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    Home » Stitch Tutorials

    Updated: Sep 29, 2023 by Jess Coppom ·

    How to Crochet Puff Stitches: Complete Beginner’s Guide

    10.5K shares

    Learn how to crochet puff stitches crochet in this detailed photo and video tutorial. We cover how to make a puff stitch and several ways to use them.

    You’ll walk away knowing how to work puff stitches in rows for blankets and other rectangular designs, plus how these puffy stitches differ when crocheted in the round to make circles or hexagons.

    Collection of different ways to crochet the puff stitch pattern.

    This crochet puff stitch circle tutorial is part of a collaboration with Lion Brand Yarns. This post contains affiliate links.

    Jump to:
    • What is a Crochet Puff Stitch?
    • Crochet Puff Stitch Video Tutorial
    • How to Crochet Puff Stitches
    • Step-By-Step Puff Stitch Instructions
    • Making a Fuller or Flatter Puff Stitch
    • To Crochet Puff Stitches in Rounds
    • Projects That Use Puff Stitches In the Round
    • Differences Between Popcorn Stitches, Bobble Stitches, and Puff Stitches
    • FAQs
    • Free Crochet Patterns That Use Puffy Stitches
    • That was so fun! Now what?
    • Invitation to our Facebook group
    • How to Crochet Puff Stitches

    What is a Crochet Puff Stitch?

    The puff stitch is a fun, squishy variation on half-double crochet stitches. By adjusting the number of yarn overs (loops) in the stitch, you can add create flatter or thicker crochet puff stitches.

    Crochet puff stitches are often used to add texture and interest to crochet sweaters, afghans, scarves, and even granny squares.

    A grid of crochet puff stitch circles that look like flowers.

    Complete beginner? Check out our guide on How to Crochet for Beginners

    Crochet Puff Stitch Video Tutorial

    These cute little puff crochet stitch circles are perfect for using up scraps of yarn and can be crocheted in about 15 minutes. Watch the video tutorial below to learn how to make a puff stitch crochet circle step by step.

    Links mentioned in the video:
    • Dahlia Scrapgan free crochet blanket pattern

    • Lion Brand Color Made Easy yarn

    • Lion Brand Heartland yarn

    Related: Design Your Own Project with These Easy Blanket Stitches

    How to Crochet Puff Stitches

    Ready to learn how to crochet a puff stitch? Follow along with the written instructions and detailed photo tutorial below.

    Materials:

    • Yarn – I suggest a worsted weight yarn to practice
    • Crochet hook in size that matches your yarn weight
    • Scissors
    • Tapestry needle

    Pro Tip: I find inline crochet hooks, like the purple hook below, much easier to use when crocheting puff stitches. Why? They have more space to grab the multiple strands of yarn and pull them through the final loop at once.

    Two crochet hooks next to an in progress swatch of crochet puff stitches.
    If you’re having trouble pulling all the loops of yarn through to finish the puff stitch, try switching to an inline hook like the purple hook in this photo.

    Step-By-Step Puff Stitch Instructions

    Let’s walk through how to crochet a puff stitch step-by-step. Then we’ll learn how to use puff stitches in straight rows and in the round.

    Here are the steps of crocheting a puff stitch.

    Yarn over with a wooden crochet hook in a swatch of puff stitches.

    Step 1: Yarn over

    Bamboo crochet hook pulling grey yarn through a stitch.

    Step 2: Insert hook in next stitch

    Three loops of a crochet puff stitch on a bamboo hook.

    Step 3: Pull up a loop (3 loops on hook)

    Second yarn over with a wooden crochet hook in a swatch of puff stitches.

    Step 4: Yarn over again

    Wooden crochet hook picking up another loop in a puff stitch.

    Step 5: Insert hook in same stitch and pull up a loop (5 loops on hook)

    Yarn over to pull through seven loops on crochet hook.

    Step 6: Repeat step 5 twice more (9 loops on hook)

    Almost complete puff stitch on a wooden crochet hook.

    Step 7: Yarn over and pull through all nine loops on hook

    The final crochet chain closing a puff stitch.

    Step 8: Chain one to close the puff stitch

    A row of crochet puff stitches in progress.

    Step 9: Here’s what you’ll do next if you’re working the puff stitch in rows:

    1. Chain once more
    2. Skip the next stitch
    3. Work a puff stitch in the next stitch
    4. Repeat steps 1-3 across the row

    Pro Tip: Puff stitches alternating with chain stitches can make a pretty finishing border around a blanket.

    Making a Fuller or Flatter Puff Stitch

    The number of times you yarn over (aka the number of times you repeat step 7) is what affects how “puffy” your puff stitch looks.

    • For a very full and round puff stitch, you may yarn over five times and have 11 loops on your hook before the final yarn over.
    • For a flatter puff stitch cluster, you may only yarn over 3 times and have 7 loops on your hook before the final yarn over.

    If you’re following a crochet pattern, specific instructions should be provided.

    To Crochet Puff Stitches in Rows

    When crocheting puff stitches in rows, you’ll alternate with a row of single crochet (sc) stitches.

    Foundation: Begin with any even multiple of chain stitches. To crochet this swatch, I’m using 18 chains.

    Row 1: Skip first chain, single crochet in each chain; turn. (17 sc)

    Row 2: Chain 3 tightly (counts as 1 double crochet), skip first stitch. *Puff in next stitch. Chain 1. Skip next stitch. Repeat from * until 2 stitches remain. Puff in next stitch. Double crochet in last stitch; turn. (8 puffs and 2 dc)

    Said another way, you are crocheting a puff stitch + 1 chain to close the puff + 1 additional chain. You are skipping one stitch between each puff stitch you crochet.

    Row 3: Chain 1, single crochet in each stitch across. (17 sc)

    (This means you single crochet in the double crochet, in the top of each puff stitch, in each chain-1-space, and in the top of the turning chain that began the last row.)

    To continue: Repeat Rows 2 and 3 for as long as you’d like, ending with a row 3. Fasten off and weave in your ends.

    Crochet puff stitch circle that looks like a flower.

    Wanna save this pattern?

    We'll email you this so you can come back to it later!

    To Crochet Puff Stitches in Rounds

    Puff stitch circles differ from rows because they do not include single crochet stitches. Instead, each round increases by eight puff stitches to accommodate the growing circumference.

    The first puff stitch of each round uses one less yarn over because it has a turning chain that adds to the thickness of the puff. In this tutorial, we call that first puff a “partial puff.”

    No matter how many yarn overs your puff stitches include, just eliminate one yarn over from the partial puff.

    Pro Tip: Puff circles are made with the right side (RS) of your fabric facing you throughout. Do not turn your project at the end of round.

    Round 1: Foundation (8 Puffs)

    Make a magic ring. (Alternatively, start with a slip knot on the hook, ch 5, slst to first ch to join into a ring.)

    Ch 2, partial puff in ring (counts as first puff), 7 puffs in circle; slst to top of first puff to join. (8 puffs)

    Round 1 of a crochet puff stitch circle.

    Round 2: Increase to 16 Puffs

    Slst into first chsp between puffs, ch 2, partial puff in same sp (counts as first puff), 1 puff in same space, [2 puffs in next chsp] 7 times; slst to top of first puff to join. (16 puffs)

    Round 2 of a crochet puff stitch circle.

    Round 3: Increase to 24 Puffs

    Slst into first chsp between puffs, ch 2, partial puff in same sp (counts as first puff), 1 puff in same space, 1 puff in next chsp,  [2 puffs in next chsp, 1 puff in next chsp] 7 times; slst to top of first puff to join. (24 puffs)

    Round 3 of a crochet puff stitch circle.

    To Make Larger Circles

    To make larger puff stitch circles, continue increasing by eight puffs per round until your desired size is reached. Fasten off and weave in ends.

    How to Make a Puff Stitch Hexagon

    To make a puff stitch hexagon, add a chain stitch between each puff of the increase. So in each increase, you’ll work a puff + a chain + a second puff. This chain space creates a distinct corner, which is where you’ll place the increase stitches in the next round.

    Hexagons made of puff stitches can make lovely hot pads on their own and combine well into pieced blankets.

    Projects That Use Puff Stitches In the Round

    Puff stitch circles are the focal point of the Dahlia Scrapgan pattern. They’re also perfect for whipping up as quick crochet coasters or a larger trivet. Try some squishy puff circles as a flower accent on a larger project or use them to make sunburst granny squares.

    You can also experiment with different weights of yarn and types of fiber. Wouldn’t it be cool to make some puff stitch crochet coasters out of jute or cotton twine? Or some delicate flowers out of a crisp, mercerized yarn like Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton?

    click to pin this tutorial for later ⇨

    A grid of crochet puff stitch circles that look like flowers.

    Differences Between Popcorn Stitches, Bobble Stitches, and Puff Stitches

    While puff stitches, bobble stitches, and popcorn stitches all create a bumpy texture in your crochet fabric, they’re each slightly different.

    The bobble stitch is made of ±5 completed double crochets worked into the same stitch. Its bobble design appears on the wrong side of your work.

    The popcorn stitch is made of ±5 finished double crochet stitches, with the first and last stitches fastened together with a slip stitch. The popcorn cluster appears on the right side of your work.

    As discussed above, the puff stitch is several partially-finished half double crochets joined together into a single cluster stitch. It uses less yarn than the other two stitches, allowing for more drape in the final fabric.

    Try out popcorn, bobbles and puff stitches in the Sampler Crochet Pouf pattern.

    The backside of a swatch of crochet puff stitches.
    Rows of puff stitches tend to have a “wrong” side and a “right” side, meaning the backside of the fabric, as pictured above, is less appealing than the front.

    FAQs

    Is a bobble stitch the same as a puff stitch?

    No, the bobble crochet stitch and the puff stitch are not the same. The difference is that the bobble stitch uses double crochets to form a cluster, while the puff stitch is made of multiple loops.

    How many loops do you need for a puff stitch?

    Most crochet puff stitches are made with four or five loops. The number of loops you need to make a puff stitch depends on your yarn weight and how “fat” you want the puffs to be.

    How do you finish a puff stitch neatly?

    Use a single chain stitch to close your puff stitch. This chain stitch creates the top of the puff stitch, which you can work another puff stitch into in the second row or round.

    Did you try this?


    Leave a ★ review and tag @MakeAndDoCrew on Instagram and Facebook!

    Free Crochet Patterns That Use Puffy Stitches

    Ready to put your puff stitch skills to work? Let’s do this!

    • A blonde woman wearing a floral dress and a crochet hexagon cardigan made with Lion Brand Coboo in the color "Mauve."
      Drapey Crochet Cardigan Made From Hexagons
    • Woman standing in a field of natural grasses wearing a drapey, dolman-sleeved crochet cardigan with faux fur trim.
      Oversized Crochet Cardigan With Fur Collar – Free Pattern
    • The At First Blush triangle scarf is an easy lace crochet shawl pattern, free from Make and Do Crew featuring Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca yarn.
      Simple Puff + Lace Crochet Triangle Scarf – Free Pattern
    • C2C crochet rainbow blanket with puff stitch clouds.
      Muted, Modern Rainbow C2C Crochet Blanket Pattern
    • The back of a vintage-looking crochet granny stitch cardigan sweater with a hood.
      Modern Crochet Granny Square Cardigan – Free Pattern + Videos
    • Free crochet alpaca (or llama) toy pattern for babies, kids or adults! This modern pattern includes pom pom accents and a full tutorial.
      Crochet Alpaca (or Llama!) Toy – Free Pattern
    • A hand holding a crochet sunburst granny square that looks like a sunflower.
      Crochet Sunburst (Sunflower) Granny Square Pattern + Tutorial
    • Plaid bear corner-to-corner crochet blanket free pattern.
      Modern, Rustic C2C Crochet Bear Blanket – Free Pattern by E’Claire Makery
    • This beautiful crochet shawl pattern is made from an asymmetrical triangle using puff stitches and easy lace. Great crochet scarf pattern to use Lion Brand Mandala, Caron Cakes or Sweet Rolls.
      Asymmetrical Crochet Triangle Shawl – Free Pattern
    • This long crochet vest features an open work tree pattern along the bottom edge, making it the perfect transitional sleeveless cardigan for Fall. Free pattern + tutorial.
      “Tree Lined” Long Crochet Vest – Free Pattern

    More Crochet Stitch Tutorials

    Would you like to learn more unique crochet stitches that are far simpler than they look? You’ll love these!

    You must use the category name, not a URL, in the category field.

    See more crochet stitch tutorials →

    That was so fun! Now what?

    • Pin this post: Save this to your Pinterest crochet board so you can easily find it again.
    • Share your work on Instagram or Facebook: Tag @MakeAndDoCrew and use #MakeAndDoCrew to show us your stitchin’!
    • Leave a comment: Say hello and share your feedback below.

    Invitation to our Facebook group

    Come discuss puffy crochet stitches and lots of other projects and squishy stitches in our Make & Do Crew Facebook group. Here, thousands of helpful crocheters answer each other’s questions and share their stitches. Come join us here.

    A crochet puff stitch circle coaster in progress.
    5 from 2 votes
    Pin For Later

    How to Crochet Puff Stitches

    Learn how to crochet puff stitches crochet in this detailed photo and video tutorial. We cover how to make a puff stitch and several ways to use them.
    You'll walk away knowing how to work puff stitches in rows for blankets and other rectangular designs, plus how these puffy stitches differ when crocheted in the round to make circles or hexagons.
    Gauge: na
    Measurements/Sizes: na
    Approx Time (varies by skill level): 30 minutes mins
    Yarn Cost: $2-$5
    Author: Jess Coppom

    Materials

    • Worsted weight yarn
    • Crochet hook size to match yarn

    Abbreviations and Glossary (US Terms):

    Want some company while you crochet?

    Get support (and camaraderie!) in the Make & Do Crochet Crew Facebook Group. Search “Make and Do Crochet Crew” on Facebook.com.

    Permissions + Copyright

    Please do not publish or share this pattern as your own. You may make items to sell with this pattern. In exchange, please link back to this page. Do NOT use my photos as your own sales photos.

    Overall Pattern Notes

    Instructions

    How to Crochet Puff Stitches

    • Step 1: Yarn over
    • Step 2: Insert hook in next stitch
    • Step 3: Pull up a loop (3 loops on hook)
    • Step 4: Yarn over again
    • Step 5: Insert hook in same stitch and pull up a loop (5 loops on hook)
    • Step 6: Repeat step 5 twice more (9 loops on hook)
    • Step 7: Yarn over and pull through all nine loops on hook
    • Step 8: Chain one to close the puff stitch
    • Step 9: Here's what you'll do next if you're working the puff stitch in rows:
      1. Chain once more
      2. Skip the next stitch
      3. Work a puff stitch in the next stitch
      4. Repeat steps 1-3 across the row
      Pro Tip: Puff stitches alternating with chain stitches can make a pretty finishing border around a blanket.

    More Unique Crochet Stitches with Tutorials

    • A crochet daisy square, zinnia square, and chrysanthemum square.
      How to Crochet a Flower Granny Square – Daisy Tutorial
    • Hands demonstrating how to crochet a single crochet stitch.
      How to Crochet: Easy Beginner’s Guide
    • Four grid collection of unique crochet stitches,
      47+ Cool and Unique Crochet Stitches You Haven’t Seen
    • Single crochet stitches in tidy rows of green yarn.
      How to Single Crochet Stitch for Beginners (And Fix Mistakes)
    10.5K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenn says

      April 29, 2023 at 6:55 pm

      I am so excited to start my blanket but it says video tutorial and all I can see are photos and written directions. Where do I find the videos?

      Reply
    2. kim says

      March 27, 2023 at 11:53 am

      I’m struggling w/ the puff stitch into a magic ring. As I pull up the stitches of the puff, my magic circle keeps getting bigger. HELP!!

      Reply
    3. holly says

      February 16, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      Hi,
      I see it mentioned that there is a video tutorial but where is the link? I try tapping on the area which says Video Tutorial without luck

      Reply
    4. Kasia says

      December 10, 2022 at 7:56 pm

      Goodness I love how this looks. I have issues with mine. Once is start adding the square border it curls up. The circle is flat. It has 24 puffs, the first row has 24, so I don’t know what is wrong. Would you know why it’s doing that? TIA

      Reply
    5. Janet says

      October 26, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      Hi .. would you be able to show your abbreviated stitches in the English (Australian) version please?
      I know some are different .AUS-USA

      Many thanks
      Janet

      Reply
    6. Vicki Anderson says

      August 19, 2021 at 6:51 pm

      When making a Puff stitch round and your pattern calls for a chain 2 between two puff stitches do you count the chain that closes the puff plus 1 or do I close the puff plus 2 chain

      Reply
    7. Kathie says

      October 24, 2020 at 7:35 am

      how do you do a magic ring to go along with this pattern?

      Reply
    8. Gary Boston says

      July 28, 2020 at 7:58 pm

      Hi there- Just starting my scrapghan and I’m a relatively new crocheter, so wanted to watch video. I don’t see them here. Am I missing something? Thanks. Can’t wait to get going.

      Reply
    9. Vanessa says

      June 26, 2020 at 2:59 pm

      Thank you for this CAL, pattern and videos. I didn’t see listed the amount of yarn overs for making the puffs if the person decides to use a Category 3 weight yarn. Do you know if it would be 2 or 3 times and if it would be similar to the category 4 weight yarn. Thanks. I love the color combinations you used.

      Reply
    10. Pauline says

      June 26, 2020 at 4:47 am

      Hey Jess,

      Love the look of this afghan, but I can’t seem to find the video!

      Pauline x

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Jess Coppom of the crochet blog, Make & Do Crew, wearing the Cleo Fedora crochet sun hat.

    Hi, I'm Jess! My mom taught me to crochet when I was 8-years-old. Now I work alongside my mom and sisters to bring you free patterns + tutorials that make crochet modern, approachable and fun!

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