Mar
okay so ear muffs are actually easier than you think
I made my first pair in like January 2023 when my apartment heating broke and I was basically freezing while waiting for the landlord to send someone. Had a bunch of Red Heart Super Saver in burgundy just sitting there and figured why not, ears were literally numb every time I walked to the corner store.
The thing about crochet ear muffs is you’re basically making two circles and attaching them to a band. That’s it. People overthink this so much but it’s really just circles on a headband situation. You don’t even need a fancy pattern honestly.
what you actually need
For the yarn I’ve used Red Heart Super Saver (the burgundy I mentioned), Lion Brand Wool-Ease in like three different colors, and once I tried Bernat Blanket yarn which was actually a mistake because it made the ear muffs HUGE. Looked ridiculous. My cat kept trying to attack them while I was working because they were so fluffy and she thought they were toys or something.
You want worsted weight yarn mostly. Maybe bulky if you want them thicker but not that Bernat Blanket stuff, trust me. A 5mm or 5.5mm hook works fine. I usually use 5mm because that’s what I have the most of laying around.
You also need some kind of headband base. You can crochet the whole thing but honestly I usually just get those plastic headbands from the drugstore and crochet around them or attach the ear pieces to them. Way more stable and you don’t have to worry about the band stretching out weird.
making the ear pieces first because that’s the actual important part
So you’re gonna make two circles. I do mine by starting with a magic ring, then doing like 8 or 10 single crochets into the ring. Pull it tight. Then you just keep increasing each round until the circle is big enough to cover your ear.
Here’s the annoying thing that drove me crazy – you have to make TWO of them and they have to be the SAME SIZE. Sounds obvious right but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve made one ear piece, gotten distracted watching whatever (I think I was binging The Bear when I made that first pair), and then made the second one like three rows bigger. Then you gotta unravel it and start over and it’s just frustrating.
What I do now is I count my rounds obsessively. First round after the magic ring: increase in every stitch so you get 16 or 20 stitches depending on what you started with. Second round: single crochet, increase, repeat around. Third round: two single crochet, increase, repeat. You see the pattern probably.
I usually do about 5 or 6 rounds total for adult-sized ear muffs. Kids would be smaller obviously but I’ve never made them for kids. The circle should be like 4 inches across maybe? I don’t really measure, I just hold it up to my ear and see if it looks right.
You actually need to make FOUR circles total, not two, because each ear muff is gonna be two layers with some padding in between. Otherwise they don’t keep your ears warm at all, they’re just decorative which defeats the purpose.
the headband part which is somehow more annoying
Okay so if you’re using a plastic headband base, you can either crochet a long strip and sew it over the headband, or you can do single crochet stitches directly around the headband. I’ve done both and honestly the sewing method is easier even though it sounds more complicated.
For the strip method: chain like 6 or 8 stitches depending how wide you want the band. Then just single crochet back and forth until the strip is long enough to wrap around your headband. Mine are usually like 14-15 inches long but it depends on the headband size. You can measure the headband first if you want to be precise but I usually just make it and check as I go.
When you wrap the strip around the headband, you’re gonna sew it closed with yarn and a needle. Make sure you pull it tight enough that it doesn’t slide around but not SO tight that the headband bends weird.
If you want to crochet the actual headband without a plastic base, you need to make it stiffer somehow or it’ll just flop. Some people use wire inside but that seems like a lot of work. I tried it once with wire from the hardware store and it was… fine I guess but also the wire kept poking through and scratching my head so maybe don’t do that actually.
putting it all together
This is where you attach the ear pieces to the headband. Before you do that though, you wanna stuff something between the two circles for each ear. I use polyfil stuffing, the same stuff you’d use for amigurumi. Just a little bit, enough to make it puffy and add insulation. Don’t overstuff or they’ll look lumpy and weird.
Pin the two circles together with the stuffing inside – wrong sides together so the “right” side of your crochet is facing outward on both sides. Then single crochet around the edge to join them. This creates a little padded disc for each ear.
Now you gotta figure out where to attach them to the headband. Put the headband on your head and mark with a stitch marker or pin where the ear pieces should go. They should sit right over your ears obviously but the positioning matters more than you’d think. Too far forward and they slip off, too far back and they don’t cover your ears properly.
I usually attach them by sewing with the same yarn. Go through the headband part and through the edge of the ear piece, making several passes so it’s really secure. You do NOT want these falling off while you’re outside in the cold, that’s the whole point of making them in the first place.
variations if you want to get fancy or whatever
Once you’ve made a basic pair you can mess around with it. I made a pair in spring 2022 that had like a ribbed texture on the headband – you do that by working in the back loops only for each row. Looks more professional I guess.
You can also do the ear pieces in different colors than the headband. I made some with grey headband and cream ear pieces that actually looked pretty good. Used Lion Brand Wool-Ease for those, the texture is nice and it’s warm but not scratchy like some wool.
Some people add buttons or bows or whatever decorative stuff. Not really my thing but you could. Just sew them on after everything else is done.
Oh and you can make the ear pieces different shapes too – I’ve seen oval ones, square ones, even like flower-shaped ones. The construction is basically the same, you’re just changing how you increase and where.
things that went wrong when I was figuring this out
That Bernat Blanket yarn incident I mentioned – way too bulky, looked like I had pom poms stuck to my head. Also it was hard to crochet with because the yarn splits really easily and my stitches were all uneven.
First time I tried to make the headband without a plastic base it was too loose and just stretched out. Sat on my head all sad and droopy. Had to throw it out and start over with a real headband.
One time I attached the ear pieces upside down somehow? Like the increases were supposed to spiral one direction but I sewed them on backwards and it looked wrong. Had to cut them off and reattach them. That was annoying because the yarn got fuzzy from being sewn twice.
The other annoying thing is that if you use acrylic yarn like Red Heart, it can get staticky in dry winter weather. Your hair will stick to the ear muffs and it’s weird. Wool blend is better for that but more expensive obviously.
actual measurements and stuff if you care
I don’t usually measure but here’s roughly what works for adult size:
- Ear pieces: 4-4.5 inches diameter
- Headband: 14-16 inches long, 1-1.5 inches wide
- Use about 100 yards of worsted weight yarn total, maybe more if you make a thicker headband
For kids you’d go smaller, maybe 3-3.5 inch diameter ear pieces and 12-13 inch headband. I haven’t made kids sizes though so that’s just guessing.
how long does this actually take
If you sit down and just do it without getting distracted, probably 2-3 hours? The ear pieces go fast, maybe 20 minutes each. The headband takes longer especially if you’re crocheting around a plastic base because you have to work kind of awkwardly.
Assembly and sewing adds another 30 minutes or so. Could probably do the whole thing in one evening if you wanted.
I usually spread it out though because I get bored. Make the ear pieces one day, headband another day, put it together whenever. No rush unless you’re making them as a gift or something.
why make these instead of buying them
Store bought ear muffs are either cheap and don’t work or expensive and still don’t work that well honestly. The ones with the metal band that goes over your head are uncomfortable and mess up your hair. The ones that are just fabric don’t stay on.
Crochet ones you can customize to actually fit YOUR head specifically. And you can make them as warm as you need – more stuffing, thicker yarn, double layer the headband, whatever works.
Plus you probably already have yarn sitting around so it’s basically free. That burgundy Red Heart I used was leftover from a blanket I never finished, just sitting in a bag taking up space.
washing them because they will get dirty
Hand wash in cold water with gentle detergent. Don’t put them in the washing machine unless you want them to fall apart or shrink weird. The stuffing inside might clump up if you’re not careful.
Squeeze out excess water, don’t wring them. Lay flat to dry, might take like a day or so. Don’t put them in the dryer obviously.
If you used acrylic yarn they’re basically indestructible and will dry fast. Wool takes longer and you gotta be more careful about felting.
other random tips I thought of
Make the headband slightly shorter than you think you need – it’ll stretch out a little with wear and you want it to stay snug on your head.
If the ear pieces feel too stiff, you might be crocheting too tight. Go up a hook size or try to keep your tension looser.
You can line the inside of the ear pieces with fleece fabric if you want them even warmer. Just cut circles of fleece and sew them to the inside layer before you stuff and close them up. Haven’t tried this myself but I’ve seen people do it online.
If you have long hair the headband might slip back on your head. You can add a couple small clips sewn to the underside to clip to your hair and keep it in place. Or just… adjust it throughout the day, that’s what I do.
The magic ring thing – if you don’t know how to do that just chain 4 and slip stitch to form a ring. Works basically the same but you’ll have a tiny hole in the center. Not a big deal for ear muffs since nobody’s looking that closely.
Honestly the hardest part is getting the tension consistent so both ear pieces match. If one is noticeably bigger or smaller it’ll look homemade in a bad way. Not that there’s anything wrong with looking homemade but you know what I mean – you want them to look intentional not like you messed up.
I think that’s pretty much everything? You just make circles, make a band, stuff them, sew them together. Don’t overthink it. If they don’t turn out perfect the first time make another pair, yarn is cheap and you’ll figure it out. Mine definitely got better after the first attempt when I knew what I was doing more or less.
