Jun
Getting Started with Harry Potter Crochet Stuff
So like basically you’re gonna want to start with something simple because I jumped into making a Hedwig amigurumi back in spring 2022 and honestly it was way harder than I thought. I was watching all the movies again for like the hundredth time and got this idea that I could just crochet an owl, how hard could it be right?
Wrong. Very wrong.
The thing with Harry Potter patterns is that everyone wants to make them look exactly like the movies or books, so the patterns get really specific about color changes and tiny details. My first attempt at Hedwig looked more like a deformed cotton ball with eyes. Used Red Heart Super Saver in white because that’s what I had, and honestly it worked fine once I figured out what I was doing.
Yarn Choices That Actually Matter
You need to think about what you’re making before buying yarn. Like if you’re doing a scarf (Gryffindor scarves are super popular obviously), you want something soft. I used Caron Simply Soft for a Ravenclaw scarf and it turned out pretty good. The colors aren’t exactly movie-accurate but close enough that people recognize it.
For amigurumi characters like house elves or Hedwig or whatever, go with something that has good stitch definition. Bernat Satin worked really well for me when I made a Dobby. You can see all the stitches clearly which matters when you’re doing faces and small details.
Red Heart Super Saver gets a bad rap but honestly it’s cheap and comes in a million colors. If you’re making sorting hat or house-themed stuff, you can probably find the exact colors you need. It’s scratchy yeah but for decorative stuff who cares?
House Colors and Getting Them Right
This is where it gets annoying because everyone has opinions about what the “real” house colors are. Movie colors vs book descriptions vs what the official merchandise uses – they’re all slightly different.
For Gryffindor you need a deep red (scarlet really) and a gold yellow. Not bright yellow, GOLD. I spent like three trips to Michael’s trying to find the right gold and ended up with Loops & Threads Impeccable in “Gold” which was still too yellow but whatever.
Slytherin is easier – dark green and silver/grey. Most yarn brands have a forest green or hunter green that works.
Hufflepuff needs yellow (actual bright yellow this time) and black. Pretty straightforward.
Ravenclaw is where everyone argues because the books say blue and bronze but the movies did blue and silver/grey. I prefer the bronze honestly but it’s harder to find. You’re looking for like a brownish-gold? Metallic yarns can work but they’re a pain to crochet with.
Patterns You Can Actually Finish
Start with a simple scarf. I know that sounds boring but hear me out – you learn color changing, you get the color scheme down, and if you mess up it’s just a scarf. People mess up scarves all the time.
The basic Hogwarts house scarf is just single crochet or half double crochet in stripes. Switch colors every like 6-8 rows depending on how thick you want the stripes. Some patterns get fancy with fringe or tassels at the ends. I just did basic fringe by cutting yarn pieces and knotting them through.
Amigurumi Characters
Okay so if you want to make actual characters this is where it gets real. I made a Dobby doll during summer 2024 while my cat kept attacking the yarn ball and it took forever because the pattern had so many small pieces.
You need to make: the body, head, arms, legs, ears (HUGE ears for Dobby), eyes, and then the little pillowcase outfit. Each piece separate then you sew them all together. The sewing part is what annoyed me the most – I hate finishing work. Crocheting is fun, sewing pieces together is tedious.
Use safety eyes for amigurumi if you can. The ones you have to attach before you stuff the piece. They look so much better than embroidered eyes or buttons. You can get them on Amazon in bulk for cheap.
For stuffing I just use Poly-Fil from wherever. Some people swear by specific stuffing types but I can’t tell the difference honestly.
Golden Snitch Pattern Tips
These are popular and actually pretty quick to make. You crochet a ball (sphere) in gold yarn then add wings. The wings are the tricky part because they need to look delicate and feathery.
I used a pattern that had you crochet flat wing shapes then stiffen them with fabric stiffener. You can also use wire inside the wings to make them poseable which is cool. The ball part is just basic increases and decreases in the round – if you can make a sphere you can make a snitch.
Some people add little hangers and use them as Christmas ornaments which is actually a pretty good idea for using up gold yarn.
Sorting Hat Patterns
The Sorting Hat is fun because you can make it as a real hat or as a decoration. For a wearable one you basically make a slouchy beanie in brown then add the face details. The wrinkles and folds are just surface crochet or embroidery.
For a decorative one you stuff it and add more exaggerated features. Wire in the top so it flops over dramatically like in the movies. I haven’t finished mine yet because I started it and then got distracted by— actually I don’t remember what distracted me but it’s sitting in a bag somewhere half done.
House Scarves with Actual Patterns
Some people do the house crests on their scarves which looks amazing but is SO much work. You’re either doing tapestry crochet (carrying colors) or appliqué (making the crest separate and sewing it on).
Tapestry crochet means you’re working with multiple colors at once and it’s… okay it’s not that hard once you get it but your first attempt will be a mess. The back of the work looks terrible with all the carried yarn but that’s why it’s the back.
I tried doing the Ravenclaw eagle on a scarf and gave up halfway through. The pattern was confusing and my tension was all wrong so the eagle looked stretched out and weird. Ended up just doing stripes instead and calling it good.
Wand Patterns and Props
Crocheted wands are basically long thin tubes with details at the handle. You can stuff them with dowel rods to make them stiff. Some patterns have you crochet around the dowel which is easier than stuffing it in after.
The different character wands all have unique handles – Harry’s is pretty plain, Hermione’s has vine details, Dumbledore’s Elder Wand has those bumpy nodules or whatever they are. You add these details with surface crochet or by crocheting small pieces and sewing them on.
Honestly though crocheted wands are kinda weird looking? They work better as like bookmarks or decorative things than actual props. If you want a real prop wand just buy one or make it from wood.
What Actually Annoyed Me
The thing that drove me crazy about most Harry Potter patterns is they assume you know what everything is supposed to look like already. Like the pattern will say “make the time-turner chain” but not explain how long it should be or how the hourglass part attaches or anything useful.
Also gauge matters way more than I thought it would. My Hedwig came out huge because I didn’t check gauge and just used whatever hook felt right. She was supposed to be like 6 inches tall and ended up over a foot. Which actually looked pretty cool but wasn’t what I planned.
Pattern writers also love to use British terms sometimes without explaining them. A “treble” in UK patterns is a double crochet in US terms. A UK double crochet is a US single crochet. It’s confusing and you gotta check which country the pattern is from.
Free vs Paid Patterns
Ravelry has tons of free Harry Potter patterns but they vary wildly in quality. Some are super detailed with pictures for every step, others are basically just “make a sphere, add details, done” which isn’t helpful.
Paid patterns are usually better written but not always. I bought a pattern for a Pygmy Puff that was like $5 and it was just okay. The free one I found later was actually clearer.
Etsy has a lot of patterns too but you gotta watch out for copyright stuff. Technically a lot of Harry Potter crochet patterns are in a legal grey area since they’re using copyrighted characters and— anyway that’s not really my problem I just make stuff for myself and friends.
Actual Practical Tips That Helped Me
Use stitch markers. I never used them before and thought they were unnecessary but when you’re counting rounds for amigurumi they’re essential. Just the cheap plastic ones work fine.
Take breaks when doing color changes. Your tension gets weird when you’re switching colors a lot and you don’t notice until you’ve done like 10 rows and everything’s wonky.
For house scarves make them longer than you think. Everyone underestimates scarf length. Like 60 inches minimum for an adult scarf that actually wraps around nicely.
If you’re making amigurumi stuff the pieces together as you go instead of waiting until the end. I made all the Dobby pieces then had to figure out where everything went and it was chaos. Attaching arms and legs as you finish them makes way more sense.
Block your finished projects if they need it. Scarves especially look better after blocking. Just pin them out flat, spray with water, let dry. Makes the stitches even and the edges straight.
Yarn Amounts and Not Running Out
Buy more yarn than the pattern says. Seriously just do it. Your gauge is probably different, you might mess up and need to redo sections, whatever. Running out of yarn halfway through sucks.
For a house scarf I used like 2 skeins of each color (so 4 total for Gryffindor). Patterns usually say one skein each but that’s cutting it close.
Amigurumi uses less yarn than you’d think. A small character might only need 100-200 yards total depending on size. But you need multiple colors in small amounts which means buying full skeins of each color and having leftovers.
Books and Spell Books
There are patterns for making crocheted versions of the textbooks like Monster Book of Monsters or Tom Riddle’s diary. These are basically making a rectangular cover then adding details.
The Monster Book one is fun because you add fur (use eyelash yarn or make loopy stitches) and teeth and everything. You can make it as a cover for an actual book or journal which is pretty cool.
I haven’t tried these yet but they’re on my list. Probably gonna use some of that leftover brown yarn from the sorting hat I never finished.
Time Turner and Jewelry Patterns
Small detailed projects like time-turners are hard because everything’s tiny. You’re using thin yarn and small hooks and trying to make recognizable shapes at miniature scale.
Thread crochet works better for jewelry stuff but I don’t really do thread crochet so I just make larger decorative versions instead. Like a time-turner that’s 3-4 inches instead of actual necklace size.
You can also make house crest coasters which are more practical than most Harry Potter crochet stuff. Just flat circles or squares with the house colors and maybe a simple crest design. People actually use coasters.
The deathly hallows symbol is pretty easy to crochet as a flat decoration – just a triangle with a circle and line through it. Works as a bookmark or patch or whatever.
Sizing Issues Nobody Talks About
If you’re making wearable stuff like house scarves or hats you gotta think about sizing. Kids vs adults, different head sizes for beanies, scarf width preferences.
I made a Gryffindor scarf for my friend and made it too narrow because I was following the pattern exactly. It looked more like a ribbon than a scarf. Had to make a second one wider and she liked that way better.
For beanies test the sizing as you go by trying it on. Way easier than finishing the whole thing and realizing it doesn’t fit.
