Crocheted peacock appliqué with iridescent blue-green feathers and eye patterns, cream lace trim, mounted on light wooden background.

Azure Plume Peacock Valance Crochet Pattern

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The Azure Plume Peacock Valance turns a plain window into a showpiece. Teal mesh feathers fan out from a royal blue peacock. Each feather ends in a teardrop eye of navy, royal blue, cream, green and teal rings. A cream lace header with round shell wheels and 8 hanging tabs finishes the top.

The open mesh lets light through, while the eyes and the bird keep the colors bold. The style mixes filet-style lace with layered appliqué.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished valance is 36 in (91.4 cm) wide and 17.75 in (45.1 cm) tall, measured from the bottom of the fan to the top of the header. The tabs are not included in that height.

You make 17 eyes, 12 mesh shafts, a half-circle hub, the bird pieces and a header. First the shafts are sewn to the hub and joined side by side. Next the eyes, accent eyes and bird are layered on top. Last, the header is sewn across the top.

Finished Size and Construction

  • Finished size: 36 × 17.75 in (91.4 × 45.1 cm), not counting the tabs
  • Skill level: Intermediate
  • Terminology: US
  • Yarn weight: DK cotton (#3)
  • Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
  • Number of pieces: 17 eyes, 8 long shafts, 4 short shafts, 1 hub, 1 body with neck and head, 1 collar, 1 beak, 5 crest bobbles, 1 header with tabs, 8 tab rings
  • Layout: 12 feathers fanned across 180° (left to right: 4 long, 4 short, 4 long), plus 5 accent eyes
  • Piece size: each eye is 4.25 × 5 in (10.8 × 12.7 cm); a long feather is 16 in (40.6 cm) and a short feather is 11.5 in (29.2 cm)
  • Size before border: the fan is 36 × 15 in (91.4 × 38.1 cm)
  • Border depth: the header adds 2.75 in (7.0 cm)

Materials

Use a smooth mercerized or combed DK cotton, about 105 m per 50 g. Cotton holds lace open and blocks crisply.

  • Teal: 150 g, 315 m
  • Cream: 150 g, 315 m
  • Royal Blue: 100 g, 210 m
  • Navy: 100 g, 210 m
  • Green: 100 g, 210 m

Tools:

  • 3.5 mm (E-4) hook
  • Tapestry needle
  • Stitch markers
  • Rustproof pins
  • Blocking boards at least 38 in (96.5 cm) wide
  • Spray bottle
  • Scissors

The yarn amounts include about a 15% margin for swatching and weaving in ends.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • ch: chain
  • sl st: slip stitch
  • sc: single crochet
  • hdc: half double crochet
  • dc: double crochet
  • sk: skip
  • sp: space
  • st(s): stitch(es)
  • rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
  • sc2tog: single crochet 2 together

Special stitches

  • dcXtog (dc cluster): *Yarn over, insert the hook in the next st, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops.* Repeat from * across X sts. Then yarn over and draw through all the loops on the hook.
  • Bobble: Work 4 dc in the same st, leaving the last loop of each one on the hook. Yarn over and draw through all 5 loops.
  • Net loop: a ch-5 loop anchored with an sc.

Gauge and Checkpoints

  • sc: 18 sts and 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
  • dc: 18 sts and 8 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
  • Net: 1 loop = 1 in (2.5 cm) wide, and 4 rows = 3 in (7.6 cm)

Make one eye first. It is your real gauge test. Check its size at each stage:

  • After Rnd 2: 1.25 in (3.2 cm)
  • After Rnd 3: 1.75 in (4.4 cm)
  • After Rnd 4: 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
  • After Rnd 5: 3 in (7.6 cm)
  • After Rnd 6: 3.75 × 4.5 in (9.5 × 11.4 cm)
  • After Rnd 7: 4.25 × 5 in (10.8 × 12.7 cm)

If the eye is over 3.25 in (8.3 cm) after Rnd 5, go down half a hook size. If it is under 2.75 in (7.0 cm), go up half a size.

Then make one long shaft. Before blocking it should be 12 in (30.5 cm) long and 4 in (10.2 cm) wide at the top. If it is too long, tighten your ch-5 loops instead of changing hooks.

Blue crocheted peacock with cream beak, five pompom feathers, and teal-green patterned tail against a soft beige background.

Feather Eye (make 17)

Join each round with a sl st to the first st. Change colors on the joining sl st.

Rnd 1 (Navy): Make a magic ring and work 8 sc in it. (8 sts)

Rnd 2 (Navy): Ch 2 (does not count as a st). Work 2 hdc in each st around. (16 sts)

Rnd 3 (Royal Blue): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Work (dc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st) 8 times. The ch 3 is the first dc. (24 sts)

Rnd 4 (Cream): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Work (dc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 dc in the next st) 8 times. (32 sts)

Rnd 5 (Green): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Work (dc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next st) 8 times. (40 sts)

Mark the st after the join as st 1. This is the bottom point of the eye.

Rnd 6 (Teal), teardrop shaping:

  1. Join Teal in st 1. Ch 3 (counts as dc), then work (dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in st 1 to make the point.
  2. Dc in each of sts 2–5.
  3. Work (dc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st) 15 times, over sts 6–35.
  4. Dc in each of sts 36–40.

The increases center on st 21, opposite the point. This rounds the top of the eye and tapers the bottom. (58 dc plus the ch-3 point sp: 4 + 4 + 45 + 5)

Rnd 7 (Navy), scallop edge:

  1. Work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the ch-3 point sp.
  2. Sc in the next dc.
  3. Work (sk 1, 3 dc in the next st, sk 1, sc in the next st) 14 times.
  4. Sc in the last dc.

This uses all 58 dc (1 + 56 + 1) and makes 14 scallops. Fasten off.

Feather Shaft (make 8 long, 4 short)

Work the shafts in Teal, starting at the narrow tip.

  • Row 1: Ch 6. Sc in the 6th ch from the hook. (1 loop)
  • Even row: Ch 5 and turn. Sc in the first loop, then (ch 5, sc in the next loop) across. The loop count stays the same.
  • Increase row: Work an even row, then ch 5 and sc in the same last loop. (+1 loop)

Long shaft:

  • Rows 2–4: even (1 loop)
  • Row 5: increase (2 loops)
  • Rows 6–8: even
  • Row 9: increase (3 loops)
  • Rows 10–12: even
  • Row 13: increase (4 loops)
  • Rows 14–16: even

That is 16 rows. The shaft measures 12 in (30.5 cm) long and 4 in (10.2 cm) wide at the top.

Short shaft:

  • Rows 1–9: work as for the long shaft.
  • Row 10: even (3 loops)

The short shaft measures 7.5 in (19.1 cm) long and 3 in (7.6 cm) wide.

Attach the eyes: Lay the eye point 1 in (2.5 cm) over the last row of a shaft. Sew it down along the Rnd 7 scallops that touch the mesh.

Add the stems: With Green, work a surface sl st chain up the center of the shaft, through the eye point and up to the top of Rnd 4.

Finished feathers are 16 in (40.6 cm) long or 11.5 in (29.2 cm) long.

Hub

Work the hub in Royal Blue, in rows.

  • Row 1: Magic ring, ch 3 (counts as dc), 5 dc in the ring. (6 sts)
  • Row 2: Ch 3 and turn. Dc in the same st, then work 2 dc in each remaining st. (12 sts)
  • Row 3: Ch 3 and turn. Work (dc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st) 6 times. The ch 3 is the first dc. (18 sts)
  • Row 4: Ch 3 and turn. Work (dc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 dc in the next st) 6 times. (24 sts)

The hub is a half circle 4 in (10.2 cm) across, with a 2 in (5.1 cm) radius.

Peacock Body, Neck and Head

Body (Royal Blue)

Rnd 1:

  1. Ch 22. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each of the next 19 ch.
  2. Work 5 sc in the last ch. This is the bottom.
  3. Working along the other side of the chain, sc in each of the next 19 ch.
  4. Work 2 more sc in the ch that holds the first sc.

(46 sts: 3 at the top, 19 on each side, 5 at the bottom)

Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in the first st. Sc in each of the next 19 sts. Work 2 sc in each of the next 5 sts. Sc in each of the next 19 sts. Work 2 sc in each of the last 2 sts. (54 sts: 6 at the top, 10 at the bottom)

Rnd 3: Sc in each of the next 21 sts. Work (2 sc in the next st, sc in the next st) 5 times. Sc in each of the next 23 sts. (59 sts)

Rnd 4: Sc in each of the next 21 sts. Work (2 sc in the next st, sc in each of the next 2 sts) 5 times. Sc in each of the next 23 sts. (64 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc in each of the next 21 sts. Work (2 sc in the next st, sc in each of the next 3 sts) 5 times. Sc in each of the next 23 sts. (69 sts)

The body now measures 6.25 × 3.5 in (15.9 × 8.9 cm). Only the bottom widened, so it forms a teardrop.

Neck and head: Work in rows over the 6 top sts (the last 4 and the first 2 of the round).

  • Rows 1–6: Sc in each st. (6 sts)
  • Row 7: 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the last st. (8 sts)
  • Rows 8–10: Sc in each st. (8 sts)
  • Row 11: Sc2tog, sc in each of the next 4 sts, sc2tog. (6 sts)
  • Row 12: Sc2tog 3 times. (3 sts)

Edging (Navy): Work 1 rev sc in each of the 63 free body sts, the 12 row ends up the neck, the 3 sts of Row 12 and the 12 row ends down the other side. (90 sts)

The bird is now 9 × 3.75 in (22.9 × 9.5 cm).

Beak (Cream): Ch 4. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch and hdc in the last ch. Sew it to the side of the head with the point facing out.

Eye stripe: Embroider a 0.75 in (1.9 cm) Cream backstitch line behind the beak. Add a Navy French knot at its front end.

Crest:

  1. Join Cream at the top of the head. *Ch 7, then sl st back down 6 ch.* Repeat 4 more times for 5 stems.
  2. For each of the 5 bobbles, use Royal Blue: ch 3 and work 1 bobble in the 3rd ch from the hook.
  3. Sew one bobble to the tip of each stem.

Collar:

  • Row 1 (Teal): Ch 31. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (30 sts)
  • Row 2 (Teal): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Work 2 dc in the first st, then 3 dc in each remaining st. (90 sts)
  • Row 3 (Green): Sc in each st. (90 sts)

The collar is a ruffle 6.75 in (17.1 cm) long and 1.25 in (3.2 cm) deep.

Make All Pieces

  • 17 eyes: all 5 colors
  • 12 shafts: Teal, with Green stems
  • 1 hub: Royal Blue
  • Bird (body, beak, 5 crest bobbles): Royal Blue, Navy and Cream
  • 1 collar: Teal and Green
  • 1 header and 8 tab rings: Cream

Layout, left to right along the hub. L = long feather, S = short feather, A = accent eye over the seam shown below it.

L  L  L  L  S  S  S  S  L  L  L  L
     A     A     A     A     A
   (2|3) (4|5) (6|7) (8|9) (10|11)

Joining

Feathers to the hub: Number the curved edge of the hub 1–24. Sew the tip of Feather 1 over hub sts 1–2, Feather 2 over sts 3–4, and so on, ending with Feather 12 over sts 23–24. That is 12 feathers × 2 sts = 24 sts.

Shaft to shaft: With Teal, whipstitch neighboring shafts together through their matching edge loops, starting at the hub. Each edge has 1 turning loop for every 2 rows.

  • Long to long: 8 loops to 8 loops
  • Long to short: 5 loops. The rest of the long shaft stays free beside the short eye.
  • Short to short: 5 loops

Keep the joining stitches as loose as the mesh. Lay the fan flat after every seam to check it.

Layering:

  1. Sew the 5 accent eyes over the marked seams, each centered 9 in (22.9 cm) from the hub center. Give each one a short Green stem.
  2. Curve the collar into a horseshoe over the hub.
  3. Place the body on top so its bottom lines up with the hub’s straight edge. Stitch it down all around the edging.

Checkpoint: The fan measures 36 × 15 in (91.4 × 38.1 cm).

Border: Cream Header

Header gauge: 18 sts = 4 in (10.2 cm). The 161-st header measures 35.75 in (90.8 cm) and blocks to the 36 in (91.4 cm) fan width.

  • Row 1: Ch 162. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (161 sts)
  • Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc). Dc in each st across. (161 sts)
  • Row 3: Ch 1. Sc in the first st, then work (sk 3, 7 dc in the next st, sk 3, sc in the next st) 20 times. (20 shells and 21 sc)

Row 4 (closes the wheels):

  1. Ch 3 (does not count as a st). Work dc4tog over the sc and the next 3 dc, then ch 3. (4 sts made over 4 sts)
  2. Work (sc in the center dc of the shell, ch 3, dc7tog over the next 7 sts, ch 3) 19 times. (8 sts made over 8 sts each time)
  3. Sc in the last center dc, ch 3, then dc4tog over the last 3 dc and the sc. (5 sts made over 5 sts)

(161 sts: 4 + 152 + 5)

  • Row 5: Ch 3 (counts as dc). Dc in each st and each ch across. (161 sts)
  • Row 6: Ch 1. Sc in each st across. (161 sts)

Tabs:

  1. Work a tab over each of these groups of Row 6 sts: 1–7, 23–29, 45–51, 67–73, 89–95, 111–117, 133–139 and 155–161.
  2. Each tab is 7 sc worked for 24 rows, 4.75 in (12.1 cm) long.
  3. Fold each tab to the back and sew its end to Row 5.

Tab rings (make 8, Cream): Magic ring, 12 dc, then join. Each ring is 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across. Sew one to the front of each tab.

Why the math works: Each shell repeat uses 8 sts, so 20 × 8 + 1 = 161. For the tabs, 8 tabs × 7 sts = 56 and 7 gaps × 15 sts = 105, and 56 + 105 = 161. Each gap is about 3.25 in (8.3 cm).

Attaching the header: Sew Row 1 to the top scallops of every eye that touches it. At each end, bridge the eye of Feather 2 or 11 to the header corner with a Teal chain of 3 ch-5 loops.

Final Blocking

  1. Soak the valance in cool water, then roll it in a towel to press out the water.
  2. Pin the header straight at 36 in (91.4 cm).
  3. Fan the feathers out from the hub. Pin the outer eyes every 1 in (2.5 cm), opening each scallop.
  4. Stretch the shafts until the net loops form open diamonds.
  5. Shape the body, collar and crest with your fingers.
  6. Let everything dry completely before you unpin it.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

  • [ ] 17 eyes, each 4.25 × 5 in (10.8 × 12.7 cm)
  • [ ] Shafts in the order L-L-L-L-S-S-S-S-L-L-L-L
  • [ ] Stems run straight from the hub into the eyes
  • [ ] Header has 161 sts, 20 wheels and 8 evenly spaced tabs
  • [ ] Overall size is 36 × 17.75 in (91.4 × 45.1 cm)
  • [ ] Ends are woven into areas of the same color

Troubleshooting

  • The eye isn’t a teardrop: Rnd 6 must start at st 1, with the increases over sts 6–35.
  • The fan ruffles: The shaft seams are too tight. Restitch them more loosely.
  • The header is shorter than the fan: Block it wider, or add 8 sts (one shell repeat) to the foundation.
  • The body cups: Add 1 sc round before the edging, or block it flat under a damp towel.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and dry flat. Steam lightly to refresh the lace.

Crocheted peacock with blue and green tail feathers hanging from a lace curtain rod above a blooming garden.

Final Notes

Each measurement builds on the one before it:

  1. A 3 in (7.6 cm) Rnd 5 gives a 4.25 × 5 in (10.8 × 12.7 cm) eye.
  2. Twelve feathers on a 4 in (10.2 cm) hub make a 36 × 15 in (91.4 × 38.1 cm) fan.
  3. A 2.75 in (7.0 cm) header brings the valance to 17.75 in (45.1 cm).

Check the size at each stage and your peacock will come out right.

Happy crocheting!

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