The Frosted Bells Window Valance is a winter lace band that hangs from a curtain rod like frost on glass. A cream filet band carries a row of linked diamonds. Each diamond frames a small teal flower with a pearl center. Nine V-shaped points finish the lower edge, and teal chain strands hold cream snowflakes and little teal bells.
The palette is cream and muted teal with pearl accents. The style is calm cottage-Christmas, and it works all winter, not just in December.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished valance measures 36.5 in (92.7 cm) wide and 5.7 in (14.5 cm) deep at the tips, not counting the rod loops. The lowest bells hang about 13 in (33.0 cm) below the top edge.
You work one filet band in rows from the top down, then shape nine points with short decreasing rows. The flowers, snowflakes and bells are made separately. You sew the flowers into the diamonds, add a two-round border with rod loops and tip picots, and hang the strands last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 36.5 in (92.7 cm) x 5.7 in (14.5 cm) at the tips; about 13 in (33.0 cm) to the lowest bell
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 3.25 mm (US D-3)
- Number of pieces: 1 band, 9 flowers, 9 snowflakes, 17 bells (36 pieces), plus 17 chain strands
- Layout: 9 diamond repeats in one row, 1 point under each diamond, 17 hanging strands
- Piece size: repeat 4 in (10.2 cm) wide; flower 1.75 in (4.4 cm); snowflake 2 in (5.1 cm); bell 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall
- Size before border: 36 in (91.4 cm) x 5.2 in (13.2 cm)
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on every edge
Materials
Use a smooth, mercerized sport weight cotton. It shows the filet squares clearly and the points keep their shape after blocking. Acrylic relaxes over time and the points droop.
- Cream: 120 g, about 336 m (band, border, snowflakes, flower centers)
- Teal: 90 g, about 252 m (flower petals, bells, chain strands)
These amounts include a margin of about 25 percent for your swatch and for differences in tension.
Tools and notions:
- 3.25 mm (US D-3) hook
- Tapestry needle, fine beading needle, cream sewing thread
- 9 pearl beads, 6 mm (flower centers)
- 17 pearl beads, 8 mm (bell clappers)
- 17 pearl beads, 4 mm (strand accents; the hole must fit your yarn)
- Stitch markers, measuring tape, blocking mat, rust-proof pins
- Spray starch (optional)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
Filet squares: Each square is 3 sts wide and shares a dc with the square next to it. Every row starts with ch 3, which counts as a dc.
- Open square (O): ch 2, sk 2 sts, dc in next st.
- Block (B): dc in each of next 3 sts. Over a ch-2 sp, work 2 dc in the sp and 1 dc in the next dc.
Picot: ch 3, then sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook (or in the st just made, where stated).
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 8 squares (25 sts) = 4 in (10.2 cm) wide, and 10 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) tall. Each square is 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide and each row is 0.4 in (1.0 cm) tall.
Test one piece first. Ch 27 and work Rows 1–10 over one repeat only (25 sts). Block it. It should measure 4 in x 4 in (10.2 cm x 10.2 cm).
- Too big: go down to a 2.75 mm or 3.0 mm hook.
- Too small: go up to a 3.5 mm hook.
- Width right, height wrong: keep the hook and change how tall you pull up each dc.
Checkpoints:
- Swatch: 4 in x 4 in (10.2 cm x 10.2 cm).
- Band after Row 10: 36 in (91.4 cm) x 4 in (10.2 cm).
- After the points: 5.2 in (13.2 cm) deep at the tips.
- Flower 1.75 in (4.4 cm), snowflake 2 in (5.1 cm), bell 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall.
- After the border: 36.5 in x 5.7 in (92.7 cm x 14.5 cm).
The Lace Band
With cream, ch 219.
Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook (the skipped ch count as the first dc) and in each ch across, turn. (217 sts = 72 squares)
Rows 2–8 follow the chart below. Each line shows the 8 squares of one repeat. Ch 3 at the start of each row, work the repeat 9 times across, then turn. Every row has 217 sts.
- Row 2: OOOBBOOO
- Row 3: OOBOOBOO
- Row 4: OBOOOOBO
- Row 5: BOOOOOOB
- Row 6: OBOOOOBO
- Row 7: OOBOOBOO
- Row 8: OOOBBOOO
The blocks form a diamond 8 squares wide and 7 rows tall, measuring 4 in x 2.8 in (10.2 cm x 7.1 cm). In Row 5, the end blocks of neighboring repeats sit side by side, so the diamonds touch tip to tip and form a continuous lattice.
Row 9: Ch 3, dc in each st across, turn. (217 sts, all blocks)
Row 10: Ch 3, ch 2, sk 2, dc in next st 72 times, turn. (72 open squares, 217 sts)
Checkpoint: 36 in x 4 in (91.4 cm x 10.2 cm).
The Points
Place a marker in every 24th st of Row 10 (sts 25, 49, 73 and so on). These seam sts divide the repeats. Each point is worked over one repeat.
Point Row 1: Join cream in the dc that ends square 1 of the repeat. Ch 3, work 6 open squares, turn. (6 squares, 19 sts)
Point Row 2: Sl st in each of the first 3 sts, ch 3, work 4 open squares, turn. (4 squares, 13 sts)
Point Row 3: Sl st in each of the first 3 sts, ch 3, work 2 open squares. (2 squares, 7 sts) Fasten off.
Repeat for all 9 repeats. Between points, the square on each side of a seam stays unworked and forms the bottom of the V.
Checkpoint: 5.2 in (13.2 cm) from the top edge to each tip.
Flowers (make 9)
Rnd 1: With cream, make a magic ring, ch 1, 6 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc. (6 sc) Fasten off.
Rnd 2: Join teal in any st, ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, join. (12 sc)
Rnd 3: Sl st in next st, (hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc) in next st 6 times, join to first sl st. (6 petals, 36 sts) Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
Sew a 6 mm pearl to the cream center. The flower measures 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
Snowflakes (make 9)
Rnd 1: With cream, make a magic ring, ch 1, 12 sc in ring, join. (12 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in next st, ch 3, sk 1 6 times, join to first sc. (6 sc, 6 ch-3 sps)
Rnd 3: Sl st into first ch-3 sp. In the sp work: sc, ch 4, (picot) 3 times, sl st in each of the 4 ch back toward the center, sc in same sp 6 times, join. (6 arms, each tipped with 3 picots) Fasten off.
After blocking, the snowflake measures 2 in (5.1 cm) from tip to tip.
Bells (make 17)
Rnd 1: With teal, make a magic ring, 6 sc in ring. From here, work in a spiral. (6)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st. (12)
Rnds 3–4: Sc in BLO of each st. (12)
Rnd 5: In BLO, sc in next st, 2 sc in next 6 times. (18)
Rnd 6: Sc in BLO of each st. (18)
Rnd 7: In BLO, sc in next 2, 2 sc in next 6 times. (24)
Rnd 8: In BLO, sc in next 3, 2 sc in next 6 times. (30)
Rnd 9: Sl st in each st around. (30) Fasten off.
The BLO rounds give the fine ridged texture. Sew an 8 mm pearl inside on a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) thread loop so it peeks below the rim. The bell is 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across the hem.
Make All Pieces
- Cream: 1 band, 9 snowflakes, 9 flower centers
- Teal: 9 flower petal rounds, 17 bells, 17 chain strands
Layout, left to right (D = diamond with flower, P = point, T = tip strand, N = notch strand):
- BAND: D D D D D D D D D
- POINTS: P P P P P P P P P
- STRANDS: T N T N T N T N T N T N T N T N T
That makes 9 tip strands and 8 notch strands, 17 in total.
Joining
Flowers into diamonds. Lay the band right side up. Center a flower inside each diamond, over the open squares of Rows 4–6. With the teal tail, tack each petal tip to the nearest block of the diamond outline using 2 small whipstitches. That is 6 tack points per flower, 54 in total.
Stitch logic: tack only into the dc posts of the blocks, never into the ch-2 bars. The blocks are firm and hold the flower in the center.
Tension: keep the tacks snug but not tight. If the squares around a flower pull into ovals, loosen that stitch.
Size checkpoint: the band should still measure 36 in (91.4 cm). If it has narrowed, the tacks are too tight.
Border
Border gauge: 6 sc per inch along stitch edges, and 2 sc per dc row-end along row edges.
Rnd 1: Join cream at the top right corner. Work around the whole band, then join to the first sc:
- Top: 1 sc in each foundation st. (217 sc; sts 1 and 217 are the corner sts) Ch 1 at each top corner (not counted).
- Each side: 2 sc around each row-end post of Rows 1–10. (20 sc per side)
- Each point: Go down the first side, alternating ledges and posts. Work 2 sc on the unworked ledge of Row 10, 2 sc around the Point Row 1 post, 2 sc on the Point Row 1 ledge, 2 sc around the Point Row 2 post, 2 sc on the Point Row 2 ledge, and 2 sc around the Point Row 3 post. (12 sc) Across the tip, sc in each dc and 2 sc in each ch-2 sp. (7 sc) Mirror the side going up. (12 sc) (31 sc per point)
- Each V: 1 sc in the top of the seam st between 2 points. (8 sc)
Bottom edge: 9 x 31 + 8 = 287 sc. Total: 217 + 20 + 287 + 20 = 544 sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, with these changes:
- Top: in st 1 and every 12th st after it (13, 25 … 217), work (sc, ch 20, sl st in the sc just made). (217 sc, 19 rod loops)
- Tips: in the 16th sc of each point, work (sc, picot into the sc just made). (9 picots)
Total: 544 sc, 19 loops, 9 picots. Fasten off.
Why the math works: 217 = 9 x 24 + 1, so a loop every 12 sts gives exactly 19 loops, 2 in (5.1 cm) apart. One loop sits on each seam and one on each diamond center. Each point is 12 + 7 + 12 = 31 sc, so the 16th sc is the exact center. The ch-20 loops fit a rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) thick.
Strands
Tip strand (make 9): Thread a 4 mm pearl onto teal. Sl st into a tip picot, ch 9, slide the pearl up, ch 9 (18 ch, 3 in / 7.6 cm). Sl st into one arm tip of a snowflake and fasten off. Join teal at the opposite arm tip, ch 6 (1 in / 2.5 cm), sl st through the top of a bell. Fasten off.
Drop below the tip: 3 + 2 + 1 + 1.25 = 7.25 in (18.4 cm).
Notch strand (make 8): Thread a 4 mm pearl onto teal. Sl st into a V sc, ch 13, slide the pearl up, ch 14 (27 ch, 4.5 in / 11.4 cm), sl st through the top of a bell. Fasten off.
Drop below the V: 4.5 + 1.25 = 5.75 in (14.6 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends.
- Soak the band in cool water for 10 minutes.
- Roll it in a towel and press out the water. Do not wring.
- Pin the top edge straight at 36.5 in (92.7 cm).
- Pin each tip at its picot so the band is 5.7 in (14.5 cm) deep. Then pin each V so the points match.
- Ease the open squares back into squares.
- Pin the snowflakes flat at 2 in (5.1 cm), one pin per arm tip.
- Stuff each bell with rolled plastic wrap and mist with starch.
- Let everything dry fully, at least 24 hours.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Band measures 36.5 in (92.7 cm) x 5.7 in (14.5 cm) at the tips.
- All 9 diamonds match and touch tip to tip.
- Each flower is centered and tacked at all 6 petals.
- Each point has 31 sc in Border Rnd 1 and a picot in the 16th sc.
- 19 rod loops, 2 in (5.1 cm) apart.
- Tip strands drop 7.25 in (18.4 cm); notch strands drop 5.75 in (14.6 cm).
- Every bell holds its shape and its pearl shows.
- No loose ends visible from either side.
Troubleshooting
Diamonds look uneven. A block is in the wrong square. Frog back to that row.
Squares are rectangles. Change how tall you pull up each dc, not the hook.
Points curl up. Border Rnd 1 is too tight. Rework it more loosely and block again.
Top edge ruffles. You have more than 217 sc across the top. Count again.
Flowers pucker the mesh. Loosen the tacks and sew again.
Bells collapse. Starch them again over a firm form and let them dry fully.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, press out the water in a towel, and lay flat in shape to dry. Store flat or rolled, with the bells padded.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain. One repeat swatch is 4 in x 4 in (10.2 cm x 10.2 cm). Nine repeats make a band 36 in x 4 in (91.4 cm x 10.2 cm). Three point rows bring it to 5.2 in (13.2 cm) deep. The border adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) all around, for 36.5 in x 5.7 in (92.7 cm x 14.5 cm). The lowest bells hang about 13 in (33.0 cm) below the top edge.
If every stage meets its checkpoint, the valance will hang straight and even.
Happy crocheting!