Gift Box - Free Crochet Pattern

Why Gift Box?

Part of crocheting a gift for someone is the presentation. I like crocheting gift bags or boxes that make the gift more personal. These are reusable, so it's like gifting a second item. I used this box to gift a baby yoda to a friend.

This is my first attempt at writing out a pattern so there's a good chance I'll provide too much information.

What you will need:

Yarn

I used three colors: one for the box, one for the cover, and one for the ribbon. I used Impeccable (by Loops & Threads): it's 100% acrylic, medium (4) weight; a bit bulkier than Caron Simply Soft (which is also 100% acrylic, medium weight) but not as bulky as Red Heart Super Saver (also 100% acrylic, medium weight). For this demo I'm using white 100% cotton medium (Lily Sugar 'n Cream) with a 3.5mm hook.

The colors I used for the box in the photo (for an adult male friend) are Pumpkin for the box, Royal for the top, and Sunny Day for the ribbon.

Tools

As with most patterns you'll need a crochet hook, stitch markers, scissors, and a darning/tapestry needle (a big-eye needle to work in the yarn ends for a finished product). I also like to use a stitch counter. I have a separate post for my thoughts on non-essential tools: Crocheting Tools: Non Essentials

Note on hooks: I used 3.5mm crochet hook because I wanted the stitches to be tight so the box holds its shape. If you want to go sturdier and decide to double-yarn (I didn't), maybe go with 4.0mm if 3.5 is too small. But in general I'd go with the smallest hook you are able to work the yarn with.

Basic concept and box size

Creating a square is easier than creating a circle because you only increase in the corners - every corner will get 3 single crochet stitches, and the middle one becomes the new corner. You can make the square whatever size you need before starting to build up the walls. Then make the lid the same size plus one row.

Abbreviations

• 1SC = single crochet in one stitch
• [3SC] = 3 single crochet in one stitch
• *...* = repeat the part between (for example, *1SC, [3SC]* x2 means repeat twice the sequence of a single crochet in a stitch, then 3 single crochet in the next stitch)
• BLO = back loop only
• dec = decrease (2SC > 1SC)
  
• SLST = slipstitch

Directions

Total stitches for each row appear in parentheses. I work this in the round without slip stitching each row because I prefer the clean look. A stitch marker in the round is crucial or you lose track of where the row started. I use five: one to mark the beginning of each row, and four to mark each corner. Because I'm OCD. And because it lets me easily expand to any size without counting.

Box

My demo box is small (5 rows before starting sides) but I give enough info for you to adjust to any size. Because of this I give this pattern in parts.

Figure 1: row 3

Figure 2: row 4

Figure 3: after BLO row

1. Bottom square

• R1: 1SC x4 into a magic ring (4)
  
• R2: [3SC] x4  (12)
• R3: 1SC, *[3SC], 1SC, 1SC* x3, [3SC], 1SC (20)
  
• R4: 1SC, 1SC, *[3SC], 1SC, 1SC, 1SC, 1SC* x3, [3SC], 1SC, 1SC (28)
• R5: three 1SC, *[3SC], six 1SC* x3, [3SC], three 1SC (36)
  

At this point the pattern should be clear: every new row grows by 8 stitches (each side grows by two stitches - one from each flanking corner - and there are of course 4 sides, so 2x4=8).

I'm stopping at R5 for this demo, but here are what the next few rows would look like so you can see the pattern and can increase the size to your liking:

• R6: four 1SC, *[3SC], eight 1SC* x3, [3SC], four 1SC (44)
• R7: five 1SC, *[3SC], ten 1SC* x3, [3SC], five 1SC (52)
• R8: {one more than the row above before the first corner} six 1SC, *[3SC], {two more than row above} twelve 1SC* x3, [3SC], {one more than row above after 4th corner} six 1SC ({sum of row above plus 8} 60)

If you mark the middle of the corner (the 2nd of the [3SC]) each time, you no longer need to count: you just put 1SC in each stitch until you get to your corner marker, put [3SC] there (and move the marker to the second of these 3SCs), finish the round, then continue this pattern until you get the size square you want.

2. Sides

Once you get your square the size you want, the next row will be the start of the sides. You will decrease once in each corner. I'll write it for R6 for my demo, but will provide enough info to do this at any row:

• R6: BLO whole row; four 1SC, *dec, seven 1SC*, dec, three 1SC (32)
• Directions for any row regardless of number of total stitches: BLO whole row; 1SC along the side until you get to the stitch marker, then dec the stitch that's marked and the one that follows it (and move the stitch marker to this stitch); continue this pattern for the rest of the row.

Figure 3 shows the start of the sides after the BLO row. The next rows will just be regular 1SC in each stitch around until you get the sides as tall as you want them.

3. Corners

Figure 4: three loops

Figure 5: pick up loop

Figure 6: corner shape

There is one trick for the corners that gives them a better shape. I do this with the corner stitch and the one after it. When you get to each corner (the stitch with the marker) pull up a loop in it and in the next stitch (as if you're about to decrease them into one), but then drop the 2nd one (Figure 4) and hold it in place with your fingers while single crocheting the first one, then pick up this dropped loop (Figure 5) and single crochet like normal. Then put the stitch marker into the corner again (that would be the first of these two SCs). It really gives the corner a nice definition (Figure 6).

4. Finishing

Figure 7: crab edging

Get the box to the height you want, then SLST into the next stitch to finish your final row. I like to use an invisible finish to fasten off. You can google search a tutorial; here's one I randomly found: https://www.stitchbyfay.com/invisible-fasten-off/

A fancier option that I really like is to add one more row using crab stitch edging. I made the crab stitch a different color so it's easier to see for my demo project (Figure 7).

Crab stitching is basically single crocheting backwards. It's pretty easy to adjust the tension because it's a slow moving stitch. For me anyway. Here is a random tutorial I found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7XOkueIkNM but there's plenty others if you google it.

Lid

Same directions as the box bottom, but add one more row/round to the square before starting the sides, so it is one size bigger than the box and can easily fit on top. Then however many rows you feel the sides need, but certainly fewer than the box (two after the BLO row should do it for smaller boxes).

Crab edging on the lid really makes it pop (you can sort of see it in the image of the full box at the start of this post). I quite like the contrast the crab stitching adds when it's in a different color, and will be doing this going forward on all lids.

That's it. As predicted I probably gave waaaay too much info. Luckily, you can just skip to the parts that matter. Would love to see photos of results.

Crocheting Tools: The Essentials

How much to spend on crochet hooks?

You can't crochet without hooks. But costs can range from around $10 for a full set of hooks to closer to $100. All hooks will do the job, so why spend more?

What matters?

There is a lot of advice online. I found it overwhelming. I may be just adding to the noise, but here are considerations I found relevant.

My first hook came with a crocheting Star Wars characters kit. Generic thin metal; it did the job but it hurt my hand so I decided I needed some padding and opted for a cheap all-in-one kit from Amazon (costing under $15 it contained 13 lightweight metal hooks with soft-grip rubber handles sizes 2.0mm to 10.0mm and some useful accessories I wrote about in my post on non-essential tools).

Then I was gifted two bamboo handle hooks (2.5mm and 3.5mm) that became my favorites. The rubber grips of the cheap set would easily slide off the hooks and gluing them was a major fail. I needed more sizes. By this point I'd read reviews of people raving about name brand hooks and decided I had a choice to make: try more cheap sets or invest in better hooks. I was committed to my new hobby of crocheting. I went for option #2.

Well, not directly... first some hand-wringing, some debating, a lot of advice reading. Like, weeks of this. finally I made up my mind and opted for the brand most people seem to agree is the best: the Etimo Tulip (my set is pictured here; it cost around $55). And I've never looked back. So if you just want the bottom line: yes it was worth it and I wholeheartedly recommend the Tulip set if you crochet regularly.

If you want the full consideration from my perspective, here it is, broken down by points of comparison across hooks.

Hook Shape

The shape of the lip (the part that grabs your yarn) can vary and affect how efficiently you grab a loop. The mouth (or bowl) - the underside of the lip where the yarn is held - can be more or less shallow, also potentially affecting your tension; some complain that very shallow mouths lead to dropped loops. Personally, I find that I can get used to any hook shape and adjust my technique. Maybe being a novice trying different hooks helped; an expert that is truly used to one type of hook might have a different take.

My recommendation is before spending a lot on a full set of name-brand hooks you purchase one in your most used size (if you mostly do amigurumi, go with 3.5mm) to try it out.

Material

Hooks can be plastic, various metals (aluminum, steel), wood, and their handles can be the same material as the hook or added bulk made of plastic, wood, or rubber/silicone. 

One thing to consider is the weight of the hook (plastic or wood is lighter than metal; some metals are heavier than others). For small projects it doesn't matter to me, but for larger ones or when working with T-shirt yarn I prefer a lighter hook.

Another consideration is how smooth the hook is: obviously smoother is better so it doesn't snag the yarn. T-shirt yarn had too much friction with metal hooks, and a smooth plastic one was a dream. The Tulip set is so smooth, it has almost no friction with any yarn. Does your hook squeak when it's handling yarn? That's not smooth.

I've never used wooden hooks (only metal hooks with bamboo handles, which I liked). Some people really like them, but a cheap set of wooden hooks is not likely to be perfectly smooth: expect snagging.

Grip

The handles of the hooks have a lot to do with comfort and functionality. I guess I grip the hook tightly, so a "naked" metal hook made my hands achy and tired. The rubber soft-grip handles of my generic set started out great, but they tended to slide off the hooks and needed constant readjustment. Don't bother with any rubber handles that aren't attached unless you want to spend half your time pushing them back on. Also, I found the shapes of the handles and grip part more important than their composition (being soft didn't offer any benefit). The bamboo handles were equally comfortable as the rubber.

Price 

So knowing that any hook will technically work, is it worth spending more for something better? Seems to me most product reviewers say they were glad they invested in a good set. And I feel the same.

Summary: I love my Tulip hooks. The Tulips glide through all yarn types, have a good grip handle that doesn't slip out, and are very light. My only regret is not buying them sooner. I haven't tried other name brands, and did not see reviews that were as consistently good. I would have a very hard time paying much more than $10/hook though.

Crocheting Tools: Non Essentials

Do I really need to buy more stuff?

When I started crocheting I scoffed at stitch markers and stitch counters. 

The first couple of projects I made I figured I can count. In fact, counting stitches is what made crocheting a fun break from sciencing (turn off the brain, just count). Nice and relaxing. Turns out, counting is not as easy as you'd think. I'd get distracted or ignore a stitch. Or would unravel a few and lose track. At first I also wasn't able to recognize stitch anatomy to know what to count when I did lose track, and working in a round there's no start or finish to a row. Long story made a little shorter, I learned my lesson. I'll call these "non essential" but for me, they most certainly are.

Stitch Marker

Do you need to buy special equipment? No, you can use safety pins or bits of yarn. I find that I am not coordinated enough to use sharp metal (don't ask...) so I prefer the dull plastic ones. 

When I work in the round for a large project (that means there is no obvious division between rounds so you need to mark where one starts) I prefer to use a piece of yarn because it's less disruptive. But for shapes where I need to track places to increase or decrease within a row or round, I find stitch markers extremely useful.

The plastic ones that look like mini safety pins came with my set of generic crochet hooks. I like them because they clip shut which is useful at the start of a project when I'm working very close to the stitch being marked, and if the stitch marker isn't clipped shut it falls out. When I get farther away and the area isn't manhandled so much, the loops in the photo are faster because they don't need to be closed and opened each time. If I'm walking away from a project for a while I often put a stitch marker in the working loop so it doesn't unravel.

Stitch Counters

I got hooked on simple counters to keep track of my rounds. The one in the photo above also came with my first set of generic hooks. Sure, pen and paper works, and I still do this when I'm working on multiple projects (which is always). So I can live without a stitch counter, but I use it so often I might buy another one or two.

Needles

Needles are essential for sewing parts of your project together (when needed) and working in the yarn ends to finish your project (always). Sewing is not my forté, and I didn't always leave enough of a tail to thread into a needle. So I got a set of wool needles (the red needle with the nylon loop in the image above). Using this kind of needle you can insert it into the work as you would a darning/tapestry needle, then easily thread your short yarn end into the large nylon loop and pull it through. This way you can hide even the shortest tail. Technically you can do this with any large eye needle, but it's much harder to thread frayed short yarn ends into a metal inflexible eye when it's flat against your work. As I got better at planning and everything else, I've relied less and less on the wool needles, but I'm glad I have them when I need them.

Needle Threaders 

I struggled with getting my yarn into needles, and wondered why so few people post about this problem. So I bought a threader meant for yarn. Not only did it make short work of threading, but it also resulted in a lot fewer shredded yarn ends.

Then I discovered the trick everyone uses and put away my threader. Here is the trick: Fold the tip of your yarn in half, and holding the folded end pinched between your index finger and thumb shove the eye-side of your needle from below into the fold to shape it. Then, without letting go with your fingers of the folded, shaped fold, thread it into the eye. Seems counter-intuitive because you're doubling up the yarn to thread it, but it works every time and the ends don't get frayed. Here is one random video that shows this method: External link: short video on threading yarn and there's tons more such tutorials online.

Summary: These tools may not seem essential, but they are useful and inexpensive. If you are just starting, get a feel for how often you'll crochet. One project every few months probably doesn't need extras. If, like me, you find the zen in crocheting, get these bits to make the experience more enjoyable. I'll have a similar recommendation when it comes to buying crochet hooks: Crocheting Tools: The Essentials

Welcome

I learned how to crochet during the pandemic 😷 lock-down, starting with amigurumi 🐼. I finally got to the point where I can come up with my own designs. I am grateful to all the crafters who have shared their expertise and designs for free through their blogs and videos. My designs also will be free and geared towards newbies like myself. I expect, at least at first, there will be few of them, and far in between. I may do some posts on tips and tricks learned along the way too. I do this to relax, but my full time job is professoring (research, teaching, authoring). So when I say I'll be starting out slow, I mean it.