The Sunburst Ring Bead Curtain is a light, airy hanging made from 126 small flower-ring motifs. Each motif has an open center ringed with chunky single crochet and is surrounded by 24 rounded long-puff petals. The motifs are chained together into vertical strands that hang from a curtain rod like oversized beads.
The colors are deep plum and soft peach. Each strand is one color, and the strands alternate across the rod (plum, peach, plum, and so on), with plum on both outer edges. In a sunny window, the open centers frame the view and the petals catch the light. You can use it as a window curtain, a doorway divider, or a soft room screen.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is about 44 in (111.8 cm) wide and 72 in (182.9 cm) long, measured from the top of the rod. Each motif is 4 in (10.2 cm) across the petal tips.
The construction is simple and repetitive. First you work a single crochet ring around a chain loop, then a round of petals. From the second motif on, you link each new motif to the one above it while you work its petal round. A sturdy hanging loop finishes the top of each strand.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 44 in (111.8 cm) wide x 72 in (182.9 cm) long, including hanging loops
- Skill level: Easy (repetitive, one special stitch)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 126 motifs (70 plum, 56 peach)
- Layout: 9 strands of 14 motifs each, colors alternating by strand
- Piece size: 4 in (10.2 cm) across petal tips; center hole 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
- Size before border: each linked strand is 69 in (175.3 cm) long
- Border depth: no border around the edges; the top hanging loop adds about 3 in (7.6 cm) of drop
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend of about 200 m per 100 g (219 yd per 100 g). Cotton gives crisp petals, drapes well, and doesn’t stretch much over time. Avoid fuzzy or brushed yarns because they hide the puff shapes. If you can, buy each color from a single dye lot. With 70 plum motifs hanging side by side, even a small shade difference will show.
- Color A, deep plum: 400 g (800 m / 875 yd)
- Color B, soft peach: 320 g (640 m / 700 yd)
Each motif uses about 5 g (10 m / 11 yd), and each hanging loop uses about 2 g (4 m / 4.4 yd). The amounts above include an extra margin of about 10% for swatching, tails, and dye-lot safety.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
- Tape measure
- Rust-proof pins, blocking mats, and a spray bottle
- Curtain rod no more than 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in diameter, with at least 48 in (121.9 cm) of usable length
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- yo – yarn over
- RS – right side
- LP – long puff (see below)
Special stitch – Long Puff (LP): (Yo, insert hook in the indicated st, yo and pull up a loop to 1 in / 2.5 cm tall) 4 times, so you have 9 loops on the hook. Yo and draw through all 9 loops, then ch 1 to lock. This locking ch is the petal tip. All joins and hanging loops are worked into petal tips.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make one complete motif before anything else. It’s your gauge swatch, and it counts toward the 126.
- Chain gauge: 4 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm)
- After Round 1: outer diameter 2 in (5.1 cm), center hole 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
- After Round 2: 4 in (10.2 cm) between opposite petal tips
- Two linked motifs: 9 in (22.9 cm) from the top tip of the first motif to the bottom tip of the second
If your motif is larger than 4 in (10.2 cm), pull the LP loops up a little shorter or switch to a 4.5 mm hook. If it’s smaller, pull the loops up slightly taller or try a 5.5 mm hook. Being off by just 1/8 in (0.3 cm) per motif adds up to 1.75 in (4.4 cm) over a 14-motif strand, so match the gauge carefully.
Measure again after every ten motifs or so. Puff height tends to drift as your hands relax, and a quick check keeps all 126 motifs the same size.
Motif Pattern
Work in the round with the RS facing you. Don’t turn.
Foundation: Ch 20, sl st in first ch to form a ring. Make sure the chain isn’t twisted.
Round 1: Ch 1, work 24 sc into the ring (around the chain, not into the chains), sl st in first sc. (24 sc)
Push the stitches together evenly so they cover the whole chain. The ring should lie flat, with a smooth, rounded, padded edge around a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) hole.
Round 2 (petal round): Ch 2 (doesn’t count as a st), LP in same sc as join (petal 1), ch 1, *LP in next sc, ch 1; repeat from * 23 more times, sl st in tip of first LP. Fasten off. (24 LP, 24 ch-1 sps)
Each sc from Round 1 holds exactly one petal, so the 24 petals spread out evenly with small open gaps between their rounded tips. Petal 13 is directly opposite petal 1. Petal 1 always points up and petal 13 always points down.
Petal shape tip: Pull every loop up to the same height. Each LP should look like a plump, rounded teardrop, not a pointed spike.
Make All Pieces
Each strand has 14 motifs in one color. Make the first motif of each strand exactly as written above. Motifs 2 through 14 are joined to the strand while you work their Round 2 (see Joining).
- Color A (plum): 5 strands x 14 motifs = 70 motifs
- Color B (peach): 4 strands x 14 motifs = 56 motifs
- Total: 9 strands, 126 motifs
Layout grid (left to right as seen from inside the room; A = plum, B = peach; every strand is 14 motifs long):
Strand: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Color: A B A B A B A B A
Motif 1 O O O O O O O O O <- hanging loops
Motif 2 O O O O O O O O O
... (repeat to motif 14)
Motif 14 O O O O O O O O O <- free bottom edge
Finish one whole strand before you start the next. That way the newest motif is always the one you link to, and the strands are easier to keep untangled.
Joining
The motifs are linked tip to tip with a double chain, joined as you go.
Linking Round 2 (motifs 2–14): Work the foundation and Round 1 as usual. Start Round 2: ch 2, LP in same sc as join (petal 1). Now make the link: ch 4, sl st in tip of petal 13 of the previous motif, ch 4, sl st in tip of petal 1 of the current motif. Ch 1 and finish the round as written: *LP in next sc, ch 1; repeat from * 23 more times, sl st in tip of first LP. Fasten off. (24 LP, 24 ch-1 sps)
The link doesn’t add any stitches to the motif itself. Each motif still has exactly 24 petals and 24 ch-1 sps, and the link chains sit outside the round.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: One petal tip (petal 13 of the motif above) connects to one petal tip (petal 1 of the motif below). Petals 1 and 13 are directly opposite each other, so every motif hangs straight and the whole strand runs in a true vertical line.
Tension: Work the ch-4 links at your normal chain gauge. Two strands of 4 ch make a 1 in (2.5 cm) link. Chains that are too tight shorten the strand and pull the petal tips into points. Chains that are too loose let the motifs twist. Before each sl st, check that the RS of the previous motif is facing you so the strand doesn’t spiral.
Size checkpoints:
- Two linked motifs: 4 + 1 + 4 = 9 in (22.9 cm)
- Full strand: 14 motifs x 4 in + 13 links x 1 in = 56 + 13 = 69 in (175.3 cm)
Hang each strand from a hook and measure it before you add the hanging loop. All 9 strands should be within 0.5 in (1.3 cm) of each other.
Border: Top Hanging Loops
This curtain has no border around its edges because the open strands are the design. The only edge finishing is a sturdy hanging loop at the top of each strand, worked into petal 1 of motif 1.
Loop gauge: 4 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm); 1 sc covers 1 ch.
Row 1 (chain loop): With the strand’s color and the RS facing you, join the yarn with a sl st in the tip of petal 1 of motif 1. Ch 24, sl st in same tip. (1 ch-24 loop)
Row 2 (covering row): Ch 1, work 24 sc into the ch-24 loop (around the chain), sl st in same tip of petal 1. Fasten off. (24 sc = 1 sc per existing ch + 0 extra)
Make one loop on each of the 9 strands, for a total of 9 loops with 24 sc each.
Why the math works: 24 ch at 4 ch per inch gives a loop 6 in (15.2 cm) around. A rod 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in diameter is about 4.7 in (11.9 cm) around, so the loop slips on with room to slide. Folded over the rod, the loop hangs down about half its length, or 3 in (7.6 cm). The 24 sc match the 24 ch exactly, so the loop is firm without ruffling or tightening. The total drop is 69 in (175.3 cm) of strand plus 3 in (7.6 cm) of loop, which equals 72 in (182.9 cm).
Spacing on the rod: Hang the strands 5 in (12.7 cm) apart, measured center to center. Eight gaps x 5 in = 40 in (101.6 cm). Add half a motif at each outer edge (2 in / 5.1 cm each) for an overall width of 44 in (111.8 cm). This spacing leaves 1 in (2.5 cm) of open space between the petal tips of neighboring strands.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the back of the sc ring, splitting the plies so they stay put.
- Lay each strand flat on blocking mats, RS up, in a straight vertical line.
- Mist lightly until the yarn is damp but not soaked.
- Pin each center hole into a circle 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide, and pin each motif to 4 in (10.2 cm) across the tips.
- Pin each link straight at 1 in (2.5 cm) so the strand measures 69 in (175.3 cm).
- Shape each petal with your fingertips into a rounded teardrop.
- Let everything dry completely. Then unpin and hang the strands right away so they settle under their own weight.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every motif has 24 sc in Round 1 and 24 LP in Round 2.
- Each motif measures 4 in (10.2 cm) across, and each hole measures 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
- Every link joins petal 13 of the motif above to petal 1 of the motif below.
- Each strand has 14 motifs and 13 links and measures 69 in (175.3 cm).
- No strand is twisted, and every RS faces into the room.
- Each hanging loop has 24 sc and slides easily on the rod.
- The colors alternate A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B, A from left to right.
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
The Round 1 ring buckles. The chain ring is too small for 24 sc. Make the foundation chain looser, or go up one hook size for the ch 20 only.
Bare chain shows between the Round 1 stitches. Slide the sc together before you join. They should overlap slightly and hide the chain completely.
The petals look pointed or uneven. Pull every loop of each LP to the same 1 in (2.5 cm) height, and keep the locking ch snug.
The motif cups instead of lying flat. Your LP loops are too short to reach around the outer edge. Pull them up slightly taller.
A strand twists. One motif was linked with its wrong side facing you. Undo that link and rejoin it with the RS facing you.
The strands are different lengths. Measure each strand before blocking, and re-pin the links to an even 1 in (2.5 cm).
The loop won’t fit over the rod. Add chains in multiples of 4 (each 4 ch adds 1 in / 2.5 cm), and work the same number of sc to cover them.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, roll the curtain in a towel to remove extra water, and dry it flat, pinned to shape. To dust it, give it a gentle shake or use a hair dryer on the cool setting.
Final Notes
The whole curtain depends on one chain of measurements:
- 24 sc around a ch-20 ring make a 2 in (5.1 cm) ring with a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) hole.
- 24 long puffs, each 1 in (2.5 cm) tall, bring each motif to 4 in (10.2 cm) across.
- A 1 in (2.5 cm) link sets a 5 in (12.7 cm) spacing from one motif to the next.
- 14 motifs and 13 links make a strand 69 in (175.3 cm) long.
- A 24-st hanging loop adds 3 in (7.6 cm), for a 72 in (182.9 cm) drop.
- 9 strands hung 5 in (12.7 cm) apart, center to center, give a width of 44 in (111.8 cm).
Check your first motif and keep your puffs even. After that, it’s calm, steady repetition.
Happy crocheting!