How to Crochet Popcorn Stitch, Made Easy for Beginners

What on earth is a crochet popcorn stitch? It is a fun, chunky, puffy stitch that adds dimension and texture to your work. It is similar to a puff stitch, but even more chunky and textured.

Crochet Popcorn Stitch Tutorial

Popcorn stitch works very well as a raised pattern combined with conventional stitches, such as double crochet (dc). This tutorial will show you how to make a 5 dc popcorn stitch pattern.

It also makes a nice crochet border stitch to finish off any item. If you already know how to do shell stitch, this will be a piece of cake! Even if you don’t, follow these instructions and give them a try. It really is an easy stitch to master.

Supplies for Popcorn Stitch Crochet Patterns

• You will need yarn in the thickness and color of your choice. For popcorn stitch, it is best to use plain yarn that doesn’t split easily. If you use textured yarn, you may lose some definition of your puffy popcorn shapes. 
• Crochet hook in a suitable size for your yarn.
• Tapestry needle for weaving ends.

POPCORN CROCHET STITCH USES LOTS OF YARN! Bear in mind that popcorn stitches are ‘yarn gobblers’! Because of all the repetition of stitches just to make one popcorn stitch, you will use much more yarn than with conventional crochet stitches!

Abbreviations for Popcorn Stitch Crochet

All instructions are written in US terms.

• dc= double crochet
• ch= chain stitch
• hdc= half double crochet
• sk=skip
• st(s) stitch(es)
• sl st= slip stitch

Learn more about the basic crochet stitches.

How To Make Crochet Popcorn Stitch

Foundation Chain

• Begin with a foundation chain stitch, using an odd number of stitches.

Row 1: Single Crochet Row

• Starting in the 2^nd chain from hook, work 1 single crochet into each chain.

Your initial foundation chain row and this single crochet row needs to be worked loosely, as you will be squashing a lot of stitches into them!

Row 2 of Crochet Popcorn Stitch

• Turn and chain 1.
• Work 5 double crochet into the next single crochet. (This is actually a shell stitch!)

• Now pull the loop on your hook really large and loose, so that it doesn’t come undone.
• Remove the hook.

• Insert the hook into the top 2 loops of the first double crochet that you made.
• Now reinsert the hook into that last, large loop that you made.

• Pull it tight again.
• Pull that loop through the first double crochet.
• There will be 1 loop left on the hook. This will close up the bunch of double crochet stitches and make a gathered ‘bubble’ of a stitch.

• Chain 1 to close up the stitch. This is a complete popcorn stitch.

• Single crochet into next single crochet stitch.

• Continue making the popcorn stitch, alternating with a single crochet all along the row.
• End with a single crochet.

Row 3 of Crochet Popcorn Stitch

• Chain 1, work 1 single crochet into each stitch.

You may find it a little difficult to find where to insert the hook along this row. It must go into the straight stitches (the sc) and the closing chain stitches in between the v-shaped bunch of stitches along the top of the row.

You must have the same number of single crochet stitches as the number of starting chain you began with. Once again, work this row loosely.

Row 4 of Crochet Popcorn Stitch

• Repeat the 1 popcorn stitch, and 1 single crochet again, all along the row.
• Count your popcorns to make sure you still have the same number as you did in your first row!

As you complete the rows of popcorn stitch, you may think that it looks remarkably like rows of puff stitch. You will see that although it gives the same ‘puffiness’, it is much more textured at the top than the puff stitch. This is because you complete each double crochet stitch before gathering them all together. This is another ‘yarn gobbler’, so be sure you have plenty of yarn to complete your project!

It is, of course, possible to create an entire item with popcorn stitch, but this stitch is really effective when combined with other stitches. It stands up higher than the conventional stitches, and you can create lovely patterns with this raised effect. A good example of this is the popcorn flower granny square.

Popcorn Pattern Crochet - Popcorn Stitch Flower Square

This popcorn granny square looks lovely made in 2 contrasting yarns, one for the flower, and one for the background.

Foundation for Crochet Popcorn Stitch Square

• Using your flower color yarn, start with a magic ring,
• Alternatively, chain 4 and slip stitch to close the foundation ring.

Round 1: Popcorn Crochet Stitch

• 8 single crochet into this ring.
• Slip stitch to join into the first single crochet.

Round 2: Popcorn Crochet Stitch

• Ch 3 (which acts as your first dc)
• Into the same stitch, work 4 dc.
• Draw the final loop up loosely. Remove hook.
• Insert the hook into the top of the ch3.
• Pick up the loose loop again, pull it tight, and draw the yarn through both sts.
• Ch1 to close popcorn st.
• Ch1 again before next st.
• Work popcorn st into next sc.
• Ch 1 between each popcorn st. Note that this is not your ch st, which closes off the popcorn st, but an extra ch 1 between each popcorn.
• Work 1 popcorn st, 1 ch into each of your sc sts. You will now have 8 popcorns and 8 ch1 spaces.
• Sl st into into the first ch1 space. (skip the first popcorn, go behind the cluster.)
• This should look like a little flower with 8 petals.
• Tighten your magic ring now, if you used that method to start.      

Round 3: Granny Square

• Ch3 (which is equal to the first dc)
• Use the same method to create your first popcorn st. When gathering it, work into the top ch of your ch3.
• Ch1 to close popcorn st, ch1 again.
• Now work another popcorn st into the same space. It will be a bit of a squash to fit it in! Slide the first stitch along a bit to make space.
• After the second popcorn, ch1.
• Work into the next ch1 space- make 1 popcorn, ch1, 1popcorn, all into the same ch1 space.
• Continue in this manner all the way around. You should now have 16 popcorns and 16 ch1 spaces, and a flower with 2 rows of petals.
• Finish the round with a sl st into the first ch1 space.

New Color Yarn

• Your flower is now complete. End off the yarn.
• Change color for the background of the granny square.
• Join the new yarn, using your preferred method, into a ch 1 space.

Round 4: Granny Square

• Ch3. (first dc.)Work another dc into same space.
• Ch1.
• Into next ch1 space, work 2 hdc. Ch1.
• Into next ch1 space, work2 sc. Ch1.
• Into next ch1 space, work 2 hdc. Ch 1.
• You have now reached a corner section. Work 2 dc, ch2, 2 dc into same ch1 space. Ch 1.
• 2 hdc into next space. Ch1.
• 2 sc into next space. Ch1.
•  2 hdc into next space.
• Corner - as previous corner.

You should now be able to see the square shape emerging. Continue with this repeat all the way around.

• To finish the final corner, after your 2 hdc, ch1, work into your starting space.
• Work 2 dc ch2, sl st into initial ch 3.
• Sl st under the first dc. This is to move your yarn along so that you will end at the ch1 space.

Round 5:

• Ch3 (first dc.)
• Into same ch space, dc, ch1
• 2 dc into next space, ch1.
• Repeat until you get to the corner. 2 dc, ch2, 2 dc into corner space.
• Continue like this until the round is complete. This round is only dc stitches.
• Sl st into 3^rd ch from beginning of this row.
• Fasten off the yarn.

Your popcorn flower square is now complete! Weave in your ends.                                                                                                                                                   

Similar Stitches to Popcorn Stitch

Here you can see popcorn stitch in comparison to bobble stitch and puff stitch. You will notice that popcorn stitch is the most textured.

Crochet Popcorn Stitch - In Conclusion

You can use this pleasing stitch to create all sorts of interesting crochet items, for example, baby blankets, hats with bobbles, bags and purses, scarves, and cowls. The popcorn flower granny square will also look wonderful as a throw or lap blanket! I hope you will enjoy learning the popcorn stitch and will have a lot of fun creating different items using it!