How To Crochet A Ball - Easiest Method

Learn how to crochet a ball! Are you looking for a simple, quick project to practice your crochet skills? A crocheted ball is a perfect project for this, and it is easy to do with just some basic crochet knowledge. You can choose to crochet a basic ball or customize it to make it a unique, individual project.

How to Crochet a Ball

Materials

• Yarn
• Suitable size crochet hook for the yarn. Use a smaller hook than recommended on the yarn label to minimize the size of the holes.
• Stuffing - Polyester stuffing used for toys is the best but you could also use scraps of yarn or cut up fabric.
• Yarn needle

Abbreviations

Please note: We will be working with USA terminology for this tutorial.

• st - stitch
• ch - chain stitch
• sl st - slip stitch
• sc - single crochet

How to Crochet a Ball - The 4 Basic Skills Needed

Before I start with specific instructions, here are the basic skills you will need to make a crochet ball:

Skill 1 - Slip Knot

How to make a slip knot:                                        

1. Make a loop with your yarn and insert your hook.
2. Yarn over from the back.
3. Pull trhough.
4. Tighten gently and slide the knot up to the hook.

Skill 2 - Single Crochet Stitches

How to single crochet:

1. Insert the hook into the second chain from the hook.
2. Wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front, and pull up a loop. (You will have 2 loops on your hook.)
3. Wrap the yarn over again
4. Pull it through both loops on the hook. (You will have 1 loop left on the hook, and will have completed 1 single crochet stitch.)

Skill 3 - How To Increase In Single Crochet

You simply work more than one sc stitch into the stitch, space, or chain in the row below. Easy!

Skill 4 - How To Decrease In Single Crochet

Here you will be working a single crochet stitch over more than one stitch, space, or chain.

Decreasing - Method One

This method of decreasing is the simplest. You simply skip one stitch and work your next stitch into the following stitch, space, or chain. This can, however, leave you with visible openings in your crochet. Not ideal for a ball where the stuffing can show through, but nice and easy if you are a beginner!

Decreasing - Method Two

• For this method, you insert your hook under both loops at the top of the stitch in the previous row.
• Yarn over, and pull up a loop. (2 loops on hook.)
• Insert hook under both loops of next stitch in the row, draw up a loop. (3 loops on hook.)
• Yarn over again and pull through all 3 loops. (You have now created 1 stitch where there were 2 on the row before.)

Invisible Decrease - Method Three

When you are making the ball, you may find that your decreased rows are not quite as neat as your increased rows. If this is the case, you can try the following method of decreasing.     

• Insert the hook under the front loop only of the stitch in the previous row.
• Insert the hook under the front loop only of the NEXT stitch in the previous row.
• Yarn over and draw through 2 loops.
• Yarn over and draw through last two loops.

How to Crochet a Ball Tutorial

In this tutorial, I will show you how to crochet a small and large ball. Follow the instructions to make a small ball first before moving to a larger ball.

Small Crochet Balls

Foundation:

• Make a slip knot, ch2. OR Make a magic ring.

Row 1:

• Make 6 sc into second chain from hook OR if using magic ring, sc 6 sts into the magic ring. (This is your first round, and you will have 6 sc sts.)
• Slip stitch to close the ring.
• It can be useful to mark the beginning with a stitch marker.

 Row 2:

• Chain 1. (increases height)
• Now work around the circle again, increasing into each stitch. This means you will work 2 sc into each stitch. (You now have 12 sts.)
• Optional - Slip stitch to close the ring. Chain 1. (Alternatively work in a spiral.)

Row 3:

• Now work 2 sc into next stitch, then 1 sc into following stitch.
• Repeat all the way around. (ie. You will alternate between increasing the crochet stitch, then a single stitch on this round. You now have 18 sts.)
• Optional - Slip stitch to close the ring. Chain 1. (Alternatively work in a spiral.)

For a small ball, this will be your last round of increasing.

Rows 4, 5 and 6:

• Now complete 3 rounds of sc, just working 1 sc into each stitch of the previous round. (Each round should have 18 sts.)
• Optional - Slip stitch to close the ring. Chain 1. (Alternatively work in a spiral.)
• A cup shape will form.

Row 7:

• Now it is time to start closing up the ball.
• Decrease 1 st, sc into next stitch all the way around. (ie. Sc 2 tog, sc 1, all the way around. You will now have 12 sts.)
• Optional - Slip stitch to close the ring. Chain 1. (Alternatively work in a spiral.)

Insert Stuffing into the Crochet Ball

You should start stuffing the ball now before it closes up too much! For stuffing, you can use acrylic stuffing, small beans, scraps of fabric or yarn, or even small crumpled-up plastic bags. Add a little stuffing at a time, and stuff it firmly. Pull your working loop out loosely, so your crochet doesn’t unravel while you are stuffing it!

Row 8:

• Pull the loop tight again, around the hook.
• Decrease again. (Make a single crochet decrease into each st all the way around. Now you are back to 6 sts.)
• Optional - Slip stitch to close the ring. Chain 1. (Alternatively work in spirals.)

Row 9:

• Squeeze a last little bit of stuffing into your ball.
• Another decrease row for the final round. (Make a sc decrease into each stitch. You now have 3 sts.)

Finishing the Crochet Ball:

• Add your last bit of stuffing, pushing it in firmly.
• Fasten off your yarn by cutting the yarn, leaving a long tail.
• Wrap the tail around the hook and pull through the last loop on your hook.
• Pull it firmly to close up the hole completely.
• Tie a knot to secure and weave in the tail to hide it.

Well done, you have now crocheted a small ball!

Large Crochet Ball of any Size

To do this, add a few more increase, middle, and decrease rounds. The formulas are as follows:

Part 1 - Increasing at the Top

1. Round 1 - Crochet one single crochet into each chain. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2 - Increase into every stitch. (You now have 12 stitches).
3. Round 3 - Have 1 single crochet in between each increase. (So 1 single crochet, 1 increase stitch, 1 single crochet, 1 increase, and so on.)
4. Round 4 - Two single crochets in between each increase.
5. Round 5 - Three single crochets in between each increase.
6. Round 6 - Four single crochets between each increase.
7. Round 7+ - Repeat the pattern. In this way, you can just keep going, until your ball has the required circumference. 

Part 2 - The Middle of the Ball

You will then need to work the same number of straight rounds (no increase) as you did increase rounds. So if you increased for 6 rounds, you must work 6 straight rounds. This keeps your ball in the correct proportions.

• For the middle of the crochet ball, sc into every stitch.
• Repeat for the same number of rounds as part 1.

Part 3 - Decreasing at the Bottom

To close up your larger ball, you will also need to work more decrease rounds, as you will have more stitches to get rid of, to get down to that final close-off of 3 stitches.

• Decrease in the same pattern as round 1.

Crochet Ball Variations - Make It Unique!

Here are some ways to make a truly individual ball.

• Use Different Yarns - The type of yarn you choose will determine the appearance of your ball. You can vary the texture of the ball by using a fluffy, brushed yarn, say for a baby toy, or a tough string or nylon yarn for an animal toy. Other options include eyelash yarn or chenille yarn.
• Make Striped Crochet Balls - You can make striped crochet balls by changing colors every row or two.
• Make Crochet Balls with Different Stitches - You can change the stitch you use to make an interesting design or texture. Instead of just using sc, you could use a half double crochet stitch or a bobble stitch. You do need to choose a tight stitch, though, so that your stuffing doesn't leak out of the ball! Don’t choose stitches with wide gaps!
• Embellish the Ball - Tie a bow onto it, add a decorative button, or embroider a simple crochet flower onto it. If the ball is intended for an ornament you could add glitter or puff paint to decorate it.      

What to Do With a Crochet Ball

• ORMAMENTS - You can use it as an ornament. Hang it from a loop of yarn or ribbon.
• DECOR - Use small balls for décor. Make a variety of textured or decorated balls from different colors to blend with your home décor, then arrange them in a bowl or a large glass vase. Display them on a table or a shelf. You could even make ‘seasonal’ balls in appropriate colors and change them up as the year goes by.
• TOYS - Use the balls as toys. A soft ball could be an indoor toy, one stuffed with beans can be used as a beanbag, to aim into a bowl or a box. Make amigurumi toys by joining a couple of balls together as head and body.
• PET TOYS - You could also stuff a ball with catnip as a cat toy.
• DRAWERS - On the same theme, you can stuff balls with scented herbs such as lavender, rose geranium or rosemary to add a lovely aroma to your home or cupboard.       
• POUF - Make a giant pouf ball with a large hook and chunky yarn to use as a footrest.
• HALLOWEEN - Make cute crochet pumpkins, to use as halloween décor. Embroider a face onto each one!
• DOOR STOPPER - Join a whole row of balls together to make a ‘door stopper snake’. Just embroider a face and forked tongue onto his ‘head’.

 How to Crochet a Ball - In Conclusion

A crochet ball is an easy and fun thing to make, there are so many ways you can use these simple objects and you can practice your crochet skills while making them. Go and find some scraps of yarn from your stash and make a few crocheted balls to give to some lucky child or pet!