Crochet Pretty Balls: Easy Striped & Star Ornament Patterns

Crochet Pretty Balls are a delightful, portable project that make charming ornaments or little decorations for your home. This article includes two proven patterns — a colorful Striped Ball and a decorative Star Ball — plus materials, stitch notes and UK/US equivalents so you can start crocheting right away.

I used:

• 2 x 70mm polystyrene balls (if you haven't got these, you could try stuffing them firmly with toy filling instead)
• Odds and ends of Rico Creative Cotton Aran from my stash: Red (05), Orange (74), Light Green (40), Light Yellow (63), Turquoise (36), Candy Pink (64), Fuschia (13)
• 4mm hook
• Stitch marker
• Ribbon for hanging loop

This pattern is written in UK terms. US equivalents are given below:

UK double crochet = US single crochet
UK treble crochet = US double crochet

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
dc = double crochet (UK)
dc2tog = double crochet two together*
sts = stitches

* How to make the dc2tog stitch using the invisible decrease method:

Insert hook into the front loop of the first stitch. Insert hook into the front loop of the second stitch (2 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull yarn through the first two loops (2 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through both loops.

Striped Ball

Worked in continuous rounds.

I changed colour every round. You'll find that this isn't always exactly at the beginning of the round where stated in the pattern, so use a stitch marker to mark the start of the round and you won't lose your place.

To make the colour change, work the last dc until you have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over with the new colour and complete the stitch. Make the next stitch a slip stitch (not too tight as you'll need to work into it on the next round) and continue for a few more stitches. Knot the ends of your old and new yarn together — there's no need to weave in your ends as they'll be on the inside and won't show.

Work in the following colour order (starting Rnd 2): Orange, Candy Pink, Fuschia, Yellow, Fuschia, Turquoise, Green, Yellow, Red, Turquoise, Orange, Fuschia, Green, Turquoise, Yellow, Candy Pink, Red, Yellow, Fuschia, Green, Orange.

6dc in magic ring, OR ch2, 2dc in 2nd ch from hook.

Rnd 1: 2dc in each st (12 sts)

Rnd 2: 2dc in each st (24)

Rnd 3: (dc 2, 2dc in next st) repeat around (32)

Rnd 4: dc 32

Rnd 5: (dc 3, 2dc in next st) repeat around (40)

Rnds 6-15: dc 40

Rnd 16: (dc 3, dc2tog) repeat around (32)

Insert polystyrene ball and continue to crochet around it.

Rnds 17-18: dc 32

Rnd 19: (dc 2, dc2tog) repeat around (24)

Rnd 20: (dc 1, dc2tog) repeat around (16)

Rnd 21: dc 16

Rnd 22: dc2tog around (8)

Sew closed. Add hanging loop.

Star Ball

Worked in joined rounds.

Change colour every round in the following order: Turquoise, Fuschia, Yellow, Green, Red, Yellow, Turquoise, Candy Pink, Fuschia, Green, Orange, Yellow.

You'll need to know a few extra stitches here in addition to the ones above:

tr = treble crochet (UK)
sk st = skip stitch
beg tr cl = beginning treble cluster*
tr cl = cluster**

* To make the beginning treble cluster stitch: Chain 2, then make 2 trebles, leaving the last part of each tr unworked (3 loops on hook). Yarn over hook and draw through all 3 loops.

** To make the treble cluster stitch: Make 3 trebles, leaving the last part of each tr unworked (4 loops on hook). Yarn over hook and draw through all 4 loops.

Begin with a magic ring OR chain 4 and join with a sl st to make a ring.

Rnd 1: beg tr cl, ch 3, (tr cl, ch 3 repeat x 4) into ring [you should have a 5-pointed star shape] join with a sl st to top of ch 2. (25 sts)

Rnd 2: ch 1, (dc 3, ch 2 in each ch-3 space around) join with a sl st to first dc. (25)

Rnd 3: ch 1 (dc 3 then dc 2 in each ch-2 space around), join with a sl st to first dc. (25)

Rnd 4: ch 3 (counts as tr), 2tr in next st, (tr 1 in next st, 2tr in next st around), 2tr in last st, join with a sl st to top of ch 3. (38)

Rnd 5: ch 3 (counts as tr), tr 1 in same st, sk st, (2tr in next st, sk st around) join with a sl st to top of ch 3. (38)

Rnds 6-7: ch 3 (counts as tr), tr 1 in space between 2tr sts, (2tr in each space between 2tr sts around) join with a sl st to top of ch 3. (38)

Insert polystyrene ball and continue to crochet around it.

Rnds 8-9: ch 1, (dc 1, ch 1 in space between 2tr sts around) join with a sl st to the first dc (38)

Rnds 10-11: ch 3 (counts as tr), tr 1 in each ch-1 space around, join with a sl st to the top of ch 3. (19)

Rnd 12: ch 1, dc2tog around, dc 1 in last st (10)

Sew closed. Add hanging loop.

And that's about it — two simple, colorful crochet ball designs you can make from stash yarn and small polystyrene forms. They work up quickly and make cute ornaments, gift decorations or a playful garland when strung together. Happy crocheting!