A plum valance with soft hanging strands of stars, clouds and moons makes a doorway feel like a quiet night sky. The Midnight Dreams Door Curtain uses three colors: deep plum, warm cream and mustard gold. Clear and wooden beads add a little sparkle between the motifs.
The style is calm and a little magical. Sleepy embroidered faces sit on the clouds, puffy stars and moons. Tassels in two colors finish each strand.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain measures 35 in (88.9 cm) wide and 54.75 in (139.1 cm) long from the top of the valance to the tassel tips. The hanging tabs add a little more length above that.
The curtain is built in stages:
1. Crochet seven half-circle scallops.
2. Tack the scallops together at their corners.
3. Work a two-row top border that adds the rod tabs.
4. Chain seven beaded cords from the scallop points.
5. Attach the motifs and tassels.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 35 in (88.9 cm) wide × 54.75 in (139.1 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 7 scallops, 7 cords, 28 small stars, 14 feature motifs, 7 tassels
- Layout: 7 scallops in one row, with 1 strand hanging from each scallop
- Scallop size: 5 in (12.7 cm) wide × 2.75 in (7.0 cm) deep
- Valance size before border: 35 in (88.9 cm) × 2.75 in (7.0 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm), giving a valance depth of 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Cord length: 48 in (121.9 cm), plus a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tassel
Materials
Use a smooth worsted yarn of about 200 m per 100 g, in cotton or a cotton blend. Smooth yarn shows the stitches clearly, and cotton gives the motifs crisp edges. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they hide the sunburst texture.
- Plum: 125 g / 250 m (valance, cords, small stars, plum moons, 4 tassels)
- Cream: 70 g / 140 m (clouds, puffy stars, moons, small stars, 3 tassels)
- Mustard gold: 25 g / 50 m (small stars, puffy star, moon, embroidery)
All quantities include a margin of about 20–25%.
Tools and notions:
– 4.5 mm (US 7) hook
– Tapestry needle and a big-eye beading needle (or a dental-floss threader)
– 35 clear beads, 10 mm, with holes of at least 4 mm
– 7 natural wooden beads, 12 mm
– Black embroidery floss
– A small handful of fiberfill
– Stitch markers
– A 4 in (10.2 cm) piece of card for the tassels
– A curtain rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter
– Optional: a battery micro-LED fairy-light string
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
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sp: space
- rnd: round
Special stitch – Tab: Ch 12, then sl st into the same sc to make a hanging loop about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) deep.
Gauge and Checkpoints
The gauge is 16 sc and 18 rows to 4 in (10.2 cm).
Before making everything, crochet one full scallop as your test piece. Check its width across the straight edge after each row:
- Row 1: 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
- Row 2: 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
- Row 3: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Row 4: 4.5 in (11.4 cm)
- Row 5: 5 in (12.7 cm) wide, 2.5 in (6.4 cm) deep
- Row 6: 5 in (12.7 cm) wide, 2.75 in (7.0 cm) deep
If your scallop is too big, go down 0.5 mm in hook size. If it is too small, go up 0.5 mm. Even a 0.25 in (0.6 cm) error per scallop changes the curtain width by 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
Motif checkpoints:
– Small star: 1.5 in (3.8 cm) point to point
– Puffy star: 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
– Cloud: 3 in (7.6 cm) × 2 in (5.1 cm)
– Large moon: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tip to tip
– Small moon: 2 in (5.1 cm)
Scallop (Make 7, Plum)
The scallop is worked flat in turned rows, starting from a magic ring at the center of the straight edge.
Row 1: MR, ch 3 (counts as dc), 7 dc in the ring. Pull the ring tight and turn. (8 dc)
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same st, then 2 dc in each of the remaining 7 sts. Turn. (16 dc)
Row 3 (spokes): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch-1), dc in next st, ch 1 14 times, dc in the last st. Turn. (16 dc, 15 ch-1 sps) The ch-1 gaps create the radiating sunburst lines.
Row 4: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same st, dc in next ch-1 sp, dc in next dc 15 times. The last dc goes into the 3rd ch of the turning ch-4. Turn. (32 dc)
Row 5 (curved edge, conversion row): Ch 1, sc in each of next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st 4 times. That is 32 sc worked one per stitch, plus 4 extra, for 36 sc. Do not turn.
Row 6 (straight edge, trim row): Ch 1 and rotate the piece so you work along the straight edge. Work into the row ends as follows:
– 1 sc in the Row 5 row end
– 2 sc in each row end of Rows 4–1
– 2 sc over the center of the ring
– 2 sc in each row end of Rows 1–4
– 1 sc in the final Row 5 row end
That gives 1 + 8 + 2 + 8 + 1 = 20 sc. Fasten off.
Embroidery: With gold yarn, work a five-point straight-stitch star about 0.6 in (1.5 cm) across, centered on Row 2.
Motifs
Small Star (Make 28: 11 plum, 11 gold, 6 cream)
– Rnd 1: MR, 5 sc. (5)
– Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st. (10)
– Rnd 3: Sl st in next st, ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, skip next st 5 times. Join. (5 points)
Leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing.
Puffy Star (Make 3: 2 cream, 1 gold; 2 layers each)
– Rnd 1: MR, 5 sc. (5)
– Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st. (10)
– Rnd 3: Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st 5 times. (15)
– Rnd 4: Sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st 5 times. (20)
– Rnd 5: Sl st in next 2 sts, ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, tr in next 2 ch, skip next 2 sts 5 times. Join. (5 points)
Embroider closed eyes with three lashes on one layer using black floss.
Cloud (Make 4, cream; 2 layers each)
– Rnd 1: Ch 9. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 6 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Working along the other side of the chain, sc in next 6 ch, 2 sc in the first ch. Join. (18)
– Rnd 2: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in each of next 3 sts, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in each of last 2 sts. That is 18 + 6 = 24. Join.
– Rnd 3: Ch 1. Skip 1 st, 7 dc in next st, skip 1 st, sl st in next st 3 times. This uses sts 1–12 and makes 3 bumps. Then sc in sts 13–24 (12 sc) and join.
Embroider a sleepy face on the front layer.
Large Crescent Moon (Make 4: 2 cream, 1 gold, 1 plum)
– Row 1: Ch 17. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next 2 ch, dc in next 2 ch, 2 dc in each of next 4 ch, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next 2 ch, sc in last 2 ch. Turn. (20 sts)
– Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, hdc in next 2, dc in next 2, 2 dc in each of next 8, dc in next 2, hdc in next 2, sc in last 2. Turn. (28 sts)
– Rnd 3 (edging): Ch 1, sc in each of the 28 sts, 2 sc across the row ends at the tip, sc in each of the 16 foundation ch, then 2 sc across the row ends at the other tip. That is 44 sts worked one per stitch, plus 4 row-end sts, for 48 sc. Join.
The extra stitches along the outer edge make the piece curl into a crescent. Embroider sleepy faces on the cream and gold moons. On the plum moon, embroider three tiny gold stars instead.
Small Crescent Moon (Make 3, plum)
– Row 1: Ch 11. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, 2 dc in each of next 4 ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. Turn. (14 sts)
– Rnd 2 (edging): Sc in each of the 14 sts, 1 sc in the tip, sc in each of the 10 foundation ch, 1 sc in the other tip. That is 24 sts worked one per stitch, plus 2 extra, for 26 sc.
Tassels (Make 7: 4 plum, 3 cream)
1. Wrap the yarn 40 times around the 4 in (10.2 cm) card.
2. Tie the top and wrap the neck.
3. Cut the bottom loops and trim to 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
Make All Pieces
Totals by color:
– Plum: 7 scallops, 7 cords, 11 small stars, 1 large moon, 3 small moons, 4 tassels
– Cream: 6 small stars, 4 clouds (8 layers), 2 puffy stars (4 layers), 2 large moons, 3 tassels
– Gold: 11 small stars, 1 puffy star (2 layers), 1 large moon, plus the embroidery
Strand layout grid. Positions are measured down the cord from the scallop point. S = small star (P = plum, G = gold, C = cream).
Pos (in / cm) S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7
3 / 7.6 S-P S-G S-P S-G S-C S-P S-G
9 / 22.9 S-G S-P S-G S-P S-G S-G S-P
16 / 40.6 Cloud Gold moon Cloud Cream pf Cream moon Plum moon Cloud
23 / 58.4 S-C S-G S-P S-C S-P S-C S-G
31 / 78.7 Small Gold pf Small Cream pf Cloud Small Cream moon
moon moon moon
38 / 96.5 S-P S-C S-G S-P S-G S-P S-C
46 / 116.8 Wood bead on every strand
48 / 121.9 Plum Cream Plum Cream Cream Plum Plum (tassel)
“pf” means puffy star. Each strand has one clear bead centered in each of the 5 gaps between its first six motif positions (3 in to 38 in).
Joining
- Lay the seven scallops in a row, curved edges down and straight edges in a straight line.
- With plum yarn and a tapestry needle, whipstitch each pair of neighbors together through the last 2 sc of Row 5 where the curves meet. That makes a seam of about 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- Keep the stitches snug but not puckered, so the straight edges stay level with each other.
Join only at the corners. The curves below should stay separate to form the scalloped hem.
Size checkpoint: The joined strip should measure 35 in (88.9 cm) across, with 7 × 20 = 140 sc available along the top edge.
Border
The border is worked along the straight top edge only, because the curved edges were already finished in Row 5. Border gauge is 4 sc per inch (2.5 cm).
Border Row 1: Join plum yarn in the first sc of Row 6 on the first scallop. Ch 1, then sc in each of the 20 sc of every scallop. Move straight across each seam without adding any stitches. Turn. (140 sc)
Border Row 2 (tab row): Ch 1. Sc in the first st and make a Tab. Then sc in next 20 sts and make a Tab in the last sc 6 times. Finish with sc in the next 19 sts and a Tab in the last sc. That is 1 + 120 + 19 = 140 sc, with 8 Tabs. Fasten off.
Why the math works: 140 sc ÷ 4 sc per inch = 35 in (88.9 cm), which is exactly the width of the joined strip. The tabs sit at both ends and over the six seams. The two border rows add 0.5 in (1.3 cm) of depth.
Cords:
1. Holding plum yarn double, pre-string one wooden bead first and then 5 clear beads. Whatever you string last comes off first.
2. Insert the hook between sc 18 and 19 of Row 5 at the scallop point, pull up a loop and ch 1 to secure it.
3. Chain at 4 ch per inch (2.5 cm), sliding beads up into place at their positions, until the cord is 48 in (121.9 cm) long. That is about 185 ch. Measure the cord rather than counting chains.
4. Fasten off and tie on the tassel.
Attaching motifs:
– Two-layer motifs: Sandwich the cord between the two layers, add light stuffing and whipstitch around the edges.
– Moons and small stars: Sew them to the front of the cord using their tails.
Final Blocking
- Pin the valance flat with the scallops curved evenly and the top edge straight at 35 in (88.9 cm).
- Mist it with water and let it dry completely.
- Press the flat motifs gently under a damp cloth. Do not steam the stuffed motifs.
- Hang the curtain on the rod and comb the tassels straight.
- Let it hang for 24 hours so the cords relax to 48 in (121.9 cm).
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- All 7 scallops are 5 in (12.7 cm) wide with 20 sts on the straight edge.
- Border Row 1 has 140 sc and Border Row 2 has 8 tabs.
- Each cord hangs from the center of its scallop and measures 48 in (121.9 cm).
- Motifs sit at their grid positions, with faces upright.
- Tassels are 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long and tied tightly.
- All yarn ends are woven in.
Troubleshooting
- The scallop ruffles: Your tension is loose on Row 4. Go down a hook size.
- The scallop cups: Check that Row 2 has 16 dc and Row 4 has 32 dc.
- The moon stays straight: Work the increases in the middle more loosely. Pull the foundation chain slightly snug.
- The cords twist: Hang a light weight on each cord while it is damp.
- The valance is too wide: Recount Border Row 1. Extra stitches added at the seams are the usual cause.
Care
Spot clean or hand wash cold and lay flat to dry. Remove the fairy lights before washing.
Final Notes
Every measurement builds on the one before it:
– A 20-st scallop edge measures 5 in (12.7 cm).
– Seven scallops make 35 in (88.9 cm) across, which is 140 border stitches.
– The valance is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) deep, the cords are 48 in (121.9 cm) and the tassels are 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
– Together they give a total length of 54.75 in (139.1 cm).
Check each stage, and the whole curtain will come out to size.
Happy crocheting!