Puff Stitch Crochet - Easy Beginners Tutorial (2024)

The puff stitch crochet is a lovely stitch to have in your repertoire, as it is soft and puffy and adds a lot of texture to your crochet work. It is an attractive stitch to use to make blankets, stuffed toys, or cushions, as it is exceptionally soft and cuddly. This tutorial will show you how to do puff stitch in rows as well as in the round. It will also show you how to crochet puff stitch to use for flowers.

Puff Stitch Crochet Tutorial

In order to make a puff stitch crochet, you need to half close a few stitches worked in the same stitch, usually half double crochet or double crochet, and then join them all together to finish the puff stitch. This joining together makes each stitch all fat and puffy. My favorite is to use double crochet stitches, but this can vary according to the height of the stitches you want to create.

Supplies to Crochet Puff Stitch

• Yarn in the thickness and color of your choice. For puff stitch, it is best to use a plain type of yarn that doesn’t split easily. If you use a textured yarn, you may lose some definition of your ‘puffs’.
• Crochet hook in a suitable size for your yarn weight.

Bear in mind that puff stitches are ‘yarn eaters’! Because of all the wrapping of loops around the hook for each stitch, you will use much more yarn than with conventional crochet stitches!

Abbreviations for Puff Stitch

Puff stitch can be abbreviated to ps or puff on crochet patterns.

All instructions are written in US terms. Read more about crochet terms.

• sc = single crochet stitch
• dc= double crochet
• ch= chain stitch
• tr=treble crochet
• sk=skip
• st(s) stitch(es)
• yo= yarn over hook
• sl st= slip stitch

How To Puff Stitch with Double Crochet

This tutorial will show you how to do a puff stitch using double crochet and make circles and flowers.

Double Crochet Puff Stitch Pattern

Step 1 - How to Do the First Puff Stitch

• Start with a slip knot and even number of foundation chain stitches.
• Make 2 chains.
• Then double crochet into the second chain to keep your edge even.

• * Yarn over,
• Insert hook into the next chain,
• Yarn over and draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook.
• You have now made an incomplete double crochet. You should have 2 loops on your hook.

• Now into the same stitch, repeat from * (3 loops on hook)

• Repeat from * into the same stitch. (You should have 4 loops on your hook.)

• Yarn over and draw the hook through all the loops on the hook.

• After the yarn is pulled through all the loops, make a chain stitch. This keeps all those loops together and secures the puff stitch crochet. You will also need these spaces to work into for the next row.

Step 2 - Continue Row 1

• Skip a chain before making the next puff stitch.

Tip: You will need to work loosely when doing puff stitch, as when you are drawing your hook through so many loops at once, they can be tight and difficult to get through. If you find that you are struggling, wiggle the hook a little as you pull to ease it through.

This makes a small, thinnish puff stitch. You have essentially made 3 double crochet stitches into 1 chain, and this is what makes the stitch look fat and puffy.

• Work 1 puff stitch, chain1, skip1 all the way across the row.

• Work 1 double crochet as your final stitch, to keep the edges straight.
• Turn your work and make a turning chain of 3 stitches.

Step 3 - Row 2 of Puff Stitches

• Work 1 puff stitch into each chain space from the previous row, with 1 chain in between each puff stitch.

Step 4 - Continue with More Rows

• Continue by turning and working 1 puff stitch, 1 chain across each row.
• Finish with a double crochet in the first 3 chain spaces.

Puff Stitch Crochet Straight Edge Hack

Because you are working in opposite directions for each row, your puff stitches will lean in opposite directions and have a slightly different appearance, giving a staggered effect.

If you don’t like this effect and would prefer your stitches to look slightly more upright, all leaning in the same direction and having the same appearance, you can work your fabric like this:

• Work your row of foundation chain plus 2 turning chains.
• Work 1 puff stitch into base of turning ch, ch1, sk1.
• *1 puff st into next ch, ch1, sk1. Repeat this to the end of the row. End on 1 dc.
• Turn work 2 ch as turning ch. Sc into base of ch, then sc into every st of previous row. So you will have a whole row of plain sc.
• Turn. Ch 2. Repeat the puff stitch row. (From *)

This alternating row of single crochet gives a smoother, flatter effect, and because all your puff stitches are worked going in the same direction they will all lean the same way. You can see that the puffs look more uniform because they are all facing the ‘right’ way. However, it will not look quite as puffy and squishy!

Puff Stitch with Other Stitches

It is also possible to make puff stitch with half double crochet, instead of double crochet. This will make shorter stitches. Alternatively you can use treble crochet as your base, which will give you taller stitches. It does mean that you will have more stitches through which to draw your hook, though!

Puff Stitch Crocheting In The Round

Puff stitch makes excellent crochet face scrubbies and pretty cushion covers. You can work in the round for either of these.

How to Crochet a Puff Circle:

• Start with a magic circle or foundation chain ring of 4 ch.
• Round 1: Work 6 sc into the circle. Join with a sl st.
• Round 2: Into first sc, work 1 dc, 1 puff st. dc and puff st into next sc. Continue doing this into each sc st. You will have 6 puffs, each separated by a dc. Sl st into first sc of round.
• Round 3: Sc twice into each st. This round is only sc. You need to increase because the diameter of the circle is increasing. Sl st into first st.
• Round 4: Second round of puffs. 2 ch, work puff into next st. * Sk 1, 1 puff into next st. Repeat from* all the way around, sl st into first st.
• Round 5: *Sc into first st. 2 sc into next st. Continue from * all the way around. This is another increase round. Sl st to join round.
• Round 6: ch2, 1 puff into next st. *Sk1, 1 puff into next st, 1 ch. Repeat from * all the way round.
• Continue in this way, 1 round sc, 1 round puff sts for as many rounds as you need to make your circle the desired size. Each sc round must be an increase round to keep the circle flat.
• Finish off with a sc round as this gives a nice neat edge.

How to Crochet Puff Stitch Flowers

These little flowers use the puff stitch crochet in the round technique, adding a few extra chain stitches to make the petals more defined.

You can use them to make pretty garlands, sew onto clothing items or hats as decoration, attach a safety pin to the back of one to make a brooch, use them as decorations on a cushion cover, or even join a whole lot together to make the entire cushion cover!

• Work a magic circle or foundation ring in the color of your choice for the center. 6 sc into ring. sl st.
• Ch 3 in new color , (petal color) Make a puff st into first sc by drawing up the loop 5 times. Draw the loops up loosely so that it is easy to close off the puff. You should have 6 loops on your hook.
• Draw hook through all loops, then ch 1 to close the puff.
• Ch 2 more and sl st into same sc to finish 1 petal.

• Ch3 to start new petal. Make next puff st into next sc. Finish with ch3 and sl st into the center again.
• Continue around the circle, making 6 petals in all.
• Sl st into first st, end off by tying off the yarn. If you used a magic circle, pull it tight.
• Weave in the center yarn as well as the end of the petal yarn.

Puff Stitch Crochet FAQs

What is the difference between puff stitch and popcorn stitch?

Puff stitch is less textured than popcorn stitch and uses less yarn. Both stitches are more textured on the wrong side of the fabric. This is more pronounced in the popcorn stitch.

Puff Stitch Crochet - In Conclusion

Once you get the hang of creating puff stitches and your hands remember the movements to make them smooth, you can work them up quickly. They will add dimension and texture to whatever you choose to make. I hope you enjoy creating and playing with these wonderful squishy, soft crochet puff stitches!

More Crochet Stitches

• Popcorn Stitch
• Herringbone Crochet Stitch
• Spike Stitch
• Crocodile Stitch
• Lemon Peel Stitch (Seed)
• Crochet Moss Stitch
• Crochet V Stitch
• Shell Stitch Crochet
• Puff Stitch
• Corner to Corner Crochet
• Bobble Stitch
• Crochet Cables
• Crochet Tapestry
• Crochet Basket Weave
• Chevron Crochet Stitch
• Crochet Waffle Stitch