May
okay so small crochet projects
The thing about small projects is they’re actually harder than you’d think because you need tension to stay consistent over like 20 stitches instead of 200, and when you mess up it’s SO visible. But also they’re great because you finish something and you’re like oh cool I made a thing, instead of staring at a half-done blanket for three months.
I started making these little coasters in summer 2022 because I kept putting my iced coffee on my laptop and that seemed like a bad idea. Used Red Heart Super Saver in that cream color, I think it was called Aran? The skeins are huge so you have enough for like 40 coasters which is way too many but whatever. You just chain 4, slip stitch to connect, then do double crochets in the round until it’s the size you want. I did maybe 4 or 5 rounds. The annoying part was weaving in ends on something so small – like the yarn tail is almost as big as the actual project.
bookmarks are faster than you think
Single crochet a rectangle. That’s it. Chain like 30, turn, single crochet back. Do that until it’s about 6 inches long. I used some random cotton yarn from Lily Sugar n’ Cream because cotton doesn’t stretch as much as acrylic. The Sugar n’ Cream comes in those balls that are weirdly dense and compact.
You can add a tassel at the end if you want to be fancy. Cut like 5 pieces of yarn about 6 inches long, fold them in half, pull the loop through the end stitch, then pull the ends through the loop. My cat absolutely destroyed one of these because the tassel was apparently the best toy ever invented.
scrunchies but make it annoying
Everyone says scrunchies are beginner projects but honestly the hair elastic part is fiddly. You need those small hair elastics, the thin ones not the thick ponytail holders. Then you chain enough to go around the elastic with some ease – maybe 40 or 50 chains depending on your tension.
Join it into a round, then single crochet around the elastic. You’re literally just inserting your hook through the chains AND around the elastic at the same time. It feels weird at first. Then you do like 2 or 3 more rounds of single crochet, but now you’re only going through the stitches, not the elastic anymore.
The thing that annoyed me was the elastic kept twisting inside the chains and I had to stop and untwist it like every 10 stitches. I made a bunch of these in spring 2024 when I was watching that show about the restaurant – The Bear? Needed something to do with my hands during the stressful episodes.
I used Bernat Blanket yarn for some of them which is super chunky and soft but also it’s polyester so it’s kinda… slippery? The scrunchies came out huge and 90s looking. With regular worsted weight like Caron Simply Soft they look more normal sized.
little pouches for stuff
Chain 20, single crochet back and forth until you have a square. Fold it in half, slip stitch or single crochet the sides closed. Now you have a pouch. You can add a button or just leave it open.
I made these to hold my earbuds because I kept losing them in my bag. Used some I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby in a dark blue. The texture is nice, not too splitty. You go through maybe a quarter of a skein for a small pouch.
If you want to get slightly more complicated, you can single crochet in the round instead – magic ring, increase every round until it’s the width you want, then single crochet straight up without increases. That gives you a pouch with no seams on the sides. The bottom might look a little wonky depending on how you do your increases but it’s gonna be holding like chapstick and bobby pins so who cares.
granny squares but tiny
Classic granny squares are actually small projects already but you can make them REALLY small. Chain 4, join, then do 3 double crochets, chain 2, repeat 3 more times in the ring. That’s your first round and it’s already like 2 inches across.
I don’t usually go past 3 rounds for mini granny squares. You can turn them into coasters, or sew a bunch together for a potholder, or just… have them. I have a bag of like 30 tiny granny squares that I made while figuring out color combinations for a bigger project that I never actually started.
The Red Heart With Love yarn works nice for these because it’s got a slight sheen and comes in good colors. The skeins are smaller than Super Saver so you’re not committed to 7 ounces of one color.
mug cozies that actually stay on
Measure around your mug. Chain that many stitches minus like 10% because it needs to stretch to grip. Join into a round.
Single crochet in the round for however tall you want it – maybe 3 inches? The trick is to not make it too tall or it looks like your mug is wearing a turtleneck. I learned this the hard way in summer 2024 when I made one that came up like 4 inches and it just looked stupid.
You want to use something soft – acrylic is fine but cotton is better because it won’t melt if your drink is really hot. That Lily Sugar n’ Cream again, or Bernat Handicrafter Cotton. The Bernat one is a little thicker and works up faster.
What annoyed me about these is they stretch out over time and then they’re too loose and slide around. You kind of have to remake them every few months if you actually use them daily. Or use a smaller hook than you normally would so the stitches are tighter, but then your hand cramps up.
tiny baskets for desk organization
Same concept as the pouch but you don’t fold it. Magic ring, increase until it’s the size you want for the base – maybe 3 or 4 rounds. Then single crochet straight up without increases for the walls. Do like 5-8 rounds depending on how deep you want it.
The walls need to be stiff enough to stand up, so either use a smaller hook or do half double crochet instead of single crochet. Or you can hold two strands of yarn together which makes it thicker and sturdier but also you go through yarn twice as fast which seems obvious but it’s still surprising somehow.
I made a bunch of these in different sizes using Wool-Ease because I had a ton of it left over from something else. They hold pens, hair ties, whatever random junk accumulates on surfaces. The gray one holds my lip balm collection which is… extensive and possibly a problem but that’s not the point here.
headbands are faster than scarves
Chain like 10 stitches. Single crochet back and forth until it’s long enough to go around your head. Try it on as you go. Then sew the ends together.
Or you can get fancy and make it in the round from the start – chain enough to go around your head with some stretch, join, single crochet in the round for like 3 inches. This way there’s no seam but you gotta make sure your starting chain isn’t twisted before you join it or the whole thing will be twisted and you won’t notice until you’re done.
Caron Simply Soft is good for this, or anything soft that won’t be itchy on your forehead. I tried making one with Red Heart Super Saver and it was scratchy and also kind of… squeaky? Like it made noise when I moved my head. Acrylic is weird sometimes.
coasters again but different
Besides the round ones I mentioned before, you can make square ones. Chain 15, single crochet back and forth for 15 rows. Now you have a square. The corners curl up a little usually, so you can do a round of single crochet all the way around the edge to flatten it out. When you get to corners, do 3 single crochets in the corner stitch.
I made a set of 6 in different colors using whatever yarn scraps I had. They don’t match at all but they’re all the same size which feels like an accomplishment. Used bits of I Love This Yarn, some Vanna’s Choice, some mystery yarn that might be Big Twist from Joann’s? It has that slightly rough texture that Big Twist has.
The annoying thing about square coasters is you have to count rows to make sure they’re actually square. With round ones you just stop when it looks right.
keychains are weirdly satisfying
Make a small shape – circle, square, whatever. Attach a keyring to it. That’s the whole thing.
For a circle: magic ring, 6 single crochets in the ring, then increase every stitch (12 stitches), then increase every other stitch (18 stitches). That’s usually enough. Finish off, weave in ends, attach keyring through one of the stitches.
You can stuff them lightly with polyfill to make them puffy before you close them up. Or crochet two circles and single crochet them together around the edges with the keyring attached between them.
I made like 20 of these in fall 2023 and gave them away as random gifts. Used Red Heart Super Saver because I have so much of it and the colors are bright. The keyring things you can get in bulk on Amazon for cheap – like 100 for $8 or something.
dish scrubbies if you want to be practical
These need to be cotton or they’ll melt. Lily Sugar n’ Cream, definitely. Make a square or circle like the coasters but make the stitches tighter – use a smaller hook than the yarn calls for.
Or use two strands held together for extra scrubbing power. I did this with some Sugar n’ Cream in white and yellow and they work pretty well for dishes that aren’t super greasy. For really stuck-on food you still need a real sponge but for like… rinsing out a coffee mug they’re fine.
The thing is you have to wash them frequently or they get gross. Throw them in with your regular laundry. They last a few months before they get kind of ratty and then you just make new ones because they take like 15 minutes.
little flowers that serve no purpose
Magic ring, chain 3, 2 double crochets in ring, chain 3, slip stitch in ring. That’s one petal. Repeat 4 more times. Now you have a flower.
These are completely useless but they’re fun to make while watching TV or whatever. You can sew them onto other things I guess? I have a jar full of them in various colors. Sometimes I pin one to my bag.
Any yarn works but thinner yarn makes smaller, more delicate looking flowers. I used some Aunt Lydia’s crochet thread once and the flowers were tiny, like smaller than a quarter. With worsted weight they’re bigger and kind of chunky looking.
You can also do a different petal pattern – chain 5, starting in 2nd chain from hook do slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet. That makes a pointy petal. Do like 5 or 6 of those and attach them all at the base.
cup holders for those iced drinks
This is basically a mug cozy but shaped differently. You want it to taper because the cup tapers. Start with like 30 chains, join into round. Single crochet for 2 rounds. Then start decreasing – every 5th and 6th stitch, single crochet them together. Next round decrease every 4th and 5th. Keep going until it fits your cup.
Or you can just make a rectangle and sew the sides together partway up, leaving a gap for the cup to slide in. That’s actually easier and works fine.
I made one of these in summer 2024 during that heat wave when I was drinking iced coffee constantly and the condensation was dripping everywhere. Used some Red Heart With Love in a teal color. It helped a little bit with the dripping but mostly I just liked having something to hold onto that wasn’t freezing cold and wet.
The issue with these is the bottom gets wet anyway from the condensation that drips down. You can’t really avoid it unless you make it waterproof somehow which defeats the purpose of crocheting it in the first place.
