By CraftingStepByStepPublished
Based on a video by Crochet Jewel.
A crochet bow takes about ten minutes and a few yards of yarn. Amy from the Crochet Jewel channel works hers from a magic circle: two fans of tall double treble stitches, one on each side of the ring, then a tight wrap of yarn round the middle to pinch it into shape. With worsted yarn and an F hook it comes out about 2.5 inches across.
Worsted weight yarn with an F or G hook (3.75 to 4 mm) gives a 2 to 3 inch bow. That is the size for a hair clip or a gift topper. Cotton holds a crisp shape. Acrylic is softer and comes in every color you could want.
Pick a smooth yarn. Fuzzy or textured yarn hides the stitches, and the ring is hard to pull shut through mohair.
A double treble is one stitch taller than a treble crochet. Wrap the yarn round the hook three times, push the hook into the ring, and pull up a loop. Now you have five loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through two loops, four times, until one is left. That is one stitch. Six of them make one half of the bow.
New to the ring itself? Practise the magic ring on its own first. It is the part that lets your bow pull tight in the middle.
Change the hook and yarn, not the pattern. Bulky yarn and an I or J hook gives a 4 inch bow for a wreath or a big gift. Sport yarn and a D hook gives a small one for a baby headband. You can also swap the double trebles for trebles to get a shorter, rounder bow.
One ball of worsted yarn makes dozens of bows, so this is a good leftover-yarn project. Make all the first wings in one sitting, then all the second wings, then do the wrapping last. You get faster and the bows come out more even. Two-color bows work well too: crochet the wings in one shade and wrap the middle in another, like red wings with a white center for Christmas or pink with gold for a baby shower. Grandkids can help with the wrapping once you have done the hook work.
A soft bow can flop, especially in acrylic. Dip it in fabric stiffener or a mix of white glue and water, squeeze out the extra, and shape it on a flat surface. Let it dry overnight. Spray starch is a lighter option for cotton. Skip stiffener on anything a baby might chew.
A loose middle. Pull the magic ring as tight as it goes before you wrap, then wrap firmly. Five wraps is the minimum. Eight looks fuller.
Uneven halves. Count to six on each side. One extra stitch makes one wing visibly bigger.
Ends that work loose. Run the tail back through the wraps on the back with a yarn needle. Our guide to weaving in ends shows how.
9 steps · about 8 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Wrap the yarn round two fingers to make a loose loop, with the tail crossing over the working yarn. Slide the hook under the loop, grab the working yarn and pull it through. That is your magic circle. Keep it open and loose for now. Every stitch of the bow goes into this ring, and you pull it tight right at the end.
Tip
Leave a tail about 6 inches long so you have something to pull on later.
Yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook five times. That gives you a chain of five standing up off the magic circle. This chain is the outer edge of the first bow wing, and it also counts as the turning height for the tall stitches that come next. Keep the chain stitches even so the wing does not pucker.
Tip
Hold the ring between your thumb and middle finger so it does not spin.
Yarn over three times so you have three wraps on the hook. Push the hook into the center of the magic circle, grab the yarn and pull up a loop. Now yarn over and pull through two loops. Do that four times in total until one loop is left. That is one double treble crochet, the tall stitch that gives the bow its height.
Tip
Count out loud: wrap, wrap, wrap, then two, two, two, two.
Work five more double trebles into the same ring, for six in total. They fan out side by side and start to look like one rounded half of a bow. Keep pushing each new stitch against the last one so they sit close together. Gaps here show up as holes in the finished wing.
Tip
Clip a stitch marker into the first double treble so you can count to six without losing track.
Chain five again, then put the hook into the magic circle and slip stitch. This closes the first wing of the bow. The two chains of five sit at each end of the fan and frame it, so the wing has a neat outline instead of a hard edge. Slide the stitches down the ring toward the tail to make room.
Tip
If the wing looks crowded, slide the stitches along the ring before you go on.
Chain five, then work six double trebles into the ring, the same as the first side. Finish with another chain of five and a slip stitch into the ring. Count every stitch on this side. The two wings need the same number, or one will end up bigger and the crochet bow will look lopsided once you cinch it.
Tip
Lay the two wings side by side before the slip stitch and compare them.
Pull the starting tail as hard as you can. The ring closes and the two wings fold toward each other into a bow shape. Chain one, cut the yarn and pull the end through the loop on your hook to lock it. Leave this tail long, at least 12 inches. You need it for the wrap in the next step.
Tip
Tug the tail a second time after it looks closed. A little more always gives.
Pinch the middle of the bow and wrap the long tail round it, five to eight times. Pull each wrap snug so it squeezes the center and puffs the wings out. The wraps make the knot in the middle of the bow, so keep them neat and side by side rather than piling them up in one spot.
Tip
More wraps give a fatter center knot. Stop when it looks right to you.
Thread both tails onto a yarn needle. Run them under the wraps on the back of the bow, then back the other way, so they cannot pull out. Trim close. Your bow is done. Glue it to a clip, sew it to a hat, or tie it onto a present.
Tip
Leave one tail long if you plan to tie the bow onto a gift or tree branch.
Keep going
How to Crochet a Chicken (Easy Amigurumi Pattern, Step by Step)
How to Crochet a Bow
Clover
Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set (10 sizes)
Soft, easy-grip handles that warm to the touch and a full size range in one case. The set most crocheters upgrade to and never look back.
Lion Brand
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton Yarn
Mercerized cotton with crisp stitch definition and a subtle sheen. Machine washable, and the go-to for amigurumi, bags, and dishcloths.
Clover
Clover Locking Stitch Markers (20-pack)
Lock onto stitches so they never slip while you mark rounds, increases, and repeats. A dollar-store fix that actually holds.
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