Solar System Door Curtain Crochet Pattern with Sun & Planets

This curtain turns a plain doorway into a small solar system. Twelve cream cotton cords hang from a wooden dowel, and each one carries a mix of stuffed planets, tiny stars, crescent moons and small round “space dust” balls. One strand holds a flat mustard sun with pointed burnt-orange rays.

The palette is warm and earthy: mustard, burnt orange, cream, navy, denim blue, gray, tan, brown and a little green. The style is calm and minimal, with plenty of open space between pieces so light still comes through.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain measures 36 in (91.4 cm) wide along the dowel and hangs 72 in (182.9 cm) below it.

You crochet 84 small pieces in tight single crochet: balls, stars and moons are worked in the round, and the sun is a flat spiral disc with a separate ray border. Then you string the pieces onto cord, knot each strand to the dowel, and finish the sun’s rays last.

Finished Size and Construction

Finished size: 36 in (91.4 cm) wide × 72 in (182.9 cm) drop
Skill level: Easy–Intermediate
Terminology: US
Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
Number of pieces: 84 crocheted pieces on 12 strands
Layout: 12 strands × 7 pieces each, strands 3 in (7.6 cm) apart
Piece sizes: small ball 1.125 in (2.9 cm); medium ball 2 in (5.1 cm); large ball 2.25 in (5.7 cm); star and moon 1.75 in (4.4 cm); ring 3.125 in (7.9 cm) across
Sun disc before border: 4.5 in (11.4 cm)
Sun border depth: 0.875 in (2.2 cm) per side, for a finished sun of 6.25 in (15.9 cm)

Materials

Use a smooth, mercerized or matte worsted cotton. Cotton holds a firm ball shape, doesn’t fuzz, and lets the sun lie flat. All the colors should come from the same yarn line so the pieces stay the same size.

Mustard: 30 g / 48 m
Burnt orange: 25 g / 40 m
Cream: 55 g / 88 m
Navy: 35 g / 56 m
Denim blue: 25 g / 40 m
Gray: 20 g / 32 m
Tan: 15 g / 24 m
Brown: 10 g / 16 m
Green: 5 g / 8 m

These quantities include a margin of about 15–20% for swatching, color changes and tails.

Tools and supplies

3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
Locking stitch marker
Tapestry needle
Long doll needle or a 5 in (12.7 cm) darning needle, for pulling cord through the pieces
Polyester fiberfill
3 mm cotton macramé cord, 33 yd (30.2 m), which covers 12 strands plus a 48 in (121.9 cm) hanger
Wooden dowel, 36 in (91.4 cm) long and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) thick
2 cup hooks
Scissors and a tape measure

Abbreviations (US Terms)

ch – chain
sl st – slip stitch
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
tr – treble crochet
inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
dec – single crochet decrease (invisible decrease preferred)
MR – magic ring
st(s) – stitch(es)

Special stitch – Ray: Ch 5. Working back down the chain, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, and tr in the last ch. That makes one ray of 4 sts.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Gauge: 20 sc and 21 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm), worked tightly in cotton.

Test one piece first: work the sun disc through Round 4 and measure it.

Sun Rnd 4 (24 sts): 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across
Sun Rnd 8 (48 sts): 3 in (7.6 cm)
Sun Rnd 12 (72 sts): 4.5 in (11.4 cm)
Medium ball: 2 in (5.1 cm) across after stuffing

If your pieces come out too big, go down a hook size. If they’re too small, or the stuffing shows through, go up a hook size or loosen your tension slightly. Each round on the sun adds about 0.375 in (1.0 cm) to its diameter, so check your gauge before you go on.

Close-up of a crocheted star ornament with golden center and burnt-orange points, hanging from a cream cord.

Sun Disc (Make 1)

Work in a continuous spiral; don’t join rounds. Move the marker up each round. The spiral is part of the look.

With mustard:

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Rnd 2: inc in each st. (12)
Rnd 3: (sc 1, inc) × 6. (18)
Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) × 6. (24)
Rnd 5: (sc 3, inc) × 6. (30)
Rnd 6: (sc 4, inc) × 6. (36)
Rnd 7: (sc 5, inc) × 6. (42)
Rnd 8: (sc 6, inc) × 6. (48)
Rnd 9: (sc 7, inc) × 6. (54)
Rnd 10: (sc 8, inc) × 6. (60)
Rnd 11: (sc 9, inc) × 6. (66)
Rnd 12: (sc 10, inc) × 6. (72)

Sl st in the next st to smooth the step, then fasten off. The disc should measure 4.5 in (11.4 cm) and lie flat. To keep the increases from stacking into a hexagon, move the inc to a different spot in the repeat every other round. Set the disc aside; its border comes later.

Balls

All balls use the same method: work in a spiral, stuff when the opening is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide, close the last 6 sts with a tapestry needle, and weave in the ends.

Small Ball (1.125 in / 2.9 cm)

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Rnd 2: inc × 6. (12)
Rnd 3: (sc 1, inc) × 6. (18)
Rnds 4–5: sc around. (18)
Rnd 6: (sc 1, dec) × 6. (12)
Rnd 7: dec × 6. (6)

Medium Ball (2 in / 5.1 cm)

Rnds 1–3: as the small ball. (18)
Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) × 6. (24)
Rnd 5: (sc 3, inc) × 6. (30)
Rnds 6–10: sc around. (30)
Rnd 11: (sc 3, dec) × 6. (24)
Rnd 12: (sc 2, dec) × 6. (18)
Rnd 13: (sc 1, dec) × 6. (12)
Rnd 14: dec × 6. (6)

Large Striped Ball (2.25 in / 5.7 cm)

Rnds 1–5: as the medium ball. (30)
Rnd 6: (sc 4, inc) × 6. (36)
Rnds 7–12: sc around. (36)
Rnd 13: (sc 4, dec) × 6. (30)
Rnd 14: (sc 3, dec) × 6. (24)
Rnd 15: (sc 2, dec) × 6. (18)
Rnd 16: (sc 1, dec) × 6. (12)
Rnd 17: dec × 6. (6)

Stripe sequence:

Rnds 1–2: brown
Rnds 3–4: cream
Rnds 5–6: burnt orange
Rnds 7–8: tan
Rnds 9–10: cream
Rnds 11–12: burnt orange
Rnds 13–14: tan
Rnds 15–17: brown

Change colors on the last yarn-over of the final st of the previous round. Carry unused colors up inside the ball.

Earth: Make a medium ball in denim blue. With green, surface slip stitch three or four irregular continent shapes, each 0.5–0.75 in (1.3–1.9 cm) across, then fill them in with rows of surface sl sts.

Ringed Planet: Make a medium ball in denim blue. Then make a ring in tan:

Ch 32 and join with a sl st, without twisting the chain.
Rnd 1: sc in each ch: 32 worked 1-per-chain + 0 added. (32)
Rnd 2: (sc 3, inc) × 8. (40)
Rnd 3: (sc 4, inc) × 8. (48)

Fasten off. Stretch the ring over the ball’s middle (Rnds 7–8) and tack it in 4 places with tan yarn. The ring measures 3.125 in (7.9 cm) across.

Stars (Make 24, cream)

Rnd 1: 10 sc in MR, then sl st to the first sc. (10)
Rnd 2: Ch 4, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, dc in the last ch, skip 1 st, sl st in the next st. Repeat 5 times. (5 points)

Fasten off and pull the MR tight. Each star measures 1.75 in (4.4 cm) from point to point.

Crescent Moons (Make 6: 3 cream, 3 mustard)

Ch 10. Working into the chain, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook:

sl st, sc, hdc, 2 dc in each of the next 3 chs, hdc, sc, sl st. (12 sts)

The extra stitches in the middle make the crescent curve. Fasten off. Each moon spans 1.75 in (4.4 cm).

Make All Pieces

Piece	Color	Qty
Sun	mustard + burnt orange	1
Large striped ball	brown/cream/orange/tan	4
Ringed planet	denim + tan	3
Earth	denim + green	2
Medium ball	navy 3, burnt orange 3	6
Small ball	navy 10, gray 10, mustard 9, cream 9	38
Star	cream	24
Moon	cream 3, mustard 3	6
Total		84

Layout grid, listed top to bottom (S = sun, L = large, R = ringed, E = Earth, M = medium, b = small ball, * = star, ) = moon):

Strand 1:  *  L  b  *  b  R  b
Strand 2:  b  )  b  *  M  b  *
Strand 3:  *  b  L  b  *  b  b
Strand 4:  S  b  *  E  b  *  b
Strand 5:  b  *  M  b  R  b  *
Strand 6:  )  b  *  L  b  b  *
Strand 7:  b  *  M  b  )  b  *
Strand 8:  *  b  R  b  M  *  b
Strand 9:  b  )  b  L  *  b  *
Strand 10: *  b  E  b  )  *  b
Strand 11: b  M  *  b  b  *  b
Strand 12: )  b  *  M  b  *  b

That’s 12 strands × 7 = 84 pieces, which matches the table. There are 38 small balls (b) and 24 stars, with 2 stars on every strand.

Joining

Method: Each strand is a single length of cord threaded through its pieces, with an overhand knot under each piece to hold it in place.

Cut 12 cords, each 90 in (228.6 cm) long. Each cord uses about 6 in (15.2 cm) at the dowel and gives a 72 in (182.9 cm) drop. The remaining 12 in (30.5 cm) is taken up by the knots.
Thread the cord onto the long needle. Push it straight down through the center of each ball, from the magic ring to the closing point. For stars and moons, weave the cord through the back of the stitches so it doesn’t show on the front.
Tie an overhand knot just below each piece. Pull it snug against the piece, but don’t pull so hard that you squash the stuffing.
Hang the first piece about 3 in (7.6 cm) below the dowel, then leave gaps of 8–10 in (20.3–25.4 cm) between pieces. Start neighboring strands at different heights so the pieces stagger.
Finish each cord with an overhand knot and a 1 in (2.5 cm) tail.

Attaching to the dowel: Wrap the top 6 in (15.2 cm) of the cord twice around the dowel and tie a square knot. Place strand 1 at 1.5 in (3.8 cm) from the left end, then space the rest 3 in (7.6 cm) apart: 11 gaps × 3 in + 2 × 1.5 in = 36 in (91.4 cm). Leave strand 4 empty for now; it carries the sun, which still needs its border.

Size checkpoint: Each strand should measure 72 in (182.9 cm) from the dowel to the end of its tail. Hang the dowel and adjust the knots before trimming.

Sun Border

Border gauge: Each ray uses 4 stitches of Round 13. The 72 sts divide into exactly 18 rays, about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) apart around the edge.

Rnd 13 (burnt orange): Join the yarn in any st. Sc in each st: 72 worked 1-per-stitch + 0 added. Sl st to the first sc. (72) The disc now measures 4.75 in (12.1 cm).
Rnd 14: Work 1 Ray, skip the next 2 sts, sl st in each of the next 2 sts. Repeat 18 times. The last sl st lands in the joining st. (18 rays; 72 sts used)

Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Why the math works: 18 rays × (2 skipped + 2 sl st) = 72 sts, exactly Round 13’s count, so there are no leftover or crowded stitches. Round 13 has no increases because the rays take care of the outward flare. Round 13 adds 0.125 in (0.3 cm) per side and each ray stands 0.75 in (1.9 cm) beyond it, giving a border depth of 0.875 in (2.2 cm) per side. The finished sun measures 4.5 in + 2 × 0.875 in = 6.25 in (15.9 cm).

Thread strand 4 through the back of the sun’s center column and string its remaining 6 pieces. Then attach it to the dowel 10.5 in (26.7 cm) from the left end.

Final Blocking

Lightly spray the sun, stars, moons and ring with water.
Pin the sun flat on a foam mat in a 6.25 in (15.9 cm) circle and pin out each ray tip.
Pin each star’s 5 points to 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
Shape the moons into a smooth curve with your fingers.
Let everything dry completely before you hang it.
Roll the balls between your palms to even them out. Don’t wet stuffed pieces.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

84 pieces made, matching the table
Sun is 6.25 in (15.9 cm) across, with 18 even rays and a flat spiral
Balls are firm, round and closed, with no stuffing showing
All ends are woven in; no knots show on the fronts of stars or moons
12 strands are spaced 3 in (7.6 cm) apart on a 36 in (91.4 cm) dowel
Every strand drops 72 in (182.9 cm)
Pieces are staggered with no large empty band across the curtain

Troubleshooting

Sun ruffles: Your tension is loose. Go down a hook size or redo the disc.
Sun cups: Your rounds are too tight. Go up a hook size.
Sun looks hexagonal: Stagger the increases.
Rays lean or bunch: Recount: each repeat must use exactly 4 sts.
Stuffing shows: Go down a hook size and stuff a little less.
Pieces slide down the cord: Tie a double overhand knot under them.
Strands twist: Hang the curtain for a day so the cord relaxes, or steam it lightly.

Care

Spot clean with mild soap and cool water, then let it air dry flat. Dust it now and then with a hair dryer on the cool setting.

Colorful crocheted solar system mobile with planets and stars hanging in a sunny doorway with green plants.

Final Notes

The measurement chain is short:

Gauge of 20 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm)
Sun disc of 72 sts = 4.5 in (11.4 cm), then 18 rays = 6.25 in (15.9 cm)
Balls of 1.125 in, 2 in and 2.25 in (2.9 cm, 5.1 cm and 5.7 cm)
12 strands × 7 pieces = 84 pieces
Strands spaced 3 in (7.6 cm) apart on a 36 in (91.4 cm) dowel, each dropping 72 in (182.9 cm)

If you check each link, the whole curtain falls into place.

Happy crocheting!

Little Cosmos Solar System Door Curtain Crochet Pattern