Warm welcome to the blog devoted to learning how to make your own crochet designs. Here, I share what I learn, and try to collect all the relevant tips and tools in one place.
One important lesson that I learned while trying to design things myself is to “steal like an artist”. And I’m not talking about actually stealing someone’s ideas or patterns, of course not.
What I mean is that any form of art (and crochet is definitely a form of art) is based on getting inspired by what is around, what others do, and borrowing bits and pieces.
Even the “gut feeling” that you as an artist develop to tell you what “looks good” is based on what you’ve experienced and seen before. In your mind, you already know what looks beautiful, and what doesn’t.
Now let’s get to the actual practical idea on how to design your own crochet accessories. It works really well especially if you’re just starting this journey!
Sources of inspiration
I have that huge book, you know, one of these “all stitches you need in life” type. It’s essentially a bible of classic crochet motifs. There are resources online where you can also find the traditional stitch designs so old that they are considered public domain (the original designers are unknown). Here is an example.
If you want to use a contemporary pattern or a motif designed by a specific author, please make sure to check their usage terms and give credit.
Sometimes I like to casually look through the motifs. Other times I have a specific goal in mind, for example, estimating what would look great as a crochet earring.
The approach is: find something interesting, reshape, repurpose, enhance, add extras… et voilà!
Examples
Here are some examples.
When I saw this motif for the first time, I was like, “this is a bunch of grapes!” My mind immediately went into the mode of “this would look nice as a grape-shaped earring.” I started thinking about whether I could remove all the unnecessary surrounding stitches and distill it to the exact shape I needed. And of course, it was possible.
Now it was a matter of adding some details to turn it into a grape earring - leaves, loops for the earring hook, etc. These were the small finishing strokes, and the result was beautiful!
Here’s the second example. I had a clear goal of getting inspired for another earring design. It should be simple yet elegant, I thought. And then I saw this motif:
With a few tricks, like bending several stitches into a more suitable shape and making the waves shorter, I was able to design these beautiful rainbow earrings:
Simple steps to use this approach
Here’s how you could use this approach in four simple steps:
Step 1 - what to look for?
It can be a shape that resembles something - like a flower, a star, or a snowflake.
Alternatively, it can simply be a shape that looks good, without necessarily referencing anything.
Find a part that stands out or has a distinguishable silhouette.
Step 2 - sketch
Start drafting a diagram on a piece of paper or using your favourite tool.
Begin by adding the whole piece into the diagram, and then remove everything that surrounds it or doesn’t fit.
If you like the piece but the edges look messy, consider adding a round of stitches around.
Possibly, some edge stitches should be shortened (e.g., dc -> sc) or worked together to make it look smoother.
In my rainbow example, I reshaped the pattern at the top so it became pointier, and the loop looked more organically blended into the shape.
Step 3 - add details
Once you’re satisfied with the main shape, you can focus on the details. This can range from adding extras, such as leaves in the grape example, to playing with colors, like in the rainbow example.
If you’re designing earrings or a pendant, you also need to consider where to place the loop.
Step 4 - try it out until it works!
And of course, one of the most important aspects of crochet design is actually trying, evaluating, and
reiterating. This is the way to finally see if your design works in practice, and tweaking it where
necessary - until it finally works!
Conclusion
Of course, this isn’t how all designs are made, but it is a great way to get started! It’s a way to make something simple, small, such as a crochet accessory or a tiny home decor (coasters, for example). And it will be beautiful 💛
