This doorway curtain has a cream filet-mesh header and eleven green cords that hang straight down. Red and cream poinsettias run down every other cord, with small pointed leaves between them, so the curtain looks like columns of holiday flowers in the doorway.
The colors are cream, a true Christmas red, soft gold, and deep pine green. The style is clean and cottage-like. Each flower has six lance-shaped petals edged in single crochet and a raised gold popcorn center. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
The finished curtain is 32.8 in (83.3 cm) wide across the header. It is 64.8 in (164.6 cm) long from the top of the header to the tip of the lowest leaf, not counting the tabs.
Construction is simple. You crochet the mesh header in rows and add a two-round single-crochet border, then add tabs along the top edge. You make each cord from the bottom up, starting with its end leaf, and attach it to the header. Last, you make the flowers and leaves separately and sew them on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 32.8 in x 64.8 in (83.3 cm x 164.6 cm), not counting the tabs
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK / light worsted (#3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 header, 11 cords, 25 flowers, 50 sewn leaves (the 11 end leaves are worked as part of the cords)
- Layout: 11 cords spaced 3 in (7.6 cm) apart. Cords 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 carry flowers.
- Header size before border: 32 in x 4 in (81.3 cm x 10.2 cm), which is 80 mesh squares by 10 rows
- Border depth: 0.4 in (1.0 cm), two rounds of sc
- Header size after border: 32.8 in x 4.8 in (83.3 cm x 12.2 cm)
- Flower: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) from petal tip to petal tip
- Leaf: 1.5 in x 0.75 in (3.8 cm x 1.9 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized or matte cotton in DK weight. Cotton holds the pointed petal tips crisply and does not stretch much when hanging. Avoid fuzzy yarns, which blur the mesh.
- Cream: 125 g, about 300 m (header, border, tabs, 12 flowers)
- Red: 75 g, about 180 m (13 flowers)
- Gold: 20 g, about 50 m (25 flower centers)
- Green: 125 g, about 300 m (11 cords, 61 leaves)
These quantities include a margin of about 15%.
Tools: 3.5 mm (E-4) hook, tapestry needle, stitch markers, measuring tape, rust-proof pins, spray bottle, blocking mats, and a curtain rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) thick.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- sp: space
- MR: magic ring
- st(s): stitch(es)
- RS / WS: right side / wrong side
Popcorn (pc): Work 4 dc in the place shown. Drop the loop from the hook, insert the hook from front to back through the top of the first dc, pick up the dropped loop, and pull it through.
Beginning popcorn (beg pc): Ch 3, then 3 dc in the place shown. Drop the loop, insert the hook into the top of the ch-3, pick up the loop, and pull it through.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Mesh gauge: 10 mesh squares x 10 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) square. One mesh square is 0.4 in (1.0 cm), and each row has 5 sts per inch.
Sc gauge: 20 sc x 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm), or 5 sc per inch.
Test one piece first. Ch 28, then work Rows 1–2 of the header as written. That gives you 12 mesh squares. Repeat Row 2 until you have 10 rows. The swatch should measure 4.8 in x 4 in (12.2 cm x 10.2 cm). Then make one complete flower and check that it is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) across.
Checkpoints:
– Header Row 1: 32 in (81.3 cm) wide
– Header after 5 rows: 2 in (5.1 cm) tall
– Header after 10 rows: 32 in x 4 in (81.3 cm x 10.2 cm)
– Flower Rnd 1: 0.8 in (2.0 cm). Rnd 2: 1.2 in (3.0 cm). Rnd 4: 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
– Cord: 60 in (152.4 cm) from the header join to the leaf tip
Too big? Go down 0.25 mm in hook size. Too small? Go up 0.25 mm. If only the width is off, change the hook. If only the row height is off, change how high you pull up the dc loops instead of changing the hook.
Header
With cream, ch 164.
Row 1 (RS): Dc in 6th ch from hook. The skipped chs count as dc, ch 1, and a skipped ch. Ch 1, skip next ch, dc in next ch; repeat from * across. (80 mesh squares; 161 sts: 81 dc + 80 ch-1 sps)
Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc, ch 1), turn. Dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in next dc; repeat from * across. Work the last dc into the 4th of the skipped chs at the start of Row 1. (80 mesh squares, 161 sts)
Rows 3–10: Ch 4 (counts as dc, ch 1), turn. Dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in next dc; repeat from * across. Work the last dc into the 3rd ch of the turning ch-4. (80 mesh squares, 161 sts in each row)
Do not fasten off. Check the size: 32 in x 4 in (81.3 cm x 10.2 cm).
Flowers (make 13 red, 12 cream)
Rnd 1 (gold): Make a MR. Beg pc in ring, ch 1, pc in ring, ch 1; repeat from * 4 more times. Sl st to the top of the beg pc. (6 pc + 6 ch-1 sps = 12 sts) Pull the ring tight and fasten off. The popcorns stand up on the RS.
Rnd 2 (petal color): Join in any ch-1 sp. Ch 1, sc in ch-1 sp, sc in top of next pc; repeat from * around. Sl st to the first sc. (12 sc)
Rnd 3 (petals): Ch 8. Sl st in 2nd ch from hook, then work sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, and hdc in the next 6 chs, one stitch in each ch. Skip the next sc on Rnd 2 and sl st in the next sc. Repeat from * 5 more times. The last sl st goes into the same sc you started from. (6 petals, 7 sts each)
The skipped chain at the end of each petal becomes the tip. The tr is the widest point, so each petal tapers to a point at both ends.
Rnd 4 (petal edging): Edge each petal like this: work 1 sc into each of the 7 free loops along the chain side of the petal. Work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the tip ch, then 1 sc in each of the 7 sts down the other side. Finish the petal with a sl st into the sl st on Rnd 2. Repeat for all 6 petals. (16 sc and one ch-2 point per petal; 96 sc and 6 ch-2 sps total)
Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail for sewing.
Leaves (make 50 green)
Ch 8.
Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next 3 chs, hdc in next ch, and (sc, ch 2, sc) in the last ch to make the tip. Now work into the free loops on the other side of the chain: hdc in next ch, dc in next 3 chs, hdc in next ch, and sc in the same ch as the first sc. Sl st in the first sc. (14 sts and one ch-2 tip)
This makes a leaf with a sharp ch-2 tip and a narrow base. Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail.
Cords (make 11 green)
Each cord is made from the bottom up, starting with its end leaf.
- Make one leaf as written, but do not fasten off. You are now at the base of the leaf.
- Chain loosely until the chain measures 61 in (154.9 cm), about 300 ch. Do not fasten off. In the Joining section you will attach the chain to the header and work back down it.
Working the slip stitches back down the chain shortens it by about 1 in (2.5 cm), which brings the finished cord to 60 in (152.4 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Cream: 1 header, 12 flowers
- Red: 13 flowers
- Gold: 25 flower centers (Rnd 1)
- Green: 11 cords with end leaves, 50 loose leaves
Layout grid (R = red, C = cream, | = bare cord). Columns are cords 1–11. Rows show flower positions from the top down:
Cord: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
F1 | R | C | R | C | R |
F2 | C | R | C | R | C |
F3 | R | C | R | C | R |
F4 | C | R | C | R | C |
F5 | R | C | R | C | R |
Red count: 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 = 13. Cream count: 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 = 12.
Joining
Work the Border (next section) before you start joining, because the cords attach to Border Rnd 2.
Stitch logic: The bottom edge of Border Rnd 2 has 165 sts, counted from corner center to corner center. Cord k joins at stitch 8 + 15 x (k − 1). That gives stitches 8, 23, 38, 53, 68, 83, 98, 113, 128, 143, and 158. Each gap is 15 sts, and at 5 sts per inch the cords sit 3 in (7.6 cm) apart. The cords span 30 in (76.2 cm) and are centered, with 7 sts left over at each end. Each cord hangs directly below a tab.
Attach each cord:
1. Insert the hook from the RS through the marked bottom-edge stitch and sl st.
2. Sl st into the back bump of each ch, working down to the leaf.
3. Sl st into the leaf base and fasten off.
Keep the slip stitches the same size as the chain. If they are too tight, the cord shortens and twists. If they are too loose, the cord looks lumpy.
Flowers: Sew the flowers to cords 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. Center them at 5, 16, 27, 38, and 49 in (12.7, 40.6, 68.6, 96.5, and 124.5 cm) below the header. The flowers are 11 in (27.9 cm) apart center to center, with a 6.5 in (16.5 cm) gap between them. Stitch through the back of Rnd 2 around the cord. Then tack down the WS of the two petals that sit directly over the cord.
Leaves: Sew pairs of leaves to the same cords at 10.5, 21.5, 32.5, 43.5, and 54.5 in (26.7, 54.6, 82.6, 110.5, and 138.4 cm) below the header. Sew only the base of each leaf, with the tips angled up and out at about 45 degrees. (5 pairs x 5 cords = 50 leaves)
Size checkpoint: Hang the curtain. Each cord should measure 60 in (152.4 cm), and the full length should be 64.8 in (164.6 cm).
Border and Tabs
Border gauge: 5 sc per inch. Each round adds about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every side.
Do not turn. Continue from the last dc of Row 10.
Rnd 1: Ch 1. Work 3 sc in the first st of Row 10, sc in the next 159 sts, and 3 sc in the last st. Down the short side, work 2 sc around each row-end post (20 sc). Along the foundation chain, work 3 sc in the first ch, sc in the next 159 chs, and 3 sc in the last ch. Up the other short side, work 20 sc. Sl st to the first sc. (370 sc)
Counted corner center to corner center, including both corners, each long side has 163 sc and each short side has 24 sc. Check: 2 x 163 + 2 x 24 − 4 shared corner stitches = 370.
Rnd 2: Ch 1. Sc in each sc, working 3 sc in each corner center. (378 sc; 165 sc on each long side and 26 sc on each short side, corners included) Check: 2 x 165 + 2 x 26 − 4 = 378. Fasten off.
Why the math works: The mesh has 161 sts across 32 in, which is 5 sts per inch, the same as the sc gauge. So 1 sc per stitch keeps the long edges flat. Each dc row is 0.4 in (1.0 cm) tall, and 2 sc at 5 per inch also covers 0.4 in, so the short sides neither ruffle nor pull in. Each 3-sc corner adds 2 sts, which is what each side needs per round to turn the corner flat.
Tabs (make 11): Use the top edge of Rnd 2 (165 sts). Tab k covers stitches 6 + 15 x (k − 1) through 10 + 15 x (k − 1). That gives 11 tabs 5 sts wide, with 10-st gaps between them and 5 sts left at each end: 5 + 55 + 100 + 5 = 165.
Join cream in the first stitch of the tab. Ch 1 and sc in each of the 5 sts. Work 17 more rows of: ch 1, turn, sc in each of the 5 sts. (18 rows, 3.6 in / 9.1 cm)
Fold each tab to the WS and sew its last row along Row 9 of the header, about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) below the top edge. The loop fits a rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) thick.
Final Blocking
- Lay the header WS up on the blocking mats.
- Pin it to 32.8 in x 4.8 in (83.3 cm x 12.2 cm). Put a pin in every fifth mesh column so the squares stay square.
- Pin each flower out to 4.5 in (11.4 cm), with one pin in each ch-2 petal tip.
- Spray everything until it is damp, not soaked.
- Let it dry completely, which takes 12–24 hours.
- Hang the curtain and let the cords settle under their own weight for a day.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The header has 80 mesh squares by 10 rows, and the squares are square.
- Border Rnd 2 has 378 sc: 165 on each long side and 26 on each short side.
- There are 11 tabs, evenly spaced, each 5 sts wide.
- There are 11 cords, each 60 in (152.4 cm), each ending in a leaf.
- 13 red and 12 cream flowers are placed as shown in the grid.
- Each flower has 6 pointed petals with ch-2 tips, and the popcorns face forward.
- 50 leaves are sewn in pairs, angled upward.
- All ends are woven in at least 1 in (2.5 cm) and secured.
Troubleshooting
- Header narrows toward the top: You are missing the last dc in the turning chain. Count your mesh squares on every row.
- Mesh squares look tall and narrow: Pull up the first loop of each dc less, so the dc are shorter.
- Popcorns sink to the back: Insert the hook from front to back when you close each popcorn.
- Petals curl: The Rnd 4 sc are too tight. Block firmly, or redo Rnd 4 a little looser.
- Cord spirals: The slip stitches are tighter than the chain. Redo them more loosely.
- Cords hang at different lengths: Measure every chain before you join it. To adjust, add or remove a few chains at the top.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, roll the curtain in a towel to press out the water, and dry it flat with the petal tips pinned again. Store it rolled around a tube so the cords do not tangle.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other in a simple chain. The 10 x 10 mesh gauge gives a 32 in x 4 in (81.3 cm x 10.2 cm) header. Two border rounds bring it to 32.8 in x 4.8 in (83.3 cm x 12.2 cm). Eleven cords set 15 sts (3 in / 7.6 cm) apart hang 60 in (152.4 cm), for a total length of 64.8 in (164.6 cm). Check each of these measurements as you go and the curtain will hang straight.
Happy crocheting!