This doorway curtain is made of eight swinging strands of lacy crochet stars. Each star is pale butter-yellow with eight open points, and the top and bottom points are longer than the rest. White chain cords set with ivory pearl beads link the stars, so the curtain stays light and catches the glow of holiday lights behind it.
The look is soft and elegant: one warm yellow star color, crisp white cords, and pearl accents. The stars sit staggered from strand to strand, so the curtain reads as a scattered field of stars rather than stiff rows.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain measures 35.5 in (90.2 cm) wide × 73.5 in (186.7 cm) long, plus the hanging rings. Each bordered star measures 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × 6 in (15.2 cm) tall.
Construction is simple and modular. You crochet 56 identical stars in rounds, each finished with a picot border. Then you link the stars into 8 strands with beaded chain hangers, connectors, and tails, and hang the strands from a rod.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 35.5 in × 73.5 in (90.2 × 186.7 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Fingering (#1) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 2.5 mm
- Number of pieces: 56 stars, 8 hangers, 48 connectors, 8 tails
- Layout: 8 strands × 7 stars, alternate strands dropped by half a star spacing
- Piece size (bordered star): 4 in × 6 in (10.2 × 15.2 cm), ring to ring
- Star size before border: 3.5 in × 5 in (8.9 × 12.7 cm)
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at the side and diagonal tips; 0.5 in (1.3 cm) at the top and bottom tips, including the rings
Materials
Use a smooth, mercerized cotton in fingering weight. It gives sharp points and holds its shape when the strands swing. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarn, because the long chain cords will sag.
- Butter yellow (stars): 200 g / 680 m (744 yd), in four 50 g / 170 m balls. You’ll use about 160 g / 540 m.
- White (cords): 50 g / 170 m (186 yd). You’ll use about 10 g / 34 m.
- Pearl beads: 8 mm (0.8 cm) ivory pearls with holes that fit the yarn, 90 pieces (80 are needed)
Tools:
– 2.5 mm crochet hook
– Fine beading needle or dental-floss threader, to thread the beads
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Blocking foam and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle and light spray starch
– Measuring tape
– Curtain rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter
All yarn and bead quantities include a margin for gauge swatches and woven-in ends.
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
Special stitches:
– Picot: ch 3, sl st in first ch made.
– Ring: ch 6, sl st in first ch made.
– Bead-lock: slide 1 pre-strung bead up against the hook, then ch 1 around it. The bead sits locked in that chain.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make one complete star and block it before you start the full set. Every later measurement depends on this star.
- After Rnd 1: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across
- After Rnd 2: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
- After Rnd 3: 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across
- After Rnd 4: 3.5 in × 5 in (8.9 × 12.7 cm), tip to tip
- After Rnd 5 (border), blocked: 4 in × 6 in (10.2 × 15.2 cm)
- Chain gauge (white): 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm)
If the star is more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm) too big, go down 0.25 mm in hook size. If it’s too small, go up 0.25 mm. Check the white chain gauge separately, because chain tension often differs from round tension.
Star Motif
Make 56 stars with butter yellow. Each round starts with a turning chain at the joining point.
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 15 dc in the ring, then join with a sl st to the top of the beg ch-3. Pull the ring closed. (16 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next dc, ch 3. Dc in each of next 2 dc, ch 3. Repeat from * 7 times, then join to the top of the beg ch-3. (16 dc in 8 pairs, 8 ch-3 sps)
The 8 ch-3 spaces become the open petals that point into each star point.
Rnd 3: Sl st in next dc (the 2nd dc of the first pair). Ch 1, sc in the same st, 3 sc in the next ch-3 sp, then sc in the next dc. Sc in next dc, 3 sc in next ch-3 sp, sc in next dc. Repeat from * 7 times, then join to the first sc.
This is a conversion round: 16 sc worked one per dc, plus 24 sc in the spaces, gives 40 sc. These form 8 sections of 5 sc, each centered on a petal space.
Rnd 4 (points): Ch 1. Work each section in order as follows:
Section pattern: sc in sc 1, hdc in sc 2, (dc, ch L, dc) in sc 3, hdc in sc 4, sc in sc 5.
Use these chain lengths (L), going clockwise from the top:
- Top point: ch 13
- Upper-right diagonal: ch 3
- Right point: ch 7
- Lower-right diagonal: ch 3
- Bottom point: ch 17
- Lower-left diagonal: ch 3
- Left point: ch 7
- Upper-left diagonal: ch 3
Join to the first sc. (48 sts: 6 per section, plus 8 ch-loops)
Each ch-loop forms the open outline of a point. The point lengths come only from the chain lengths: 3 for the diagonals, 7 for the sides, 13 for the top, and 17 for the bottom. That’s how the star gets its Bethlehem shape.
Checkpoint: Pull each loop gently to a point. The star should measure 3.5 in × 5 in (8.9 × 12.7 cm).
Don’t fasten off. Each star finishes with Rnd 5, the picot border given in the Border section below. Work it on every star before joining.
Make All Pieces
Butter yellow: 56 stars, all bordered.
White, with beads threaded onto the yarn before each piece:
– 8 hangers: 4 short (for odd strands) and 4 long (for even strands)
– 48 connectors: 6 per strand
– 8 tails: 4 long (odd strands) and 4 short (even strands)
Layout grid (top of each star measured from the rod; S = star, — = cord only):
STRAND: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DROP 6 in: S — S — S — S —
DROP 10.5 in: — S — S — S — S
DROP 15 in: S — S — S — S —
DROP 19.5 in: — S — S — S — S
...continue alternating to 7 stars per strand
The stars sit on a 9 in (22.9 cm) spacing, and even strands drop by half of that: 4.5 in (11.4 cm). That offset creates the scattered, staggered look.
Joining
Every join uses one technique: a sl st worked through the center of a star’s top or bottom ring. Work each white piece separately, then fasten off. The cord then passes cleanly between stars without crossing the lace.
Hanger (short, for strands 1, 3, 5, 7): Thread 1 bead. Ch 20, then sl st in the first ch to make a 4 in (10.2 cm) rod loop. Ch 14, bead-lock, ch 13, then sl st through the top ring of star 1. Fasten off. This gives a drop of about 6 in (15.2 cm).
Hanger (long, for strands 2, 4, 6, 8): Thread 1 bead. Make the rod loop as above. Ch 25, bead-lock, ch 24, then sl st through the top ring of star 1. Fasten off. This gives a drop of about 10.5 in (26.7 cm).
Connector (6 per strand): Thread 1 bead. Sl st through the bottom ring of a star. Ch 6, bead-lock, ch 6, then sl st through the top ring of the next star. Fasten off. This gives about 3 in (7.6 cm) ring to ring.
Tail (long, for odd strands): Thread 4 beads. Sl st through the bottom ring of star 7. Ch 8, bead-lock. Repeat from * 2 more times. Ch 5, slide up the last bead, then fasten off and knot snugly below it. This gives about 7.5 in (19.1 cm).
Tail (short, for even strands): Thread 2 beads. Sl st through the bottom ring of star 7. Ch 6, bead-lock, ch 5, slide up the last bead, then fasten off and knot. This gives about 3 in (7.6 cm).
Tension: Keep every chain at exactly 5 ch per inch (2.5 cm). If one connector is loose, the stars in that strand drift out of line with the stagger.
Strand checkpoint: 7 stars × 6 in (15.2 cm) = 42 in (106.7 cm), plus 6 connectors × 3 in (7.6 cm) = 18 in (45.7 cm), gives 60 in (152.4 cm). Then add the hanger and tail:
– Odd strands: 6 + 60 + 7.5 = 73.5 in (186.7 cm)
– Even strands: 10.5 + 60 + 3 = 73.5 in (186.7 cm)
All 8 strands should match within 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Hang the strands with their centers 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart, alternating odd and even. Seven gaps × 4.5 in = 31.5 in, plus half a star width (2 in) on each side, gives 35.5 in (90.2 cm) overall.
Border (Rnd 5, Worked on Every Star)
Border gauge: 7 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) along a point edge, lying flat.
Continue from Rnd 4 without fastening off.
Rnd 5: Ch 1. In each section, work 1 sc in each of the sc, hdc, and dc before the loop. Work the loop as listed below, then 1 sc in each of the dc, hdc, and sc after it. Join to the first sc and fasten off.
- Top loop (ch 13): 7 sc, Ring, 7 sc
- Diagonal loops (ch 3): 2 sc, Picot, 2 sc, in each of 4 loops
- Side loops (ch 7): 4 sc, Picot, 4 sc, in each of 2 loops
- Bottom loop (ch 17): 9 sc, Ring, 9 sc
Count: 48 sc worked one per stitch, plus 64 sc added in the loops, gives 112 sc, along with 6 picots and 2 rings.
The 64 sc in the loops break down as follows:
– Diagonals: 4 loops × 4 sc = 16
– Sides: 2 loops × 8 sc = 16
– Top: 14 sc
– Bottom: 18 sc
Why the math works: Each loop of L chains gets (L + 1) ÷ 2 sc on each side of its tip. Folded at the tip, a loop has about L ÷ 2 chains per side. One extra sc per side gives the turn enough room, so the point lies flat and sharp instead of cupping. Because every L is odd, the sc split evenly on both sides of every tip, and the star stays symmetrical.
The border adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at each side tip, taking the width from 3.5 in to 4 in (8.9 to 10.2 cm). The top and bottom rings add 0.5 in (1.3 cm) each, taking the height from 5 in to 6 in (12.7 to 15.2 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all yellow ends before blocking. Leave the white ends for after joining.
- Pin each star face up on foam. Put one pin through each of the 6 picots and the 2 rings.
- Check each star: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide at the side picots and 6 in (15.2 cm) tall ring to ring.
- Pull each petal space open with the tip of a pin so the center reads clearly.
- Mist with water, then lightly with spray starch.
- Let the stars dry completely, about 6–8 hours.
- Unpin the stars and join them into strands.
- Hang each finished strand overnight so the white chains relax evenly.
- Weave the white ends back into their own chains.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- All 56 stars are 4 in × 6 in (10.2 × 15.2 cm), within 0.25 in (0.6 cm)
- Each star has 112 border sc, 6 picots, and 2 rings
- The bottom point is clearly longer than the top point on every star
- All petal spaces are open and evenly sized
- Every bead is locked in its chain and doesn’t slide
- All strands measure 73.5 in (186.7 cm)
- Odd and even strands alternate on the rod
- Stars on neighboring strands are offset by 4.5 in (11.4 cm)
- All ends are woven in and the tail knots are secure
Troubleshooting
Points curl or cup: You probably worked too few sc in the loop. Recount to (L + 1) ÷ 2 per side, then reblock with starch.
Points ruffle: The loop has too many sc, or your border tension is loose. Recount, or work Rnd 5 with a hook 0.25 mm smaller.
Bottom point is no longer than the top: You may have swapped the ch 13 and ch 17 loops. Check the section order against the clockwise list in Rnd 4.
Center bulges: Your Rnd 1 dc are too tall. Tighten up, or pull the magic ring closed more firmly.
Beads slip along the chain: Bead-lock is missing. Each bead needs its own ch 1 worked around it.
Strands hang at different lengths: Your chain gauge has drifted. Remeasure 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm), then remake any long connectors.
Strands twist: Hang them for a day with a light clip on each tail, and lightly steam the white chains.
Care
Dust the curtain gently, or hand wash it in cool water and lay it flat to dry. Reblock the stars with light starch to restore crisp points.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and reliable:
– The 4 rounds of points measure 3.5 in × 5 in (8.9 × 12.7 cm).
– The picot border brings each star to 4 in × 6 in (10.2 × 15.2 cm).
– Seven stars and six 3 in (7.6 cm) connectors make 60 in (152.4 cm) per strand.
– The hangers and tails bring every strand to 73.5 in (186.7 cm).
– Eight strands spaced 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart give a curtain 35.5 in (90.2 cm) wide.
Check your first star, keep your chains even, and the stagger will look right on its own. Happy crocheting!