Alternating blue and cream crocheted leaf ornaments with tassels arranged in rows against a neutral beige background.

Seaside Paisley Strand Curtain Crochet Pattern

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This curtain is made of lacy paisley motifs in dusty blue and soft cream. They hang in light, open strands, so daylight still comes through. Each paisley has a spoked fan at its center, a ring of open mesh, a little loop edge, and a curled tip that hooks to one side.

The two colors alternate down every strand. Neighboring strands start with the opposite color, so the panel forms a soft checkerboard. A full, wrapped tassel finishes each strand, and each tassel matches the motif above it. The overall look is coastal and calm and works well in a bright kitchen, bathroom, or reading nook.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is 43.5 in (110.5 cm) wide and 41.5 in (105.4 cm) long, including the hanging loops and tassels.

The construction is simple and repetitive. You crochet each paisley in 6 rounds. Starting with the second motif, you join each one to the motif above it during its last round, so there’s no sewing. Each strand gets a chain hanging loop at the top and a tassel at the bottom.

Finished Size and Construction

  • Finished size: 43.5 in (110.5 cm) wide x 41.5 in (105.4 cm) long
  • Skill level: Intermediate
  • Terminology: US crochet terms
  • Yarn weight: DK (light #3) cotton
  • Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
  • Number of pieces: 77 paisley motifs plus 11 tassels
  • Layout: 11 strands of 7 motifs each
  • Single motif size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall
  • Size before border (motifs and links only): 43.5 in (110.5 cm) wide x 34.5 in (87.6 cm) long
  • Border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm) of hanging loops at the top and 6 in (15.2 cm) of tassel link plus tassel at the bottom

Materials

Use a smooth, mercerized DK cotton. It shows the stitch definition well, holds the spokes crisp, and doesn’t stretch much when it hangs. The amounts below assume a 50 g ball with about 115 m (2.3 m per gram).

  • Color B (dusty blue): 220 g (about 506 m), for 39 motifs and 6 tassels
  • Color C (cream): 210 g (about 483 m), for 38 motifs and 5 tassels

Each motif uses about 4 g (9.2 m), and each tassel uses about 6 g (13 m). Both quantities include a margin of about 15% for gauge swatches, tails, and spare tassel wraps.

Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch markers
– Stiff card cut to 6 in (15.2 cm) tall, for winding tassels
– Rustproof pins and a blocking mat
– Spray bottle
– 11 clip rings and a curtain rod at least 44 in (111.8 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(s) – space(s)
  • st(s) – stitch(es)

Special technique – overworked chain curl: Make a chain, then work 2 sc into almost every chain on the way back. The extra stitches crowd one edge, so the strip twists into a natural spiral. This forms the paisley’s curled tip.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Make one complete motif before starting the curtain. It is your gauge swatch, and you can use it as the first motif of a strand if it measures correctly.

  • After Round 1: 1 in (2.5 cm) across
  • After Round 2: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across
  • After Round 3: 2 in (5.1 cm) across
  • After Round 4: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across
  • After Round 5: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide
  • After Round 6: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall, measured from the bottom edge to the top of the point
  • Chain gauge: 6 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm)

If your motif is more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm) too large, go down to a 3.25 mm hook. If it is more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm) too small, go up to a 3.75 mm hook.

If Round 4 ripples, you are chaining too loosely, so tighten the ch-2 spaces. If it cups, loosen them slightly.

A gray crocheted teardrop ornament with open lace pattern hangs from a window by a tassel, with blurred outdoor background.

Paisley Motif (make 77)

Work all rounds with the right side facing. Don’t turn.

Round 1: Ch 5 and sl st to the first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 15 dc in the ring, and sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3. (16 dc)

Round 2 (spokes): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), [dc in next dc, ch 1] 15 times, and sl st to the 3rd ch of the beginning ch-4. (16 dc, 16 ch-1 sps) These dc posts become the fan spokes.

Round 3 (conversion): Ch 1. Work sc in the same st, then sc in each ch-1 sp and in each dc around. Sl st to the first sc. (16 + 16 = 32 sc) You’ve worked 1 sc into each of the 32 existing stitches and spaces, with no extra stitches added.

Round 4 (mesh): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), sk next sc, [dc in next sc, ch 2, sk next sc] 15 times, and sl st to the 3rd ch of the beginning ch-5. (16 dc, 16 ch-2 sps)

Round 5 (shaping into the point): Sl st into the first ch-2 sp. Number the spaces 1 to 16, starting with this one. Spaces 1 and 16 sit on either side of the join, and that is where the point forms.

  • Ch 4 (counts as tr) and work 2 tr in sp 1.
  • 3 dc in sp 2.
  • 3 hdc in sp 3.
  • 3 sc in each of sps 4–13 (10 spaces).
  • 3 hdc in sp 14.
  • 3 dc in sp 15.
  • 3 tr in sp 16.
  • Ch 5 and sl st to the top of the beginning ch-4.

(48 sts: 6 tr, 6 dc, 6 hdc, 30 sc, plus 1 ch-5 point sp)

The graded stitch heights pull the circle into a teardrop, and the ch-5 forms the point.

Round 6 (loop edging and tip): Ch 1. Sc in the same st (st 1), then [ch 3, sk 1 st, sc in next st] 23 times, ending with a sc in st 47. Ch 3, sk st 48, and work the tip group in the ch-5 point sp:

Tip group: Sc in the ch-5 sp, then work the joining step below. Ch 13, sc in 2nd ch from hook, then 2 sc in each of the next 11 ch (23 sc in the curl). Sl st into the ch-5 sp, then sc in the ch-5 sp again.

Joining step, by motif:
– Motif 1 of each strand: Ch 12 and sl st in the same ch-5 sp to make the hanging loop.
– Motifs 2 to 7: Work the link described under Joining.
– Your swatch motif: Skip this step for now.

After the tip group, ch 3 and sl st to the first sc. Fasten off. (24 body sc and 25 ch-3 loops: 23 loops around the body, 1 loop leading into the tip, and 1 loop leaving it)

Shaping the curl: Fold the curl toward the left side of the point. Use the tail to tack its end to the 23rd ch-3 loop, which is the last body loop before the tip. Weave in the ends.

Bottom-center loop: The 12th ch-3 loop, counted from the start of Round 6, sits directly opposite the point. Mark it on every motif. This is the loop that the next motif or a tassel hangs from.

Make All Pieces

Make 39 motifs in Color B (blue) and 38 motifs in Color C (cream). You’ll also make 6 tassels in B and 5 in C.

Work strand by strand, top motif first. In the layout below, rows are motif positions from top to bottom and columns are strands from left to right.

Strand:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11
Row 1:   B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B
Row 2:   C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C
Row 3:   B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B
Row 4:   C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C
Row 5:   B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B
Row 6:   C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C
Row 7:   B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B
Tassel:  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B  C  B
  • Odd strands (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11): 4 B + 3 C each, which comes to 24 B and 18 C across the 6 strands.
  • Even strands (2, 4, 6, 8, 10): 3 B + 4 C each, which comes to 15 B and 20 C across the 5 strands.
  • Totals: 39 B + 38 C = 77 motifs.

Joining

Each motif joins as you go, in the tip group of its own Round 6, and the link uses the lower motif’s yarn.

Link: After the first sc in the ch-5 point sp, ch 3. With the right sides of both motifs facing you, sl st into the marked 12th loop of the motif above. Ch 3, then sl st back into the ch-5 sp of the working motif. Continue with the curl and finish the tip group as written.

This joins point to bottom-center loop. Each motif hangs straight down from a single point, and a 3-ch leg on each side of the slip stitch gives a gap of 0.5 in (1.3 cm).

Tension: Keep the link chains at your chain gauge of 6 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm). Tight links make strands short and stiff. Loose links let motifs twist.

Check every curl as you go. They should all fold to the same side, and the right side should face front on every motif.

Checkpoint: A finished strand of 7 motifs and 6 links should measure (7 x 4.5 in) + (6 x 0.5 in) = 34.5 in (87.6 cm) from the top of the first point to the bottom of the seventh motif.

Border: Hanging Loops and Tassels

On this curtain, the border is the top and bottom edging: a hanging loop above every strand and a tassel below every strand. It runs across the full width, with one unit per strand.

Border gauge: 6 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm). A tassel wound on the 6 in (15.2 cm) card and trimmed measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm).

Top edge (11 loops): Each strand’s first motif already carries its ch-12 hanging loop, so the top edge has 11 strands x 1 loop = 11 loops. Folded in half, a 12-ch loop stands 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.

Bottom edge (11 tassels): You need 11 strands x 1 tassel = 11 tassels: 6 in B and 5 in C, matching each strand’s Row 7 motif. Make each one as follows:

  1. Wrap the yarn 40 times around the 6 in (15.2 cm) card.
  2. Slide a 10 in (25.4 cm) strand under the wraps at the top edge and tie it tightly.
  3. Cut the wraps at the bottom edge.
  4. Wrap a 20 in (50.8 cm) strand around the bundle 0.75 in (1.9 cm) below the top, about 8 times. Knot it, then bury the ends inside the tassel.
  5. Trim the bottom so the tassel measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) from the top of the fold.

Attaching the tassels: Join the matching color with a sl st in the 12th loop of the Row 7 motif. Ch 3, sl st around the tassel’s top tie, ch 3, and sl st back into the 12th loop. Fasten off. The link adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm).

Why the math works:
– Length: 1 in hanging loop + 34.5 in motif strand + 0.5 in tassel link + 5.5 in tassel = 41.5 in (105.4 cm).
– Width: Clip the 11 loops to 11 rings spaced 4 in (10.2 cm) apart from center to center. The outer strand centers are 10 x 4 in = 40 in (101.6 cm) apart. Add half a motif width at each end (3.5 in, or 8.9 cm, in total) for a full width of 43.5 in (110.5 cm). That leaves a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) gap between neighboring strands, which matches the vertical link gap.

Final Blocking

  1. Weave in all remaining ends before blocking.
  2. Lay each strand flat on the blocking mat with the right side up.
  3. Pin each motif to 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall. Pin each ch-3 loop outward so the edge looks crisp.
  4. Pin the spokes so they radiate evenly from the ring.
  5. Pin each curl flat in its spiral, folded to the left of the point.
  6. Spray until damp but not soaked.
  7. Let it dry completely, then unpin.
  8. Hang the curtain and let the tassels settle for a day. Then trim any uneven tassel ends to 5.5 in (14.0 cm).

Final Quality-Control Checklist

  • 77 motifs: 39 B and 38 C, in the checkerboard layout
  • Every motif is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm), within 0.25 in (0.6 cm)
  • Every motif has 16 spokes, 16 mesh spaces, and 25 ch-3 loops
  • All curls fold to the same side, and all right sides face front
  • Every strand is 34.5 in (87.6 cm) from the top point to the bottom motif
  • 11 hanging loops, each 1 in (2.5 cm)
  • 11 tassels, each 5.5 in (14.0 cm), each matching the motif above it
  • No loose ends or untacked curls

Troubleshooting

  • The motif cups: Round 4 chains are too tight, or Round 3 skipped a stitch. Recount for 32 sc.
  • The motif ruffles: Round 4 chains are too loose. Snug up the ch-2 spaces or go down a hook size.
  • The point is rounded: Check that you used tr in spaces 1 and 16 and made the full ch-5.
  • The curl won’t spiral: Make sure you worked 2 sc in each chain. Fewer stitches give a straight strip.
  • The strands twist: Links are too loose or attached off-center. Confirm each link goes into the 12th loop.
  • The strands are uneven lengths: Measure the links. Each one should give a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) gap.
  • The tassels are thin: Wind 45 wraps instead of 40 and add 1 g of yarn per tassel.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and press out the water in a towel without wringing. Lay the strands flat and re-pin them to their blocked size to dry.

Crocheted window curtain with alternating gray and cream lace teardrops and tassels hung over a bright window with garden views.

Final Notes

Here is the full measurement chain. Rounds 1–2 should measure 1.75 in (4.4 cm). Each finished motif is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm), and a strand of 7 motifs and 6 links is 34.5 in (87.6 cm). The top loop and bottom tassel bring each strand to 41.5 in (105.4 cm). Eleven strands spaced 4 in (10.2 cm) apart give a curtain 43.5 in (110.5 cm) wide.

If you check the first motif and the first strand against these numbers, the rest of the curtain will follow. To make a longer curtain, add motifs in pairs so the checkerboard stays even. Each added motif plus link adds 5 in (12.7 cm).

Happy crocheting!

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