The Honey Lantern curtain is a light, airy window piece. A lacy header band clips onto a curtain rod, and 20 slim strands hang from it. Each strand carries pointed lace diamonds, small five-petal flowers, and a full tassel. Against a dark window, the warm yellow glows like a row of little lanterns.
The whole curtain uses one color, a soft honey gold. The style is boho with a vintage lace feel: puff-stitch petals, picot edges, and diamonds with open centers. Strands alternate between two layouts, so the diamonds nest between their neighbors and the tassels end at two heights.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is 36¼ in (92.1 cm) wide and 31¾ in (80.6 cm) long at the longest strand, including the header.
Construction is modular. You crochet the header in three rows, add a border, and then make 60 diamonds, 70 flowers, and 20 tassels. Each strand is one continuous chain cord worked down from the header. The cord runs behind every motif, so the cord carries the weight and the lace keeps its shape.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 36¼ in (92.1 cm) wide x 31¾ in (80.6 cm) long at the longest point
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (#3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 header, 60 diamonds, 70 flowers, and 20 tassels, joined with 20 chain cords
- Layout: 20 strands in one row, alternating Strand A and Strand B
- Piece size: diamond 3 in (7.6 cm) x 5 in (12.7 cm); flower 1 in (2.5 cm); tassel 3 in (7.6 cm)
- Header size before border: 35¾ in (90.8 cm) x 1¾ in (4.4 cm)
- Border depth: ¼ in (0.6 cm) on the top, the ends, and the picot bottom edge
- Finished header: 36¼ in (92.1 cm) x 2¼ in (5.7 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or combed DK cotton. Cotton holds the puff petals crisply, blocks well, and stretches very little when it hangs. Avoid fuzzy yarns, which hide the lace.
- Honey Gold (only color): 450 g, about 990 m
Approximate breakdown: diamonds 240 g, flowers 50 g, tassels 60 g, header and border 25 g, and cords 15 g. These quantities include a margin of about 15%.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) hook
- Tapestry needle and scissors
- Stiff card 3½ in (8.9 cm) tall, for the tassels
- Locking stitch markers
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking board
- Spray bottle or steamer
- Curtain rod with 21 clip rings
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- MR – magic ring
- Rnd – round
Special stitches:
- PC (puff cluster): [Yo, insert hook, pull up a loop] 3 times, yo, pull through all 7 loops, ch 1 to close. One PC makes one petal.
- Picot: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
- Side Bloom: (PC, ch 2, PC, ch 2, PC) in the same st. This gives 3 petals and 2 ch-2 sps.
- Corner Bloom: (PC, ch 2) 3 times, PC, all in the same sp. This gives 4 petals and 3 ch-2 sps.
- Header Bloom: (PC, ch 2) 4 times, PC, all in the same st. This gives 5 petals and 4 ch-2 sps.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 18 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), and 6 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Before you start the curtain, make one diamond and one flower and block them. Diamond checkpoints:
- Rnd 1, flattened: 2¾ in (7.0 cm) long
- After Rnd 2: 3¼ in (8.3 cm) long
- After Rnd 3: 2½ in (6.4 cm) x 4½ in (11.4 cm)
- After Rnd 4, blocked: 3 in (7.6 cm) x 5 in (12.7 cm)
For the flower, Rnd 1 should measure ¾ in (1.9 cm) across, and the finished flower 1 in (2.5 cm).
If the diamond is more than ¼ in (0.6 cm) too big, go down one hook size. If it’s too small, go up one size. Puff height is where people vary most, so pull each PC loop up to hdc height.
Diamond Motif (make 60)
Rnd 1: Ch 32 and sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 1, sc in each ch around, and join with a sl st to the first sc. (32 sc)
Lay the ring flat as a long loop. Mark st 1 (top point) and st 17 (bottom point). That leaves 15 sc on each side.
Rnd 2 (growth): Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in st 1, sc in next 15 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) in st 17, sc in next 15 sts, join. (34 sc, 2 ch-2 sps)
Rnd 3 (bloom round): Sl st in the top ch-2 sp and work a Corner Bloom in the same sp. *Sk next 2 sc, sc in next sc, [sk 1, Side Bloom in next sc, sk 1, sc in next sc] 3 times, sk next 2 sc, Corner Bloom in next ch-2 sp; repeat from * once more, leaving out the final Corner Bloom. Join to the top of the first PC.
Count: 2 Corner Blooms, 6 Side Blooms, and 8 sc. That’s 26 PC and 18 ch-2 sps in total. On each side, the Side Blooms sit on side sts 4, 8, and 12, which keeps the diamond symmetrical.
Rnd 4 (picot edge): Sl st in the first ch-2 sp of the top Corner Bloom. Ch 1, (sc, picot, sc) in same sp, (sc, ch 4, sc) in next sp for the top point loop, then (sc, picot, sc) in next sp. Ch 2, sc in next sc, ch 2, [(sc, picot, sc) in each of next 2 ch-2 sps, ch 2, sc in next sc, ch 2] 3 times. At the bottom Corner Bloom, work (sc, picot, sc), then (sc, ch 4, sc) for the bottom point loop, then (sc, picot, sc). Repeat from * to * once. Join, fasten off, and weave in the ends.
Count: 44 sc (36 in ch-2 sps + 8 over Rnd 3 sc), 16 picots, 2 ch-4 point loops, and 16 ch-2 sps.
The (sc, ch 2, sc) corners from Rnd 2 make the points, and the 4-petal Corner Blooms push them outward. The ch-32 ring stays open as the oval window in the center.
Flower (make 70)
Rnd 1: MR, ch 1, (sc, ch 3) 5 times, join to the first sc. (5 sc, 5 ch-3 sps)
Rnd 2: (Sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-3 sp around, then join. (5 petals, 25 sts)
Pull the ring tight, fasten off, and weave in the ends. The dc in each petal is its tip.
Tassels (make 20)
- Wrap the yarn 30 times around the 3½ in (8.9 cm) card.
- Slide a 10 in (25.4 cm) tie strand under the wraps at the top and knot it firmly. Leave the ends long.
- Cut the wraps along the bottom edge.
- ½ in (1.3 cm) below the top, wrap a separate strand 6 times around the bundle for the neck. Knot it and bury the ends inside the tassel.
- Trim the tassel to 3 in (7.6 cm).
Header
Row 1: Ch 162, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (161 sc)
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each st across. Turn. (161 dc)
Checkpoint: 35¾ in (90.8 cm) x ¾ in (1.9 cm).
Row 3 (bloom row): Ch 1, sc in first st, *sk 3, Header Bloom in next st, sk 3, sc in next st; repeat from * 19 more times. The last sc goes in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (20 Header Blooms, 21 sc)
Check: 1 + (8 x 20) = 161 sts used. The blooms fan downward, away from the rod.
Checkpoint: 35¾ in (90.8 cm) x 1¾ in (4.4 cm). Don’t fasten off.
Make All Pieces
Everything is Honey Gold. You need 1 header, 60 diamonds (3 per strand), 70 flowers (3 per Strand A and 4 per Strand B), and 20 tassels.
Strand: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Type: A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B
- Strand A, top to bottom: diamond, flower, diamond, flower, diamond, flower, tassel
- Strand B, top to bottom: flower, diamond, flower, diamond, flower, diamond, flower, tassel
Border
Work the border straight off Row 3. Border gauge is the same as the main gauge: 4.5 sc per inch (2.5 cm).
Row 4 (picot bottom edge): Ch 1, sc in first sc, *ch 2, (sc, picot, sc) in each of next 4 ch-2 sps, ch 2, sc in next sc; repeat from * across. (181 sc: 21 over Row 3 sc + 160 in bloom sps; 80 picots; 40 ch-2 sps)
Top-and-ends round: Don’t turn. Ch 1, then work across the row ends: 1 sc in Row 4, 4 sc in Row 3, 3 sc in Row 2, and 1 sc in Row 1. (9 sc)
Along the top, work 3 sc in the first foundation ch, 1 sc in each of the next 159 ch, and 3 sc in the last ch. (165 sc on the top edge, including both 3-sc corners)
Work 9 sc down the other end in the same order, then join to the first sc of Row 4. (183 sc total: 9 + 165 + 9) Fasten off.
Why the math works: The foundation has 161 ch, and at 4.5 sc per inch that’s 35¾ in (90.8 cm). Working one sc per ch keeps the top edge the same length, and the 2 extra sc in each corner ch turn the corner flat. With Row 4 added, each end is 2 in (5.1 cm) tall, and 2 x 4.5 = 9 sc. The border adds ¼ in (0.6 cm) at each end, along the top, and along the bottom, for a header of 36¼ in (92.1 cm) x 2¼ in (5.7 cm).
Joining: Building the Strands
Each Header Bloom gets exactly one strand. Join each strand at the bloom’s middle (3rd) PC, which sits between the 2nd and 3rd picot groups of Row 4. The strands end up about 1¾ in (4.4 cm) apart.
Anchor each motif like this:
- Diamond: Sl st in the top ch-4 point loop, ch 30 behind the diamond, then sl st in the bottom point loop.
- Flower: Sl st in one petal’s dc tip, ch 5 behind the flower, then sl st in the sc between the two opposite petals.
At 6 ch per inch, ch 30 matches the diamond’s 5 in (12.7 cm) length, so the lace hangs without stretching.
Strand A: Join with a sl st. Ch 9, diamond, ch 6, flower, ch 6, diamond, ch 6, flower, ch 6, diamond, ch 6, flower, ch 3. Fasten off with a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. That’s 42 cord ch, and the strand is 28 in (71.1 cm) long including the tassel.
Strand B: Join with a sl st. Ch 6, flower, ch 6, diamond, ch 6, flower, ch 6, diamond, ch 6, flower, ch 6, diamond, ch 6, flower, ch 3. Fasten off. That’s 45 cord ch, and the strand is 29½ in (74.9 cm) long including the tassel.
Tie each tassel to its last ch with the tie strand, and bury the tails in the tassel head.
Tension: Keep the chains even and slightly firm, because loose chains get longer as they hang. Check that every 6 ch measure 1 in (2.5 cm).
Size checkpoint: Measured from the top of the header, Strand A hangs 30¼ in (76.8 cm) and Strand B hangs 31¾ in (80.6 cm). Strand A’s first diamond sits 1½ to 6½ in (3.8 to 16.5 cm) below the header, and Strand B’s sits 3 to 8 in (7.6 to 20.3 cm) below. That offset is what lets the diamonds nest.
Final Blocking
- Wet-block the diamonds and flowers before joining. Pin each diamond to 3 in (7.6 cm) x 5 in (12.7 cm), opening every picot and both point loops.
- Pin the header to 36¼ in (92.1 cm) x 2¼ in (5.7 cm) and spread each bloom into an even fan.
- Mist with water and let everything dry completely.
- After joining, hang the curtain and steam it lightly from 2 in (5.1 cm) away.
- Fluff the tassels and trim any stray strands.
- Let the curtain hang for 24 hours so the cords settle.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Header measures 36¼ in (92.1 cm) x 2¼ in (5.7 cm)
- 20 blooms, with one strand each
- Strands alternate A and B
- Each diamond has 26 petals, 16 picots, and 2 point loops
- Each flower has 5 even petals
- There’s a back cord behind every motif
- Tassels measure 3 in (7.6 cm)
- No knots or tails show from the front
Troubleshooting
- Diamond cups: Your PCs are too tall. Pull up shorter loops or go down a hook size.
- Diamond looks round: Check that the Rnd 2 corners are on st 1 and st 17, and pin the points firmly when blocking.
- Header top edge waves: Make sure you worked exactly one sc per foundation ch.
- Strands twist: Make sure every motif faces front before you anchor it, then steam the cords straight.
- Strand lengths differ: Recount the chains. Each extra ch 6 adds 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Tassels splay: Tighten the neck wrap and trim again.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, then press the water out in a towel. Reshape the diamonds while damp and let the curtain dry hanging or flat.
Final Notes
The measurement chain runs like this. A gauge of 18 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) gives a 35¾ in (90.8 cm) header. The border brings it to 36¼ in (92.1 cm) x 2¼ in (5.7 cm). Each diamond is 3 in (7.6 cm) x 5 in (12.7 cm) with a ch-30 back cord. Strands hang 30¼ in (76.8 cm) and 31¾ in (80.6 cm). Check each link as you go, and the curtain will hang straight and even.
Happy crocheting!