Handmade crochet wall hanging with alternating purple and olive green bird shapes on cream background, beaded accent strands.

Swallow Song Bird Curtain Crochet Pattern

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Swallow Song is a light, airy curtain made of lacy crocheted swallows. The birds hang on slender chain strands between small round crochet beads. When sunlight comes through the window, the open mesh of the wings throws soft, bird-shaped shadows across the room.

The palette is deep plum and soft sage. The birds alternate colors down each strand, and every bead is the opposite color to the bird right below it. The header band, the tabs and all the hanging chains are sage, so the plum birds stand out like silhouettes and the sage birds blend in more quietly. The style is cottage-garden: romantic, botanical and gently vintage.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is 36.2 in (91.9 cm) wide. It hangs 52.8 in (134.1 cm) from the top edge of the header to the lowest bead, plus the tab loops.

You’ll make the birds and beads first. Next, you’ll build 12 strands from the top down, linking birds and beads together as you go. Last, you’ll crochet a mesh header band with tabs and sew the strands to its lower edge.

Finished Size and Construction

  • Finished size: 36.2 in (91.9 cm) wide × 52.8 in (134.1 cm) long, not counting the tabs
  • Skill level: Intermediate
  • Terminology: US
  • Yarn weight: DK / light (3), cotton
  • Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
  • Number of pieces: 78 birds, 96 beads, 12 strands, 1 header band with 9 tabs
  • Layout: 12 strands, spaced 2.8 in (7.1 cm) apart, with even-numbered strands dropped by half a repeat
  • Bird size: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide × 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
  • Bead size: 1 in (2.5 cm) across
  • Strand length: 51 in (129.5 cm)
  • Size before header (“border”): the strands are 51 in (129.5 cm) long
  • Header depth: 1.8 in (4.6 cm), plus tab loops 3.2 in (8.1 cm) long

Materials

Use a smooth cotton or cotton blend, mercerized if you can find it. Smooth cotton shows the mesh clearly and doesn’t stretch much under the weight of the hanging strands. The amounts below assume DK cotton at about 105 m (115 yd) per 50 g ball.

  • Color A – Plum: 200 g, about 420 m (459 yd), for 42 birds and 54 beads
  • Color B – Sage: 200 g, about 420 m (459 yd), for 36 birds, 42 beads, all strand chains, the header and the tabs
  • Small scraps of either color for stuffing the beads

Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
– Spray bottle
– Measuring tape
– Optional: light spray starch

All quantities include a margin of roughly 15–20%.

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
  • sk – skip
  • sp – space
  • MR – magic ring
  • RS / WS – right side / wrong side
  • st(s) – stitch(es)

Mesh: One mesh is 1 dc post, ch 1, then the next dc post. It covers 2 stitches of the row below.

Tr increase: At the end of a row, ch 1, then work 1 tr into the same stitch as the last dc. This adds 1 slanted mesh beyond the edge, which sweeps the wing backward.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Gauge: 20 sc × 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). Ten dc rows also measure 4 in (10.2 cm). Hanging chains are worked slightly loosely: 4 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm).

Make one complete bird and one bead before you make anything else, then check:

  1. Bird Row 1 (20 sc) measures 4 in (10.2 cm).
  2. Upper wing Row 2 (7 mesh) measures 2.8 in (7.1 cm).
  3. The finished bird measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide × 4 in (10.2 cm) tall from wing tip to lower wing tip. Measured from the top of the upper wing to the bottom of the lower wing, it spans 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
  4. The bead measures 1 in (2.5 cm).

If your pieces are too big, go down to a 3.25 mm hook. If they’re too small, go up to a 3.75 mm hook. Don’t change any stitch counts, because the whole curtain layout is built on these measurements.

Crocheted sage-green bird ornament with openwork detail, adorned with mauve pompoms on chains.

Bird (Make 78)

Each bird is made of five parts: the body, the head and upper wing, the lower wing, and the forked tail.

Body and Head

With A or B, ch 21.

Row 1 (RS): Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (20 sc)

Label these stitches from the hook end of the row: H1 is the last sc you worked (the head end), and H20 is the first sc you worked (the tail end).

Row 2 (head and upper wing, worked from head to tail):
1. Ch 3, then sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook. This is the beak picot.
2. Hdc in H1, dc in H2, (tr, ch 1, tr) in H3 (this ch-1 space is the eye), tr in H4, dc in H5, dc in H6.
3. [Ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next sc] 7 times. Your last dc goes into H20.
4. Turn.

(Head done, plus 8 dc posts and 7 mesh)

Upper Wing

Row 3 (tail to head): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next dc] 5 times. Leave the last mesh unworked. Turn. (6 mesh)

Row 4 (head to tail): Sl st in the first dc, in the ch-1 sp and in the next dc. Ch 4, dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next dc] 3 times. Ch 1, dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Work a tr increase. Turn. (6 mesh)

Row 5: Ch 4, dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next dc] 4 times. Turn. (5 mesh)

Row 6: Sl st in the first dc, in the ch-1 sp and in the next dc. Ch 4, dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next dc] 2 times. Ch 1, dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Work a tr increase. (5 mesh)

Wing tip: Ch 7. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, hdc in the next 3 ch, then sl st in the top of the tr. Fasten off.

Each even row drops 1 mesh at the head end and adds 1 mesh at the tail end. That’s what makes the wing curve up and back. By Row 6 it reaches 0.8 in (2.0 cm) past the tail end of the body.

Lower Wing

Turn the bird upside down so you’re working into the free loops of the foundation chain.

Row 1: Join the same color with a sl st in the free loop under H10. Ch 3 (counts as dc), then [ch 1, sk next loop, dc in next loop] 5 times, ending under H20. Turn. (5 mesh)

Row 2: Ch 4, dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next dc] 3 times. Turn. (4 mesh)

Row 3: Sl st in the first dc, in the ch-1 sp and in the next dc. Ch 4, dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Work a tr increase. (4 mesh)

Lower tip: Ch 6. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, hdc in the next 2 ch, then sl st in the top of the tr. Fasten off.

Forked Tail

  1. Join the yarn with a sl st in the side of H20 at the body’s tail end.
  2. Long prong: Ch 10. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, hdc in the next 3 ch, dc in the next 3 ch, then sl st in the same place you joined.
  3. Short prong: Ch 8. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, hdc in the next 2 ch, dc in the next 2 ch, then sl st in the same place.
  4. Fasten off and weave in all 6 ends along the solid body row.

Bead (Make 96)

Rnd 1: 6 sc in a MR. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)

Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (12)

Stuff the bead lightly with scraps. Keep a soft channel open through the middle so a hook can pass from the ring to the top.

Rnd 5: [Sc2tog] 6 times. (6)

Fasten off, close the opening loosely and weave in the ends.

Make All Pieces

Color A (plum):
– 42 birds
– 54 beads

Color B (sage):
– 36 birds
– 42 beads
– 12 strand chains
– 1 header band with tabs

Strands 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 are odd strands, with 7 birds each. Strands 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 are even strands, with 6 birds each, dropped half a repeat lower.

The grid below shows the bird colors from top to bottom (P = plum, S = sage, – = no bird):

Strand:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11 12
Bird 1:  P  –  P  –  P  –  P  –  P  –  P  –
         .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S
Bird 2:  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .
         .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P
Bird 3:  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .
         .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S
Bird 4:  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .
         .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P
Bird 5:  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .
         .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S
Bird 6:  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .  S  .
         .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P
Bird 7:  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .  P  .

Bird totals:
– Odd strands: 4 P + 3 S each
– Even strands: 3 S + 3 P each
– Plum: 6 × 4 + 6 × 3 = 42
– Sage: 6 × 3 + 6 × 3 = 36

Bead totals:
– Odd strands: 4 S + 4 P each
– Even strands: 3 S + 5 P each
– Plum: 6 × 4 + 6 × 5 = 54
– Sage: 6 × 4 + 6 × 3 = 42

Joining: Building the Strands

Every strand is built from the same repeating unit, which measures 7 in (17.8 cm):

Part Length
Bead 1 in (2.5 cm)
Ch 4 1 in (2.5 cm)
Bird span 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
Ch 6 1.5 in (3.8 cm)

To add a bead:
1. Drop the loop from your hook.
2. Push the hook through the bead from the bottom (the closing point) up to the top (the magic ring).
3. Catch the live loop and pull it down through the bead.
4. Ch 1 tightly right under the bead to lock it in place. This lock chain is part of the bead’s 1 in (2.5 cm); don’t count it as an extra chain.

To add a bird (RS facing you, head to the left):
1. Sl st into the middle ch-1 space of upper wing Row 6.
2. Turn the bird WS toward you. Work 1 sl st through the mesh space directly below in each of Rows 5, 4, 3 and 2, then 1 sl st between the body sc of Row 1, then 1 sl st through each of lower wing Rows 1, 2 and 3.
3. That’s 8 sl sts after the join. Your yarn now comes out at the bottom of the bird.

Odd strands (make 6):
1. With B, leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail and ch 4. This top drop is 1 in (2.5 cm).
2. Work the unit 7 times, starting with a plum bird.
3. Add 1 plum bead and fasten off.

Total: 1 + 49 + 1 = 51 in (129.5 cm).

Even strands (make 6):
1. With B, leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail and ch 18. This top drop is 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
2. Work the unit 6 times, starting with a sage bird.
3. Add 1 plum bead, ch 10 (2.5 in / 6.4 cm), add 1 more plum bead, and fasten off.

Total: 4.5 + 42 + 1 + 2.5 + 1 = 51 in (129.5 cm).

Tension: Keep the chains even and slightly loose. Make the sl sts that run through each bird snug but not tight, so the bird lies flat without puckering.

Checkpoint: Hang each finished strand from its tail. It should measure 51 in (129.5 cm), give or take 0.5 in (1.3 cm). If it’s off, adjust the top drop chain. Don’t change the units.

Border: Header Band and Tabs

The header band uses the same gauge as the birds: 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).

Foundation: With B, ch 182.

Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (181 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (181 sc)

Row 3: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next st, dc in next st, [ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st] 89 times. Turn. (91 dc + 90 ch-1 sps)

Row 4: Ch 1. Sc in each dc and in each ch-1 sp, ending with a sc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Turn. (91 + 90 = 181 sc)

Row 5: Repeat Row 3. (91 dc + 90 ch-1 sps)

Row 6: Repeat Row 4. (181 sc)

Row 7: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (181 sc) Fasten off.

The band measures 36.2 in (91.9 cm) × 1.8 in (4.6 cm).

Tabs

Number the Row 7 stitches 1–181. Each tab is 5 stitches wide, and there are 17 stitches between tabs. The tabs start at stitches 1, 23, 45, 67, 89, 111, 133, 155 and 177.

For each tab:
1. Join B in the first stitch of the tab. Ch 1 and sc in 5 sts. Turn. (5 sc)
2. Rows 2–16: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (5 sc)
3. The tab is now 3.2 in (8.1 cm) long. Fold it to the back and whipstitch its last row to the back of Row 6.

These loops fit rods up to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter. For a thicker rod, add 2 rows to every tab.

Attaching the Strands

Along the foundation edge, mark the free loops under stitches 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84, 98, 112, 126, 140, 154 and 168. Alternate odd and even strands starting from the left. Pull each top tail through its marked loop, knot it securely, and weave the tail back up the strand.

Why the Math Works

  • Rows 3 and 5: 181 is an odd number, so the mesh starts and ends on a dc post: 91 posts and 90 spaces. Rows 4 and 6 turn this back into 91 + 90 = 181 sc, so the stitch count never drifts.
  • Strands: 13 margin sts + 155 sts from stitch 14 to stitch 168 (11 gaps × 14) + 13 margin sts = 181. The margins are 2.6 in (6.6 cm) on each side, and the strands span 30.8 in (78.2 cm), centered on stitch 91.
  • Tabs: 9 tabs × 5 sts + 8 gaps × 17 sts = 45 + 136 = 181. Each gap is 3.4 in (8.6 cm).
  • No seams: Each strand hangs from a single stitch, so no stitches are added at any join.

Final Blocking

  1. Lightly mist all the birds. Pin each one flat with its wing tips and tail prongs fully open and the mesh squared.
  2. If you want crisper wings, spray them lightly with starch. Let everything dry completely.
  3. Pin the header band to 36.2 in × 1.8 in (91.9 × 4.6 cm), mist it and let it dry.
  4. Hang the curtain on its rod for 24 hours. This lets the strands relax to their full 51 in (129.5 cm).
  5. Steam-mist any bird that twists, and press it flat with your fingers.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

  • 78 birds: 42 plum and 36 sage, each 5.5 × 4 in (14.0 × 10.2 cm)
  • 96 beads: 54 plum and 42 sage, each 1 in (2.5 cm)
  • Every bird has a clear eye space and a beak picot, and is linked at its center line
  • Odd strands carry 7 birds, even strands carry 6, and every strand is 51 in (129.5 cm)
  • The header is 181 sts wide, with 9 tabs and 12 strands evenly placed
  • All ends are woven in and all beads are locked in place

Troubleshooting

  • Wings curl: Your dc stitches are too tight. Block firmly or go up a hook size.
  • Wing doesn’t slant back: Check that you sl st over a mesh at the head end and work the tr increase at the tail end on Rows 4 and 6.
  • Birds hang crooked: Your path through the bird drifted. Redo the 8 sl sts so they run straight down the middle.
  • Beads slide: Make the lock ch under each bead tighter.
  • Strands are different lengths: Adjust only the top drop chain.
  • Header ripples: Recount the 181 sts. A missed sp in Row 4 or Row 6 causes this.

Care

Hand wash in cool water, roll the curtain in a towel to remove water, and dry it flat. Hang it back up while it’s slightly damp so the strands straighten under their own weight.

Crocheted window curtain with burgundy and sage green birds and beaded strands on wooden rod.

Final Notes

The measurements build on each other in a chain:

  • Row 1 of a bird is 20 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), and each finished bird spans 3.5 in (8.9 cm) top to bottom.
  • Each 7 in (17.8 cm) unit is a bead, ch 4, a bird and ch 6.
  • Each strand is 51 in (129.5 cm).
  • 12 strands hang 14 sts apart from a 181-stitch header that is 36.2 in (91.9 cm) wide and 1.8 in (4.6 cm) deep.
  • The finished curtain is 52.8 in (134.1 cm) long.

Check each link in that chain as you go, and the curtain will hang straight and even.

Happy crocheting!

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