This hanging holder brings a warm holiday touch to the kitchen. A cream cord loops over a small wooden ring and spreads into a soft triangle. Its two halves wrap around a pair of wooden dowels: the upper one holds a paper towel roll and the lower one holds a folded tea towel. Eight lacy gold stars are spaced along the cord, and a ninth star decorates the towel itself.
The colors are simple: creamy natural white for the cord and a warm gold for the stars. The style is Scandinavian-cozy. The texture is plain and the shapes are clean, and the gold reads as festive without looking loud. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
The finished holder measures about 22 in (55.9 cm) tall from the top of the ring to the lower dowel and 14 in (35.6 cm) wide, which is the dowel length. Each star measures 3 in (7.6 cm) across its two side tips.
The construction is easy. You make one cord from a chain with slip stitches worked back along it, then nine stars worked in the round. Fold the cord over the ring and bind it with gold yarn. Then wrap the cord around the dowel ends and sew on the stars.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 22 in (55.9 cm) tall x 14 in (35.6 cm) wide
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) for the cord, DK (#3) for the stars
- Hooks: 6.0 mm (J-10) for the cord, 3.5 mm (E-4) for the stars
- Number of pieces: 10 (1 cord, 9 stars)
- Layout: cord folded at its center over the ring, with 4 stars on each half and 1 star on the towel
- Piece size: cord 56 in (142.2 cm) long; each star 3 in (7.6 cm) across
- Star size before border: 2.25 in (5.7 cm) after Round 3
- Border depth: 0.375 in (1.0 cm) added at each tip by Round 4
Materials
Yarn advice: Use a smooth cotton or cotton blend for the cord so it holds its shape and doesn’t stretch under the weight of the roll. For the stars, a gold cotton or a soft metallic blend shows the stitch definition best. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they hide the open windows in the stars.
- Cream, worsted cotton: 15 g / about 30 m (used as 2 strands held together)
- Gold, DK cotton or metallic blend: 20 g / about 55 m
These quantities include a safety margin of roughly 20 percent.
Tools and hardware:
- 6.0 mm (J-10) crochet hook
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- 1 wooden ring, 2 in (5.1 cm) across
- 2 wooden dowels, each 14 in (35.6 cm) long and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) thick
- Locking stitch markers
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
- 1 cream tea towel (for the appliqué star)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- MR: magic ring
- sp: space
- st(s): stitch(es)
- rep: repeat
Special stitch: picot. Ch 3, then sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook.
Special technique: slip stitch cord. Make a chain. Then sl st into the back bump of each chain, working back toward the slip knot.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make one star first and measure it before you make the other eight. Gauge isn’t critical for a decoration, but all nine stars need to match.
Star checkpoints (3.5 mm hook, DK):
- After Round 1: 1 in (2.5 cm) across
- After Round 2: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across
- After Round 3: 2.25 in (5.7 cm) from side tip to side tip
- After Round 4: 3 in (7.6 cm) from side tip to side tip
Cord gauge (6.0 mm hook, 2 strands): 3 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm).
If your star is too big, go down a hook size, to 3.25 mm (D-3). If it is too small, go up to 3.75 mm (F-5). For the cord, check the first 12 in (30.5 cm) of chain: it should have 36 ch. If you have more than 36, your chains are too tight, so loosen up or change hooks.
Star (Make 9)
Use gold DK yarn and the 3.5 mm hook.
Round 1: Make an MR. Ch 3 (counts as dc) and work 9 dc in the ring. Pull the ring closed, leaving a small center hole. Join with a sl st to the top of the ch-3. (10 dc)
Round 2 (conversion): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Dc in the same st and dc in the next st, then ch 2. 2 dc in the next st, dc in the next st, ch 2. Rep from * 3 more times. Join with a sl st to the top of the ch-3.
Count: 10 + 5 = 15 dc in 5 groups of 3, plus 5 ch-2 sps*
The ch-2 sps make the five open windows around the center. Each window sets the position of one star tip.
Round 3 (conversion): Sl st in the next dc, which is the middle dc of the first group. Ch 1 (does not count) and sc in the same dc to make the first valley.
Hdc in the next dc. In the ch-2 sp work (dc, tr, ch 2, tr, dc). Hdc in the first dc of the next group, then sc in the middle dc of that group. Rep from * 4 more times. On the last repeat, skip the final sc: your last hdc goes into the ch-3 from Round 2. Join with a sl st to the first sc.
Count: 15 + 20 = 35 sts (7 per point) plus 5 ch-2 tip sps
Each point now has 7 sts: sc, hdc, dc, tr, tr, dc, hdc. The star should measure 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across. Round 4, the border, finishes the points (see the Border section).
Make All Pieces
Make the following pieces:
- Gold: 9 stars. Of these, 8 go on the cord and 1 goes on the towel.
- Cream: 1 cord
Cord: Using the 6.0 mm hook with 2 strands of cream held together, ch 168. The chain should measure 56 in (142.2 cm). Sl st into the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and of each ch across, for 167 sl sts. Fasten off, leaving 8 in (20.3 cm) tails at both ends.
Lay the cord flat and fold it in half. Each half is 84 ch, or 28 in (71.1 cm). Mark the fold.
Star placement grid (measured along each half from the fold):
0 in fold over ring (gold binding)
5 in STAR 1
10 in STAR 2
15-18 in wrap around TOP dowel -> STAR 3 at 16.5 in
18-24 in drop between dowels (6 in)
24-27 in wrap around BOTTOM dowel -> STAR 4 at 25.5 in
27-28 in tail, tucked and sewn
The same layout applies to both halves:
[ring]
/ \
S1 / \ S1
S2 / \ S2
S3==[ top dowel ]==S3
| |
S4==[ bottom dowel]==S4
[towel: S9]
In inches and cm, the positions from the fold are 5 in (12.7 cm), 10 in (25.4 cm), 16.5 in (41.9 cm), and 25.5 in (64.8 cm).
Joining
Ring: Slide the cord through the ring until the fold sits on top of the ring. Using gold yarn, wrap both cord strands together 8 times just below the ring. Pass the needle under the wraps twice to lock them, then bury the tail.
Dowels: Place a stitch marker on each half at 15 in (38.1 cm) from the fold. Starting at the marker, take the cord over the front of the top dowel, about 1 in (2.5 cm) in from its end. Bring it around the back and up the front again, crossing over itself. This full loop uses 3 in (7.6 cm), so the cord comes off the wrap at 18 in (45.7 cm). Tack the crossing with 3 small stitches of cream yarn so the wrap can’t slide.
Let 6 in (15.2 cm) of cord drop, then wrap the bottom dowel the same way from 24 in to 27 in (61.0 cm to 68.6 cm). Turn the last 1 in (2.5 cm) of tail up behind the wrap and sew it down firmly.
Stars: Pin each star at its grid position, with the cord running behind it from the top tip to the center of the lower edge. Sew the star on with gold yarn using small whipstitches through the back loops of Round 3 and into the cord. Stitch only through the back layer so the stitches don’t show on the front. Stars 3 and 4 cover the dowel wraps; sew them through the cord crossing.
Tension: Keep your sewing stitches snug but not tight. If you pull them too hard, the star puckers or the cord twists.
Size checkpoint: When you hang the holder, the dowels should be level and the cords 12 in (30.5 cm) apart at each dowel. The top of the ring should sit about 22 in (55.9 cm) above the lower dowel.
Towel star: Center the ninth star on the front fold of the towel, about 4 in (10.2 cm) above the lower edge. Whipstitch all around it through the back loops of Round 4.
Border
Round 4 is the star’s border. It sharpens each point and adds the picot tips.
Border gauge: Each point adds 0.375 in (1.0 cm) at its tip, which takes the star from 2.25 in (5.7 cm) to 3 in (7.6 cm) across.
Round 4 (conversion): Ch 1 (does not count) and sl st in the same sc.
Sc in the hdc, hdc in the dc, and dc in the tr. In the ch-2 tip sp work (dc, tr, picot, tr, dc). Dc in the tr, hdc in the dc, and sc in the hdc, then sl st in the next valley sc. Rep from * 4 more times. On the last repeat, end with a sl st in the first sl st to join. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Count: 35 + 20 = 55 sts (11 per point) plus 5 picots
Per side of each point: Climbing from the valley to the tip, each side has 5 sts: sc, hdc, dc, dc, tr. The two sides of a point give 10 sts. Add the shared valley sl st and each point has 11 sts.
Why the math works: Round 3 has 7 sts per point, and Round 4 works 1 st into each of them, with the valley sc becoming a sl st. The other 4 sts per point (dc, tr, tr, dc) go into the tip sp, which also holds the picot, so 7 + 4 = 11 per point. Five points give 55 sts. The stitches get taller toward each tip (sl st, sc, hdc, dc, tr), which makes the stepped edge and the pointed shape.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all the ends on the stars before blocking.
- Dampen the stars with a spray bottle until they are evenly moist but not dripping.
- Pin each star flat to a 3 in (7.6 cm) side-to-side width, with one pin through each picot.
- Push a pin into each valley so the points stay crisp.
- Gently open up the 5 windows and the center hole with your fingertip.
- Leave the stars to dry completely, which takes about 4 to 6 hours.
- Hang the cord straight with a light weight at each end overnight. This straightens any twist before assembly.
- Do all blocking before you sew the pieces together.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- All 9 stars measure 3 in (7.6 cm) across, give or take 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- Every star has 55 sts, 5 picots, and 5 open windows.
- The cord measures 56 in (142.2 cm), with the fold centered on the ring.
- The gold binding below the ring is firm and doesn’t slide.
- Both dowels hang level, with the cords 12 in (30.5 cm) apart.
- The dowel wraps are tacked and don’t shift when you pull the paper towel.
- The stars sit at matching heights on both halves.
- No sewing stitches show on the front.
- The towel star is centered and flat.
Troubleshooting
- The star cups. You are working too few sts or your tension is too tight. Recount Round 2 (15 dc) and Round 3 (35 sts).
- The star ruffles. Your hook is too large. Go down a size.
- The points are blunt. Make sure the tr and picot are worked into the ch-2 tip sp, not into a stitch.
- The cord is shorter than 56 in (142.2 cm). Your sl sts are too tight and are squeezing the chain. Redo them more loosely, or add chains.
- The dowel hangs crooked. Measure each half from the fold and move the wrap so both start at 15 in (38.1 cm).
- The cord twists. Re-block it hanging, then tack the dowel wraps again.
- The ring binding slips. Add 2 or 3 more wraps and lock them with an extra needle pass.
Care
Remove the dowels and hand wash the cord and stars in cool water with mild soap. Reshape them and dry flat. The towel can be gently machine washed in cold water and laid flat to dry.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain in short. Round 1 of each star measures 1 in (2.5 cm). Round 2 brings it to 1.75 in (4.4 cm), Round 3 to 2.25 in (5.7 cm), and the border round to 3 in (7.6 cm), with 55 sts and 5 picots.
The cord starts as 168 ch at 3 ch per inch, which gives 56 in (142.2 cm), or 28 in (71.1 cm) per half. On each half, the first 15 in (38.1 cm) reaches the top dowel. Each dowel wrap takes 3 in (7.6 cm), the drop between dowels is 6 in (15.2 cm), and the last 1 in (2.5 cm) is the tail. Hang the holder, check that both dowels are level and the cords 12 in (30.5 cm) apart, then add your paper towel roll and towel.
Happy crocheting!