This crochet bauble cover turns a plain Christmas ball into something that looks knotted by hand. Fat puff stitches sit in staggered rows with little windows between them, and a jute bow pulls the whole thing snug under the cap. Crochet Christmas baubles are often stuffed shapes, but this one starts from a ball you already own, which makes it a good way to rescue old shiny ornaments you are tired of.
- Fits: an 80 mm (about 3 in) round ball ornament with a cap
- Yarn: aran or heavy worsted weight, about 30 yd (27 m) per cover
- Hook: 5 mm (US H/8)
- Skill: confident beginner
- Stitches: magic ring, chain, puff stitch, slip stitch, single crochet
- Time: about an hour, going by the stitch count; yarn and size are calculated from the gauge below
How a crochet ornament cover works
A crochet ornament cover follows a simple shape: a circle that grows quickly from the bottom, holds its width around the middle, then shrinks again toward the cap. Here each round of puffs follows the curve of an 80 mm ball.
The ball goes in halfway. You crochet the bottom half as an open bowl, drop the ball inside, then finish the last rounds around it. Those final rounds hold everything in place, and glue is never needed.
What you need
- Aran or heavy worsted yarn, about 30 yd (27 m) per cover
- 5 mm (US H/8) crochet hook
- One 80 mm round ornament, plastic if you want it shatterproof
- Jute twine, about 20 in (50 cm) per bow
- Tapestry needle and scissors
A plied cotton or cotton blend shows the puffs best. Fluffy yarn hides the windows between them, and fine yarn leaves too much of the ball showing.
Gauge
Seven puff and chain pairs should span about 4 in (10 cm), and seven rounds should do the same. Check it after Rnd 4. The piece is already a shallow bowl and won’t lie flat, so measure across the opening instead: about 3 1/4 in (8 cm), close to the width of the ball. If yours is much wider, go down a hook size, because a loose cover slides around on the ball.
Abbreviations and stitches (US terms)
ch chain, sl st slip stitch, sc single crochet, space the gap made by a ch 1 in the round below
Crochet puff stitch: yarn over, insert the hook in the space and pull up a tall loop. Do that three times in the same space, until you have 7 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 7.
- 1P: work (puff, ch 1) in the next space
- 2P: work (puff, ch 1, puff, ch 1) in the next space
- skip: leave the next space empty and go on to the one after it
Crochet bauble pattern
Rounds are joined here, not worked in a spiral. Finish each one with a sl st into the top of its first puff. From Rnd 2 to Rnd 8, start with a sl st into the first space, then ch 1. The number in brackets counts the puffs in that round, and every puff has its own space.
Bottom half
| Rnd 1 | ch 1, then (puff, ch 1) × 6 in a magic ring | [6] |
| Rnd 2 | 2P in each space | [12] |
| Rnd 3 | (1P × 3, 2P) × 3 | [15] |
| Rnd 4 | (1P × 4, 2P) × 3 | [18] |
| Rnd 5 | 1P in each space | [18] |
Insert the ball and close the top
After Rnd 5, hold the bowl against the ball. It should reach the widest part, or just past it. Slide the ball in with the cap pointing out of the opening, and keep it there while you work.
| Rnd 6 | (1P × 5, skip) × 3 | [15] |
| Rnd 7 | (1P × 4, skip) × 3 | [12] |
| Rnd 8 | (1P, skip) × 6 | [6] |
Rnd 9 draws the neck in around the cap. Ch 1, sc in the puff you just joined to, sc in the next space, then (sc in the top of the next puff, sc in the next space) × 5, for 12 sc. Sl st into the first sc, fasten off and weave the end in under a few stitches.
Add the bow
Thread the jute twine through the sc of Rnd 9, in and out all the way around, with both ends coming out at the front. Pull gently until the neck hugs the base of the cap. Tie a bow, then knot each end of the twine to stop it unraveling.
Colors and sizes
- Colors. Cream, sage and a dark forest green make a calm set of crochet ornament covers. Deep red or mustard yellow work too, as long as you like the color of the ball underneath, because it shows through the windows.
- Smaller ball. For a 60 mm ball, keep the same rounds and change the yarn: DK with a 3.75 mm (US F/5) hook should shrink the cover by about a quarter.
- Bigger ball. For a 100 mm ball, try bulky yarn with a 6.5 mm (US K/10½) hook. Check the opening after Rnd 4 against the ball before you go further, since yarn thickness varies more at this size.
If something looks off
- The cover ruffles at the middle. Your stitches are running wide. Go down a hook size and start again, because dropping puffs from one round throws off the rounds after it.
- The ball won’t fit through. Your rounds are running small, and cotton has little stretch to spare. Go up a hook size and start again.
- Holes look too large. Pull up slightly shorter loops on each puff. Tall loops open the fabric, and short ones close it.
A covered ball weighs more than a bare one. Hang crochet baubles on a sturdy branch, and check that the wire under the cap still grips firmly if you are reusing an old ornament.
