Crochet Halloween Garland: Pumpkins and Ghosts on a String

The pattern

Pumpkin motif (make 5)

1. Rnd 1 (orange): Ch 2 (doesn't count as a st), 10 hdc in a magic ring. Sl st to the first hdc. (10)
2. Rnd 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc in each st around. Sl st to the first hdc. (20)
3. Rnd 3: Ch 1, (sc, 2 sc in next) 10 times. Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off. (30)
4. Stem (green): Join at any st. Ch 4, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and the next 2 ch, sl st into the same st on the pumpkin. Fasten off.
5. Face: With black, embroider two triangle eyes and a zigzag mouth.

Ghost motif (make 5) — worked in rows

1. Row 1 (white): Ch 10. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and across. Ch 1, turn. (9)
2. Rows 2–10: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. (9)
3. Row 11: Dec, sc 5, dec. Ch 1, turn. (7)
4. Row 12: Dec, sc 3, dec. Fasten off. (5)
5. Wavy hem: Turn the ghost upside down and join to the first st of the foundation chain. Sl st, *skip 1, 5 dc in the next, skip 1, sl st in the next*; repeat once. (2 waves)
6. Face: Two black French knots or straight stitches for eyes, an oval for the mouth.

Joining the garland

1. Step 1: With black, ch 30 for the hanging tie.
2. Step 2: *Sl st into the top of a motif (the pumpkin stem or the ghost's head), ch 18*; repeat, alternating pumpkins and ghosts, until all 10 are joined.
3. Step 3: Ch 30 more for the second tie. Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Ch 18 between motifs leaves a gap of about 4 inches. Make it ch 10 for a crowded garland, ch 25 for a sparse one.

Make it your own

• Add bats: sew our bat wings to small black circles for a third motif.
• Letters: stitch B-O-O on three ghosts with orange yarn.
• Fall version: swap ghosts for crochet leaves and leave it up through Thanksgiving.

Common questions

How long does a crochet garland take?

Each pumpkin takes about 10 minutes and each ghost about 12, so a 10-motif garland is roughly 3 hours including the chain and faces.

How do I stop motifs flipping on the garland?

Join each motif with two slip stitches, about an inch apart along its top edge, instead of one.

My circle ruffles. What went wrong?

Too many stitches for your tension. Go down half a hook size, or skip the last round of increases.

Which room gets the garland — the mantel or the front door? 👻