The Peacock Plume Doorway Curtain is a boho hanging made of beaded cords and lacy feather motifs. A cream filet-mesh header with tab tops slides onto a rod, and 17 teal cords hang from it. Every other cord carries a column of peacock feathers. The columns are offset so the feather eyes form a soft diamond grid.
Each feather has a navy teardrop center, a mustard-gold crescent and a navy outline. Three rounds of open teal lace finish in a pointed tip. The plain cords between the feather columns have small bobble “beads” along them, and every cord ends in a teal tassel.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is 34.25 in (87.0 cm) wide. It is 74 in (188.0 cm) long from the top of the header to the tassel tips, not counting the tab loops.
The curtain is built in separate parts:
– Work the header flat in rows.
– Add a single crochet border and the tabs.
– Chain the cords with the yarn held double.
– Make the feathers in the round.
– Sew everything together and add the tassels.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 34.25 in x 74 in (87.0 cm x 188.0 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hooks: 5.0 mm (H-8) for the header and feathers; 6.0 mm (J-10) for the cords
- Number of pieces: 1 header, 17 cords, 32 feathers, 17 tassels
- Layout: 17 cords spaced 2 in (5.1 cm) apart; 9 feather cords alternate with 8 plain beaded cords
- Header size before border: 33.75 in x 3.5 in (85.7 cm x 8.9 cm)
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on every side
- Feather size: 6 in x 4 in (15.2 cm x 10.2 cm)
- Cord length: 66 in (167.6 cm), plus a 4 in (10.2 cm) tassel
- Work order: header, border and tabs, cords, feathers, tassels, joining
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted cotton. Cotton hangs straight, keeps the lace points sharp after blocking, and stretches very little under the weight of the cords. The quantities below assume about 100 m (109 yd) per 50 g.
- Teal (A): 450 g / 900 m, for the cords, feather lace and tassels
- Navy (B): 50 g / 100 m, for the feather centers and outlines
- Mustard gold (C): 25 g / 50 m, for the feather crescents
- Cream (D): 50 g / 100 m, for the header, border and tabs
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) and 6.0 mm (J-10) hooks
- Tapestry needle and stitch markers
- Stiff card, 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall, for the tassels
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking board
- Measuring tape
- Curtain rod up to 1.25 in (3.2 cm) in diameter
All quantities include a margin of about 15 percent for swatching, tails and trimming the tassels.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- beg – beginning
- RS – right side
Special stitch – Chain Bead (CB): Ch 3. Then repeat 4 times: yarn over, insert the hook in the 3rd ch from the hook, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Finish with yarn over and pull through all 5 loops on the hook. The bobble folds against the chain as a round knot.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Header (5.0 mm): 16 dc and 8 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). In the mesh, 2 squares = 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Tabs and border (5.0 mm): 16 sc and 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
- Cords (6.0 mm, yarn held double): 3 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm). One [ch 8, CB] segment = 3 in (7.6 cm).
Make one test piece of each type first: one feather, a cord 3 segments long and a 20-stitch header swatch.
Checkpoints:
- Feather after Rnd 1: 1.25 in x 1 in (3.2 cm x 2.5 cm)
- Feather after Rnd 3: 2.5 in x 2 in (6.4 cm x 5.1 cm)
- Feather after Rnd 4: 3.25 in x 2.75 in (8.3 cm x 7.0 cm)
- Feather after Rnd 6, blocked: 6 in x 4 in (15.2 cm x 10.2 cm)
- Three cord segments: 9 in (22.9 cm)
- Header after Row 7: 33.75 in x 3.5 in (85.7 cm x 8.9 cm)
If your pieces are too big, use a hook one size smaller. If they are too small, use a hook one size larger. Let test cords hang for a few minutes before you measure them, because chains stretch a little under their own weight.
Feather Motif (Make 32)
Use the 5.0 mm hook and a single strand of yarn.
Rnd 1 (B): Ch 5. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, 6 dc in last ch. Then work along the other side of the foundation chain: dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch. Join to first sc. Fasten off. (12 sts)
This makes a teardrop. The narrow end is the top, and the 6-dc fan (sts 4–9) is the rounded bottom.
Rnd 2 (C): Join C with sl st in st 1 (this counts as a st). Sl st in st 2, sc in st 3, 2 hdc in each of sts 4–9, sc in st 10, sl st in sts 11 and 12. Join to first sl st. Fasten off. (18 sts: 4 sl st, 2 sc, 12 hdc)
The tall hdc sit only around the bottom, and the sl sts lie flat at the top, so the gold shows as a crescent.
Rnd 3 (B): Join B in st 1. Ch 1, sc in sts 1 and 2, hdc in st 3. Over sts 4–15, work [dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] 6 times. Hdc in st 16, sc in sts 17 and 18. Join. Fasten off. (24 sts: 4 sc, 2 hdc, 18 dc)
Rnd 4 (A): Join A in st 1. Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), [dc in next st, ch 1] twice. Work [(dc, ch 1) twice in next st, dc in next st, ch 1] 9 times. Work [dc in next st, ch 1] 3 times. Join to 3rd ch of beg ch-4. (33 dc, 33 ch-1 sps)
Rnd 5 (A): Sl st in first ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp. Work [ch 4, sc in next ch-1 sp] 15 times. Ch 4, then (sc, ch 6, sc) in next ch-1 sp. Work [ch 4, sc in next ch-1 sp] 16 times, ch 4, join to first sc. (34 sc; 33 ch-4 loops, 1 ch-6 tip loop)
The ch-6 loop sits in the 17th sp, at the center of the bottom. There are 16 ch-4 loops on each side of it, plus one ch-4 loop at the center of the top.
Rnd 6 (A): Sl st in first 2 ch of next loop, ch 1, sc in same loop. Work [ch 5, sc in next loop] 15 times. Ch 5, then (sc, ch 8, sc) in the ch-6 tip loop. Work [ch 5, sc in next loop] 16 times. Ch 2, sc in the top ch-4 loop, ch 2, join to first sc. Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. (35 sc; 32 ch-5 loops, 1 ch-8 tip, 2 ch-2 sps)
The ch-8 loop forms the pointed bottom tip. The short ch-2 spaces pull the top in, so the feather narrows toward the cord. Place a marker in the sc at the center of the top.
Cords (Make 17)
Use the 6.0 mm hook with A held double. Start each cord with a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail, then ch 1. This top ch is not counted in the cord length.
Plain cord (make 8): [Ch 8, CB] 22 times. (22 segments = 66 in / 167.6 cm; 22 beads)
Type A feather cord (make 5): [Ch 8, CB] once, ch 18, [ch 8, CB] 3 times, ch 18; rep from * twice more, [ch 8, CB] 4 times. (14 segments + 4 zones = 42 in + 24 in = 66 in; 14 beads)*
Type B feather cord (make 4): [Ch 8, CB] 3 times, ch 18, [ch 8, CB] 3 times; rep from * once more, ch 18, [ch 8, CB] 7 times. (16 segments + 3 zones = 48 in + 18 in = 66 in; 16 beads)*
Each ch-18 section is a 6 in (15.2 cm) feather zone with no beads. The zones sit at these distances below the header:
– Type A: 3–9, 18–24, 33–39 and 48–54 in
– Type B: 9–15, 24–30 and 39–45 in
End each cord with ch 1 and fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
Header
Use the 5.0 mm hook and D.
Foundation: Ch 137.
Row 1 (solid): Dc in 4th ch from hook (the skipped ch count as a dc) and in each ch across. Turn. (135 sts)
Rows 2–6 (mesh): Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), skip next st, dc in next st, ch 1, skip next st, dc in next st; rep from * across, ending in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (68 dc + 67 ch-1 sps = 135 sts; 67 squares)*
Row 7 (solid): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each ch-1 sp and each dc across. Do not fasten off. (135 sts)
Checkpoint: the header measures 33.75 in x 3.5 in (85.7 cm x 8.9 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Teal (A), held double: 8 plain cords, 5 Type A cords and 4 Type B cords
- Navy, gold and teal: 32 feathers
- Teal (A): 17 tassels. For each one:
- Wrap A 20 times around the card.
- Tie the top with the cord’s end tail.
- Wrap a neck 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the top.
- Cut the loops at the bottom and trim to 4 in (10.2 cm).
- Cream (D): 1 header with border and tabs
Layout grid, read left to right with the RS facing (P = plain cord):
Cord: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Type: A P B P A P B P A P B P A P B P A
Feathers: 4 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 4
Total: 5 x 4 + 4 x 3 = 32 feathers.
Joining
Finish the border and tabs (next section) before you join anything.
Cords to header: Each cord joins to one border sc on the bottom edge. Count from the left with the RS facing and use these sc: 4, 12, 20, 28, 36, 44, 52, 60, 68, 76, 84, 92, 100, 108, 116, 124 and 132. That puts 8 sts, or 2 in (5.1 cm), between neighboring cords.
To join a cord:
1. Thread its top tail on a needle.
2. Pass the tail from front to back through the border sc, then through the cord’s top ch.
3. Repeat 3 times so the top ch sits directly under the sc.
4. Weave in the tail.
Keep the tension snug but not tight. The sc should keep its shape, with no gap between it and the cord. Checkpoint: cord 1 to cord 17 measures 32 in (81.3 cm), with 3 sts (0.75 in / 1.9 cm) left free at each end.
Feathers to cords: Lay a feather RS up over a feather zone, with the cord running behind the feather’s center line.
1. Sew the marked top sc to the first ch of the zone.
2. Tack the back of Rnd 3 to the cord at the top and bottom.
3. Sew the ch-8 tip to the last ch of the zone.
The feather is 6 in (15.2 cm) long, the same length as the zone.
Tassels: Tie each tassel to its cord’s end tail and hide the tail inside the tassel.
Border
Border gauge: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). One round adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) to each side.
Rnd 1 (D): Continue from Row 7 and ch 1.
– Top: sc in each st across. (135 sc) Ch 1 for the corner.
– First short side: 2 sc in each row-end. (14 sc) Ch 1.
– Bottom: sc in the base of each Row 1 st. (135 sc) Ch 1.
– Second short side: 2 sc in each row-end. (14 sc) Ch 1, join to first sc.
(298 sc, 4 ch-1 corner sps)
In this border the corners are ch-1 spaces, not stitches. Each side count includes stitches only.
Rnd 2 (tabs, worked in rows on the top edge): Join D in top sc 1. Ch 1, sc in same st and next 4 sts. (5 sc)
Rows 2–20: Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc. (5 sc) Fasten off with a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
Skip 8 sc and start the next tab. Make 11 tabs in total, starting at top sc 1, 14, 27, 40, 53, 66, 79, 92, 105, 118 and 131.
Each tab is 1.25 in x 5 in (3.2 cm x 12.7 cm). Fold each tab to the back and sew Row 20 to the back of header Row 6. This leaves a loop that fits a rod up to 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across.
Why the math works:
– The mesh needs an odd stitch count: 2 x 67 + 1 = 135.
– The tabs use 11 x 5 + 10 x 8 = 135 top sts, so the end tabs line up with the corners.
– The cord positions run from st 4 to st 4 + (16 x 8) = 132, leaving 3 sts free at each end.
– Width: 33.75 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 34.25 in (87.0 cm).
– Depth: 3.5 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Final Blocking
- Pin each feather to 6 in x 4 in (15.2 cm x 10.2 cm). Open every loop and pull the ch-8 tip into a sharp point.
- Mist until damp and let dry completely.
- Pin the header to 34.25 in x 4 in (87.0 cm x 10.2 cm), squaring each mesh square.
- Mist, let dry and unpin.
- After joining, hang the curtain and steam the cords lightly from a distance so they straighten.
- Trim the tassels evenly to 4 in (10.2 cm).
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Header measures 34.25 in x 4 in (87.0 cm x 10.2 cm)
- 11 tabs, evenly spaced and securely sewn
- 17 cords, 2 in (5.1 cm) apart, each on the correct sc
- All cords 66 in (167.6 cm) long before the tassels
- 32 feathers, each on a zone with no beads
- Feather tips point down, with the gold crescent below the navy center
- All tails woven in and tassels trimmed evenly
Troubleshooting
- Feather cups: Rnd 4 is too tight. Use a hook one size larger for Rnds 4–6.
- Feather ruffles: The loops are too loose. Chain more tightly or use a 4.5 mm hook.
- Cords too long: Chains made with doubled yarn stretch. Measure again after hanging and remove a segment at the bottom if needed.
- Gold doesn’t show as a crescent: Make sure Rnd 2 starts with sl sts at the narrow end.
- Header bows at the bottom: The cord joins are too tight. Sew them again more loosely.
- Cords tangle: Hang the curtain and comb the cords straight from top to bottom.
Care
Shake the curtain out gently or hand wash it in cool water. Lay it flat to dry and re-pin the feathers if needed.
Final Notes
Each measurement builds on the one before, so you can check them in order. At 16 dc = 4 in, the 135-st header is 33.75 in wide, and the border brings it to 34.25 in. The 3 in segments and 6 in zones add up to 66 in cords, and each 6 in x 4 in feather fits its zone. Check each measurement as you go, and the curtain will hang square and even.
Happy crocheting!