A pair of cherries is one of the most popular bag charms, and it's a gentle introduction to amigurumi spheres. Each cherry is a ball of single crochet, and a tiny white mark embroidered on the side makes it look shiny. The stems join the two cherries, and a separate strip of two leaves ties the charm onto a bag.
From Elise's beginner video on her lilthings channel.
Video tutorial by Elise on her YouTube channel, lilthings: watch "how to crochet cherry tutorial for beginner | crochet amigurumi cherry keychain bag charm" on YouTube.
Written from the video tutorial.
Materials
- 5-ply milk cotton in cherry red, green and white
- 3.0 mm hook
- Stuffing
- A stitch marker, scissors and a darning needle
Cherries (make 2)
Work in spirals with a marker in the first stitch of each round.
Round | Instructions | Stitches |
|---|---|---|
1 | 6 sc in a magic ring | 6 |
2 | inc in each st | 12 |
3 | [1 sc, inc] × 6 | 18 |
4 | [1 sc, inc, 1 sc] × 6 | 24 |
5 to 7 | 1 sc in each st | 24 |
8 | [1 sc, invisible dec, 1 sc] × 6 | 18 |
9 | [1 sc, invisible dec] × 6 | 12 |
Round 4 places the increase in the middle of each repeat, and round 8 does the same with the decrease. This keeps the ball round instead of hexagonal.
After round 9, stuff the cherry firmly and embroider the shine with white yarn: two short vertical stitches and one short horizontal one, on the side. Then work round 10: invisible dec × 6 (6 stitches), and pull the last 6 stitches closed with the tail.
Stems
Join green at the top of the first cherry. Chain 10, then work 9 sc back down the chain. Chain 10 again for the second stem, work 9 sc back down it, and join to the top of the second cherry. The two stems meet in a V.
Leaf tie
With green, chain 36. Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work:
1 sc, 15 dc, 2 sl st, 15 dc, 1 sc
The two slip stitches in the middle form a narrow waist, so the strip looks like two leaves joined at their tips. If a chain is left over at the end, finish with a slip stitch in it.
Wrap the leaf strip and the stems around your bag handle and tie them.
Tips
- Shine before you close. You need the inside of the cherry open to hide the white yarn's ends.
- Stuff firmly so the cherries don't go saggy, but not so much the stitches gape.
- Make them match. Count every round on both cherries so they're the same size.
Frequently asked questions
What's the invisible decrease?
Go through the front loops only of the next two stitches, then finish them as one single crochet. It's much smoother than an ordinary decrease. The basics are in our single crochet guide.
Can I use it as a keychain?
Yes: add a keyring where the stems meet.
Can I make strawberries the same way?
The method is similar, but a strawberry is cone-shaped. See the strawberry keychain.
Questions & notes
No comments yet
Sign in or create a free account to comment under your profile and keep track of your replies.
Your email address is never published. Comments are moderated under our Community Guidelines; see our Privacy Policy for how we use your details.