pair with green stem, leaves, and cream flower with yellow center on wood surface.

Header

Use cream throughout. You work from the top edge down.

Row 1: Ch 182, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (181 sc)

Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next sc, dc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc; rep from * 88 more times, turn. (91 dc, 90 ch-1 sps = 181 sts)*

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc; rep from * across, working the last sc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch, turn. (181 sc)*

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in first sc, sk 5 sc, fan in next sc, sk 5 sc, sc in next sc; rep from * 14 more times, turn. (15 fans, 16 sc = 181 sts)*

Row 5: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 5 dc in first sc. Sk 5 dc, sc in next dc (the fan’s center), sk 5 dc, fan in next sc; rep from * 13 more times. Sk 5 dc, sc in next dc, sk 5 dc, 6 dc in last sc, turn. (2 half fans of 6 dc + 14 fans + 15 sc = 12 + 154 + 15 = 181 sts)*

Row 6: Ch 1, sc in first dc. Sk 5 dc, fan in next sc, sk 5 dc, sc in next dc; rep from * 14 more times, placing the last sc in the top of the turning ch, turn. (15 fans, 16 sc = 181 sts)*

Row 7: Repeat Row 5. (181 sts)

Row 8: Repeat Row 6. (15 fans, 16 sc = 181 sts) Fasten off.

The fans of Row 8 open downward and form the 15 scallops. Checkpoint: 36.2 x 3.5 in (91.9 x 8.9 cm).

Strand Components

Cord (green): Ch 71, sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from hook and of each ch across. (70 sl st = 14 in / 35.6 cm) Leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail at the top end.

Cherry (red):
– Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6)
– Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st. (12)
– Rnd 3: Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; rep from * 5 more times. (18)
– Rnds 4–6: Sc in each st. (18)
– Rnd 7: Sc in next st, sc2tog; rep from * 5 more times. (12) Stuff firmly.
– Rnd 8: Sc2tog 6 times. (6) Fasten off, close the hole and weave in the end.

Stem (green): Join green at the top of a cherry. Ch 11, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (10 sl st = 2 in / 5.1 cm) Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.

Leaf (green): Ch 9.
– Working along one side of the chain: sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next 3 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch. (7 sts)
– Work 3 sc in the last ch to turn the tip.
– Working along the other side: sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, using the same chains. (7 sts)
– Sl st to the first sc. (17 sts) Fasten off and leave a tail.

The leaf is pointed at both ends and measures 1.8 in (4.6 cm) long.

Flower:
– Rnd 1 (yellow): MR, 10 sc, sl st to the first sc. (10) Fasten off.
– Rnd 2 (cream): Join in any sc. (Sc, hdc, dc) in next st, (dc, hdc, sc) in next st; rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to join. (5 petals, 30 sts)*

The flower measures 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across.

Make All Pieces

Piece	Color	Per strand	Total
Header	Cream	—	1
Cord	Green	1	15
Flower	Yellow + cream	3	45
Leaf	Green	6	90
Cherry with stem	Red + green	6	90

Assemble each strand. Positions are counted in sl sts from the top of the cord:

sl st 0  (0 in / 0 cm)       top of cord -> fan center
sl st 5  (1 in / 2.5 cm)     FLOWER
sl st 7  (1.4 in / 3.6 cm)   LEAF  <  |  >  LEAF
sl st 10 (2 in / 5.1 cm)     two stems -> V -> 2 cherries
sl st 35 (7 in / 17.8 cm)    FLOWER
sl st 37 (7.4 in / 18.8 cm)  LEAF  <  |  >  LEAF
sl st 40 (8 in / 20.3 cm)    two stems -> V -> 2 cherries
sl st 65 (13 in / 33.0 cm)   FLOWER
sl st 67 (13.4 in / 34.0 cm) LEAF  <  |  >  LEAF
sl st 70 (14 in / 35.6 cm)   two stems -> V -> 2 cherries

Flowers: Sew each flower flat, centered over the cord.
Leaves: Sew the base of each leaf to the cord, angling the leaves about 45 degrees outward.
Cherries: Sew both stem tails to the same cord stitch so the cherries hang in a V.

Layout across the header:

Fan:    F1  F2  F3  F4  F5  F6  F7  F8  F9  F10 F11 F12 F13 F14 F15
Strand: S1  S2  S3  S4  S5  S6  S7  S8  S9  S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15

Joining

Method. Each strand hangs from the center dc (the 6th dc) of one Row 8 fan. This gives one strand per fan and 15 strands in total.

Stitch-to-stitch logic. Fan centers sit 12 stitches apart, so the strands are spaced 2.4 in (6.1 cm) apart. The outer strands sit 1.2 in (3.0 cm) in from the side edges.

How to attach.
1. Thread the cord’s top tail onto a tapestry needle.
2. Lay the top of the cord behind the center dc.
3. Whipstitch 3 times through the dc and the first 2 sl sts of the cord.
4. Leave the tail hanging. The border will cover it.

Tension advice. Keep the whipstitches snug but not tight. A tight stitch pulls the fan’s point upward and flattens the scallop. Hang the header from pins before sewing so each strand drops naturally.

Size checkpoint. Measure each strand from the fan point to the bottom of its lowest cherry. Every strand should be 17.2 in (43.7 cm), and all of them should be within 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of each other.

Border

Border gauge: 5 sc per inch along stitch edges; 4 sc per inch along row ends (14 sc over 3.5 in / 8.9 cm).

Rnd 1 (cream): Join in the first sc of Row 8 and work around the whole header.

Bottom edge: Sc in each sc and dc. In each fan’s center dc, work 3 sc, inserting the hook through both the dc and the cord top. (181 sts worked 1 per st + 30 extra = 211 sc) The 15 fans each give 2 extra stitches, which keeps the scallops rounded.
First side: Work 14 sc evenly across the row ends: 1 in each sc row (Rows 1 and 3) and 2 in each dc-height row (Rows 2 and 4–8). Ch 1 for the corner. (14 sc)
Top edge: Sc in the underside of each foundation ch. Ch 1 for the corner. (181 sc)
Second side: Work 14 sc as on the first side. Sl st to the first sc. (14 sc)

Round total: 211 + 14 + 181 + 14 = 420 sc, plus 2 ch-1 corner spaces. Fasten off.

Rnd 2 (top edge only, worked as a row):
1. Join in the first top sc. Ch 1, sc in the same st, ch 24, sl st in the sc just made (tab 1).
2. *Sc in the next 29 sc, sc in the next sc, ch 24, sl st in the sc just made; rep from * 5 more times.
3. Fasten off.

(181 sts worked 1 per st + 0 extra = 181 sc, 7 ch-24 loops)

Rnd 3 (tabs): Join in the base of each loop, work 26 sc over the ch-24 loop, and sl st to the base. Fasten off. (26 sc per tab, 182 sc total)

Why the math works.
– The header is 181 stitches: 15 fan repeats of 12 stitches, plus 1 edge stitch.
– On the top edge, Rnd 1 adds nothing to that count, so the top edge stays exactly as wide as the lace.
– Tabs fall at stitches 1, 31, 61, 91, 121, 151 and 181. That is 6 gaps of 30 stitches (6 x 30 + 1 = 181), so the tabs are 6 in (15.2 cm) apart.
– Each tab loop is 4.8 in (12.2 cm) around, which fits rods up to 1.25 in (3.2 cm) in diameter.

Final Blocking

Weave in all remaining ends. Bury the cord tails inside the border sc.
Mist the header until it is evenly damp. Don’t wet the cherries.
Pin the top edge straight at 36.6 in (93.0 cm).
Pin the depth to 4.25 in (10.8 cm), placing one pin at each fan point to round the scallops.
Pin the leaves flat and open the flower petals with your fingers.
Let everything dry fully, then unpin.
Hang the valance and let the strands relax for 24 hours.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

[ ] The header is 36.6 x 4.25 in (93.0 x 10.8 cm).
[ ] There are 15 fans and 15 scallops, all the same size.
[ ] There are 7 tabs, evenly spaced 6 in (15.2 cm) apart.
[ ] There are 15 strands, each 17.2 in (43.7 cm) long.
[ ] Each strand has 3 flowers, 6 leaves and 6 cherries.
[ ] All cherries are firm and round, with no stuffing showing.
[ ] No ends are visible, and every join is secure.

Troubleshooting

The header ruffles: Your fans are too loose. Go down one hook size or tighten your dc.
The header cups: Your fans are too tight. Go up a hook size.
The scallops are flat: Make sure you worked 3 sc in each fan center in Border Rnd 1.
Strands twist: Steam the cord lightly and hang a weight on it while it dries.
Cherries are lumpy: Pull the stuffing into small tufts before adding it, and stuff evenly.
Strand lengths vary: Re-sew the stems at the exact sl st positions shown in the assembly chart.

Care

Hand-wash cold and lay flat to dry, reshaping the scallops and cherries. Keep the valance out of the dryer so the lace and stuffing stay in shape.

Cream crochet cherry valance with red and white fruit hangs above a kitchen window with potted plants and a sink.

Final Notes

The whole design follows one measurement chain:

5 sc per inch gives 181 stitches = 36.2 in (91.9 cm).
15 fans of 2.4 in (6.1 cm) each make the scalloped body, 3.5 in (8.9 cm) deep.
The border brings the header to 36.6 x 4.25 in (93.0 x 10.8 cm).
Each 14 in (35.6 cm) cord with its cherries hangs 17.2 in (43.7 cm), for a total drop of about 21.5 in (54.6 cm).

If you check your gauge at each step, the cherries will line up evenly across the window.

Happy crocheting!