Crochet Hanging Decorations: Small Hearts and Stars
Flat crochet hearts and stars with chain loops sized for door knobs, cabinet handles and windows, plus light stiffening and tips for grouping them.
Project at a glance
Materials
- About 6 yards (5.5 m) worsted cotton per heart
- About 5 yards (4.5 m) worsted cotton per star
- G-6 (4 mm) crochet hook
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
- Rustproof pins and a blocking mat
- Spray starch or white craft glue (optional)
Small crochet hanging decorations are the quickest way to add a handmade detail to a room: a heart on a door knob, a star on a cabinet handle, a few of each strung in a window. Both shapes below are flat, use only a few yards of cotton, and finish with a chain loop sized for the place they will hang.
Materials
- Worsted-weight (#4) cotton yarn: roughly 6 yards (5.5 m) per heart and 5 yards (4.5 m) per star, plus a yard or two for each loop
- G-6 (4 mm) crochet hook
- Yarn needle and scissors
- Rustproof pins and a foam mat or folded towel for shaping
- Spray starch or white craft glue for stiffening (optional)
The hook is smaller than usual for worsted cotton. A tight fabric keeps the outline crisp and helps the shapes hang flat instead of folding.
Size and Gauge
Gauge is about 18 sc and 20 rows to 4 in (10 cm), but it is not critical. At that gauge the heart is about 3 in (7.5 cm) wide and 2.5 in (6.5 cm) tall, and the star is about 3 in (7.5 cm) from point to point.
Abbreviations (US terms)
- MR: magic ring
- 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: sc2tog (single crochet 2 stitches together)
- sk: skip
- st/sts: stitch/stitches
- rep: repeat
Heart Pattern
The heart is worked in rows from the bottom point upward. It widens to 12 stitches, then splits into two lobes of 6 stitches each.
- Row 1: Ch 2. Work 2 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook (2 sc).
- Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Inc in each st (4 sc).
- Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Inc in the first st, sc in each of the next 2 sts, inc in the last st (6 sc).
- Row 4: Ch 1, turn. Inc, sc in each of the next 4 sts, inc (8 sc).
- Row 5: Ch 1, turn. Inc, sc in each of the next 6 sts, inc (10 sc).
- Row 6: Ch 1, turn. Inc, sc in each of the next 8 sts, inc (12 sc).
- Rows 7 and 8: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across (12 sc).
- Row 9 (first lobe): Ch 1, turn. Sc in each of the first 6 sts and leave the remaining 6 sts unworked (6 sc).
- Row 10: Ch 1, turn. Dec, sc in each of the next 2 sts, dec (4 sc).
- Row 11: Ch 1, turn. Dec twice (2 sc). Fasten off.
- Second lobe: Join the yarn in the first unworked st of Row 8, next to the first lobe. Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each of the next 5 sts (6 sc). Rep Rows 10 and 11, but do not fasten off.
- Edging: Ch 1 and sc evenly around the whole outline, placing 1 sc in the end of each row, 3 sc in the bottom point, and a sl st in the dip between the lobes. Join with a sl st to the first sc and fasten off.
The edging count does not need to be exact. What matters is that the stitches are evenly spaced, so the outline neither ripples nor pulls in.
Star Pattern
The star is a small circle with five points, each made on a short chain and worked back down in stitches of increasing height.
- Round 1: Make a MR. Ch 2 (does not count as a st), work 10 hdc into the ring, pull it closed, and join with a sl st to the first hdc (10 hdc).
- Round 2: Ch 1, inc in each st around; join with a sl st to the first sc (20 sc).
- Round 3 (points): *Ch 6. Working back along the chain, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, tr in the last ch. Sk the next 3 sts of Round 2 and sl st in the following st; rep from * 4 more times (5 points). The final sl st lands in the stitch where the round began. Fasten off.
Each point uses 4 stitches of Round 2: three skipped and one for the slip stitch. Five points use all 20, so if a point is left without room, recount Round 2.
Hanging Loops
Join the yarn at the top of the shape with a sl st, chain the number below, and sl st back into the same place. Fasten off and weave both tails into the back of the piece.
| Where it hangs | Loop | Approximate chain length |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet handle, drawer pull or wall hook | Ch 20 | 4.5 in (11.5 cm) |
| Door knob | Ch 40 | 9 in (23 cm) |
| Window latch, curtain rod or shelf edge | Ch 60, left open as a single cord to tie | 13.5 in (34 cm) |
Check the door knob loop before fastening off: it has to slip over the widest part of the knob.
Light Stiffening and Shaping
Cotton shapes this small often hold up with blocking alone. Dampen each piece, pin it to the mat with a pin in every star point and at the heart’s point and lobes, and let it dry completely.
For a firmer finish, mist the pinned piece with spray starch, or brush on white craft glue thinned with an equal amount of water. Keep the coat light. The aim is a shape that stays flat while still looking like yarn. More on pinning and drying is in the guide to blocking and finishing crochet decor.
Watch out
Hang yarn decorations away from candles, stovetops and heaters, and keep door knob hangers short enough that they cannot catch in the latch.
Grouping and Placing Them
- Odd numbers: three or five pieces look more relaxed than a pair.
- Staggered heights: in a window, hang each one on a cord of a different length so they do not line up in a row.
- Limited colors: two or three shades repeated across the group tie it together.
- Along a line: stitch several to a chain cord for a mini garland, or mix them into a crochet bunting garland between the pennants.
For windows and walls, small removable hooks are usually enough for pieces this light. The guide on how to hang crochet wall decor compares the options. When the holidays come around, the same loops and stiffening methods work for crochet Christmas ornaments.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my star points curl?
The points are worked on a chain, and stitches worked into a chain naturally twist a little. Pin each point out straight while the piece is damp and let it dry fully. A light coat of starch helps them stay flat.
Can I make the hearts and stars bigger?
The simplest way is to use thicker yarn and a larger hook with the same pattern; bulky (#5) yarn roughly adds an inch or more to each shape. For the heart you can also keep increasing to 16 stitches before the plain rows and work lobes of 8 stitches each.
Will a glue-stiffened decoration survive washing?
Diluted white glue and starch both soften in water, so a stiffened piece should be dusted rather than washed. If it does get wet, pin it out and stiffen it again once it has dried.
