This curtain brings a quiet winter scene to a window or doorway. Forty-nine lacy snowflakes hang on seven thick cream cords below a ridged cream header band. Each snowflake has a solid powder-blue center and six cream arms that end in small fleur-shaped tips.
There are only two colors, cream-white and soft blue. That keeps the curtain festive in December and still fitting in January. Neighboring cords are staggered, so the snowflakes alternate in height and form a gentle diagonal pattern across the window.
The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout. The finished curtain measures 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide and 66 in (167.6 cm) long. That includes a 3 in (7.6 cm) header band with a rod pocket.
Construction is simple. You make 49 identical snowflakes. Next you make a flat header strip and fold it into a rod pocket. Then you work seven chain cords straight down from the header’s bottom edge, joining the snowflakes as you go.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide x 66 in (167.6 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate (simple stitches, careful counting)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hooks: 4.5 mm (US 7) for snowflakes and header; 6 mm (US J-10) for cords
- Number of pieces: 49 snowflakes + 1 header band; 7 cords worked directly onto the header
- Layout: 7 vertical cords, 7 snowflakes per cord, staggered
- Piece size: each snowflake 5 in (12.7 cm) from point to point
- Size before border: cord drop 63 in (160.0 cm) long
- Border depth: header band 3 in (7.6 cm) deep after folding
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds open loops crisply. It also stretches less than acrylic under hanging weight, so the cords don’t grow. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they blur the picots.
- Cream-white (MC): 300 g, about 510 m (snowflake arms, header, cords)
- Powder blue (CC): 120 g, about 204 m (snowflake centers)
Each snowflake uses about 2 g (3.4 m) of blue and 3 g (5.1 m) of cream. The header uses about 62 g of cream, and the cords use about 40 g. All quantities include a margin of roughly 20% for swatching and tension differences.
Tools:
- 4.5 mm (US 7) crochet hook
- 6 mm (US J-10) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers (at least 7)
- Measuring tape
- Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
- Spray starch or light fabric stiffener (optional)
- Curtain rod up to 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in diameter
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- blo – back loop only
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- MC / CC – main color / contrast color
Special stitch – Picot: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
Special stitch – Tip ring: Ch 9, sl st in 5th ch from hook. This makes a small ring of chains on top of a 4-ch stem.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make one complete snowflake before anything else. It is your gauge swatch for the motifs.
Snowflake checkpoints (4.5 mm hook):
- After Round 2: the blue center measures 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across.
- After Round 3: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across, including the loops.
- After Round 4 and blocking: 5 in (12.7 cm) from point to point. Anything from 4.75 in (12.1 cm) to 5.25 in (13.3 cm) works.
Header gauge (4.5 mm hook): 16 sc and 16 rows in sc blo = 4 in (10.2 cm) square.
Cord gauge (6 mm hook, 2 strands held together): 12 ch = 3 in (7.6 cm), measured with the chain hanging under its own weight.
If your snowflake is too big, go down one hook size. If it is too small, go up one size. For the cords, match the length rather than the chain count. If 12 ch hangs longer than 3 in (7.6 cm), use a smaller hook or chain more firmly.
Snowflake (Make 49)
Each snowflake has two blue rounds and two cream rounds. Each arm is built on a stem within one round, so each color needs only one fasten-off.
Blue Center
With CC and the 4.5 mm hook, ch 6 and sl st to the first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 11 dc in ring, sl st to top of ch-3. (12 dc)
Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, sl st to top of ch-3. (24 dc)
This is a growth round: working 2 dc into each of the 12 sts gives a complete count of 24 dc. Fasten off CC. Checkpoint: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across, with a small open hole in the middle.
Cream Arm Bases
Round 3: Join MC with sl st in any dc. Sc in next dc, ch 6, sk 2 dc, sc in next dc; repeat from * 5 more times. Sl st to first sc. (12 sc and 6 ch-6 loops)*
Each repeat uses 4 dc of Round 2, so 6 repeats x 4 = 24 dc. Two sc sit side by side between neighboring loops. These loops become the scalloped base of each arm. Checkpoint: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across.
Cream Arms
Round 4: *Work 3 sc in the next ch-6 loop. Make the arm:
- Make a tip ring (ch 9, sl st in 5th ch from hook).
- Left side loop: ch 7, sl st in tip ring.
- Center loop: ch 3, picot, ch 3, sl st in tip ring.
- Right side loop: ch 7, sl st in tip ring.
- Sl st in each of the 4 stem ch back down to the base.
Work 3 more sc in the same ch-6 loop. Sl st in each of the next 2 sc. Repeat from * 5 more times. The final sl st lands in the first sc of Round 3, which completes the join. Fasten off.
Round 4 count: 36 sc (6 per loop), 12 sl st between arms, and 6 arms. Each arm has 1 stem, 2 side loops, and 1 center loop topped with a picot.
The stem rises from the middle of each 6-sc scallop, so the arms come out evenly from the center. The two ch-7 side loops spread out at an angle, and the center loop points straight out. Together they form the arrowhead tip.
Weave in all ends carefully along the back of the sc stitches. On a hanging piece, every loose tail shows.
Make All Pieces
- Snowflakes: 49 total. Each uses CC for Rounds 1–2 and MC for Rounds 3–4.
- Header band: 1, in MC.
- Cords: 7, in MC held double, worked during joining.
Number the cords 1 to 7 from left to right. Cords 1, 3, 5, and 7 are A cords. Cords 2, 4, and 6 are B cords. In the grid below, each level hangs 4 in (10.2 cm) lower than the one above it, and SF marks a snowflake.
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7
LEVEL 1: SF -- SF -- SF -- SF
LEVEL 2: -- SF -- SF -- SF --
LEVEL 3: SF -- SF -- SF -- SF
LEVEL 4: -- SF -- SF -- SF --
(continue alternating through LEVEL 14)
LEVEL 13: SF -- SF -- SF -- SF
LEVEL 14: -- SF -- SF -- SF --
A cords hold snowflakes on the odd levels, and B cords hold them on the even levels. Every cord has 7 snowflakes: 4 A cords x 7 = 28, plus 3 B cords x 7 = 21, for 49 total.
Block all 49 snowflakes before joining (see Final Blocking). Flat motifs are much easier to join straight.
Joining
The snowflakes join onto the cords as you chain. Make the header and its Trim Row first (see Border below), then come back here.
Method: Hold 2 strands of MC together and use the 6 mm hook. Each cord hangs from one marked stitch of the header’s Trim Row. Each snowflake hangs by the picot on one arm, which becomes its top. The cord then continues from the picot on the opposite arm, which becomes its bottom.
A cord (Cords 1, 3, 5, 7):
- Join with sl st in the marked header st. Ch 12 (3 in / 7.6 cm).
- Sl st in the top picot of a snowflake, with the right side facing you.
- Ch 20 behind the snowflake, keeping the chain straight behind the center. Sl st in the bottom picot.
- Ch 12 (3 in / 7.6 cm) to reach the next snowflake.
- Repeat Steps 2–4 until 7 snowflakes are joined. After the 7th, skip Step 4.
- Ch 28 (7 in / 17.8 cm) for the tail.
- Drop: ch 5, sl st in 5th ch from hook; (ch 5, sl st in same ch) twice. Fasten off.
B cord (Cords 2, 4, 6): Work the same as an A cord, but in Step 1 ch 28 (7 in / 17.8 cm), and in Step 6 ch 12 (3 in / 7.6 cm).
Stitch logic: An A cord is 12 + (7 x 20) + (6 x 12) + 28 = 252 ch. A B cord is 28 + 140 + 72 + 12 = 252 ch. At 4 ch per inch, 252 ch = 63 in (160.0 cm). The drop loops are extra and aren’t part of the count.
One snowflake plus one gap is 20 + 12 = 32 ch, or 8 in (20.3 cm). B cords start 16 ch lower, which is exactly half of that, so each B-cord snowflake sits halfway between the A-cord snowflakes beside it.
Tension: Keep the chains even and relaxed. Tight chains make the cord pucker, and loose ones stretch under the hanging weight. The chain behind each snowflake should lie flat and never pull the arms out of shape.
Size checkpoint: Hang the header after Cord 1 is done and let it rest for an hour. The cord should measure 63 in (160.0 cm) from the header to the end of the tail. If it has stretched past 64 in (162.6 cm), remove chains from the tail and chain the other cords more firmly.
Border (Header Band)
The header band is the curtain’s border. It is a ridged strip that you fold in half to make a rod pocket.
Border gauge: 16 sc and 16 rows in sc blo = 4 in (10.2 cm).
With MC and the 4.5 mm hook, ch 142.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (141 sc)
Rows 2–24: Ch 1, sc blo in each st across, turn. (141 sc per row)
The band now measures 35.25 in (89.5 cm) x 6 in (15.2 cm). The back-loop rows make the horizontal ridges on the finished header.
Fold: Fold the band in half between Rows 12 and 13, wrong sides together. The fold becomes the top edge, and Row 24 lines up behind the foundation chain.
Trim Row (joining row): Ch 1. Working through both layers together (each Row 24 st and its matching foundation ch loop), sc in each st across. (141 + 0 = 141 sc)
This is a trim row: 141 sts worked one per existing stitch, with 0 extra sts added. Leave the short side edges open for the rod. The folded band is 3 in (7.6 cm) deep.
Mark cord positions: Place markers in sts 11, 31, 51, 71, 91, 111, and 131 of the Trim Row. Work the cords from these marked sts as described in Joining.
Why the math works: 10 margin sts + 7 cord sts + (6 gaps x 19 sts) + 10 margin sts = 10 + 7 + 114 + 10 = 141. The cords sit 20 sts apart, which is 5 in (12.7 cm) at 4 sts per inch.
Each snowflake hangs with one arm pointing straight up. That makes it about 4.33 in (11.0 cm) wide from side to side. So snowflakes on neighboring cords overlap in height by 1 in (2.5 cm) without touching. The 10 sts at each end keep the outer snowflakes inside the header’s edges.
Final Blocking
- Soak each snowflake in cool water, then press it gently in a towel. Do not wring.
- Pin it to the mat with the blue center round and flat.
- Pin the center picots out so that opposite picots are 5 in (12.7 cm) apart.
- Pin the two side loops of each arm open at an even angle.
- For crisp arms, spray lightly with starch or stiffener. Let dry completely.
- Steam the header band lightly and lay it flat to dry at 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide.
- After joining, hang the curtain for a day so the cords straighten.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every snowflake measures 4.75–5.25 in (12.1–13.3 cm) from point to point.
- Every snowflake has 6 arms, each with 2 side loops and 1 picot-topped center loop.
- The header has 141 sts and is 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide.
- The cords hang from sts 11, 31, 51, 71, 91, 111, and 131.
- Every cord measures 63 in (160.0 cm), and the tail drops sit level across the curtain.
- Snowflakes on A and B cords alternate cleanly with a 4 in (10.2 cm) stagger.
- All ends are woven in and can’t be seen from either side.
- The rod slides through the pocket without stretching the header.
Troubleshooting
Center cups or ruffles: Round 2 tension doesn’t match Round 1. Rework Round 2 with a hook half a size smaller or larger.
Arms lean to one side: The stem wasn’t started after the 3rd sc. Count 3 sc, then start the tip ring.
Side loops look uneven: Check that each side loop has exactly 7 ch. Pin them open during blocking.
Cords grow over time: Cotton chains relax a little. Remove chains from the tails, or use a smaller hook for the cords.
Snowflakes flip backward: The chain behind the snowflake is too short. It must be exactly 20 ch to match the picot-to-picot height.
Header ripples: Your header gauge is loose. Remake it with a smaller hook so that 141 sts measure 35.25 in (89.5 cm).
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press the water out in a towel, and dry flat with the snowflakes pinned. Re-starch the snowflakes if needed.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and easy to check. Each snowflake is 5 in (12.7 cm) across. Each cord is 252 ch, or 63 in (160.0 cm), and holds 7 snowflakes at an 8 in (20.3 cm) pitch. The B cords are staggered 4 in (10.2 cm) lower. The header is 141 sts, or 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide, folded to 3 in (7.6 cm) deep. The finished curtain is 35.25 in (89.5 cm) x 66 in (167.6 cm).
Check one snowflake, one header swatch, and one cord before you make the rest. Once the first snowflake is right, the other 48 go quickly.
Happy crocheting!