Crochet Juggling Balls: Free Pattern for a Weighted Set of Three
Properly weighted juggling balls that sit in the hand and don’t roll away when dropped — the filling, the weight and the safe way to contain it.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) cotton, about 90 yd for three
- Hook
- 3 mm (D-3)
- Time
- About 3 hours for a set
- Finished size
- 2½ in (6.5 cm) each, about 120 g
You'll need
- Worsted weight (#4) cotton — about 30 yd per ball
- 3 mm (D-3) crochet hook — deliberately tight
- Filling: dried lentils, rice, or plastic poly pellets (about 110–125 g per ball)
- Three small zip-lock bags or scraps of cotton fabric to contain the filling
- A little polyester fiberfill
- Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors
In this post
Shop-bought juggling balls cost more than they should, and most crocheted ones are useless for juggling because they're stuffed with fiberfill — too light, too bouncy, and they roll under the sofa the moment you drop one.
A real juggling ball is heavy for its size and dead: it lands with a thud and stays put. That comes from a granular filling, and this pattern is built around containing it properly.
Weight and filling
Aim for 110–125 g (about 4 oz) per ball at around 2½ in across. That's the weight most jugglers find comfortable, and all three balls must match closely — a mismatched set is genuinely harder to juggle.
| Filling | Feel | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried lentils | Excellent, dense | Cheap. Keep away from damp; never wash. |
| Rice | Good, slightly softer | Same caution about moisture. |
| Plastic poly pellets | Excellent | Washable — the best choice if the balls will be handled a lot. |
| Fiberfill only | Too light | Fine as a toy, useless for juggling. |
Always double-contain the filling. Put it in a sealed zip-lock bag or a stitched cotton pouch before it goes in the crochet shell. A dropped ball that splits and sprays lentils across a room is the one failure mode here — and loose filling is a choking hazard around small children.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
The pattern (make 3)
Worked tightly on a 3 mm hook so no filling can escape between the stitches.
- Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
- Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
- Rnd 3: (Sc 1, inc) 6 times. (18)
- Rnd 4: (Sc 2, inc) 6 times. (24)
- Rnd 5: (Sc 3, inc) 6 times. (30)
- Rnds 6–12: Sc in each st around. (30)
- Rnd 13: (Sc 3, dec) 6 times. (24)
- Rnd 14: (Sc 2, dec) 6 times. (18)
Filling it
- Step 1: Weigh your filling — 110–125 g — and seal it into a small zip-lock bag, squeezing the air out so it doesn't crackle.
- Step 2: Push the bag through the opening and settle it into the bottom of the ball.
- Step 3: Pack a thin layer of fiberfill around the top of the bag so the shape stays round and the bag can't be felt through the stitches.
- Step 4: Weigh the whole ball. Match all three to within a few grams.
- Rnd 15: (Sc 1, dec) 6 times. (12)
- Rnd 16: Dec 6 times. (6)
Fasten off, close the last 6 stitches through their front loops, and sew the tail back and forth across the closure twice before burying it. These get dropped a lot — make the closing stitch strong.
Make it your own
- Striped set: change colour every three rounds so the balls are easier to track in the air.
- Three colours: one solid colour per ball helps beginners learn the cascade pattern.
- Stress ball: fill with poly pellets only and skip the fiberfill for a squeezable desk ball.
- Hacky sack: stop at Rnd 11 and fill to about 60 g.
Common questions
How heavy should juggling balls be?
Most jugglers prefer 110–125 g (about 4 oz) for a 2½ in ball. Lighter balls get pushed around by air resistance; heavier ones tire your arms.
Can I wash them?
Only if you filled them with plastic poly pellets. Lentils and rice will swell, rot and smell. Spot-clean grain-filled balls instead.
Why do my balls split at the seam?
Too loose a fabric, or a weak closing stitch. Use a 3 mm hook with worsted cotton, and sew across the final closure twice.
Are these safe for children?
For older children, yes. For under-3s, no — the filling is a choking hazard if the shell is ever damaged. Give little ones the plain stuffed crochet ball instead.
How long does a set of three take?
About an hour per ball, so one relaxed afternoon for the set.
Three balls, one afternoon, and a new party trick. 🤹
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