Karla over at The Itsy Bitsy Spider Handmade Creations has shared with us an adorable, fun tutorial for making your little ones a Batty Cuff Bracelet ~ so get ready to get crafty!
This little cuff bracelet works up quickly – just in time for a sweet Halloween treat for that special someone. The bat is removable and makes a cute carry‐along playmate. Or make the bat alone and use as a fridgie or backpack decoration!
What You’ll Need ~
- Small amounts of dark purple, dark green, and black worsted weight yarn (or desired colors)
- Scrap amount of white yarn
- Small amounts of black and white felt or pencil eraser‐sized wiggle eyes
- Two buttons (one shirt‐button sized and the other about the size of a dime)
- Hand quilting thread or embroidery floss
- Craft glue
- Size G (4mm) crochet hook
- Yarn needle
- Sewing needle
How to Make It ~
Stitches and Abbreviations Used in this Pattern:
CH ~ chain stitch
SC ~ single crochet
HDC ~ half-double crochet
DECR ~ decrease
ST/S ~ stitch(es)
FO ~ finish off
Project Notes:
When determining whether to use buttons or other small embellishments, keep in mind the age of the intended recipient. Doll eyes and other decorations may pose a choking hazard for children under three. A safer alternative is to sew the eyes and any other decorations using embroidery thread or yarn.
Body:
Round 1: CH 2. 6 SC in second CH from hook.
Round 2: 2 SC in each ST around (12 SC).
Round 3: *2 SC in first SC, 1 SC in next. Repeat from * around (18 SC).
Note: It’s easiest if you stop at this point and add the face. To do this:
1. Cut two small circles from white felt, each a little larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
2. Cut two small circles from black felt, each about 1/3 the size of the white circles.
3. Glue the white circles onto the body, positioned in round 2.
4. Using white embroidery thread, add a stitch through each of the eyes. This stitch gives
the eye the look of a little “twinkle” and helps to hold the eye in place against fidgety
hands.
5. Using two plies (see Figure 2) from a piece of white worsted weight yarn, stitch fangs
and smile.
Rounds 4‐5: SC in each ST around (18 SC).
Round 6: *DECR over first two STS, SC in next. Repeat from * around (12 SC).
Round 7: *DECR over first two STS. Repeat from * around (6 SC). FO, leaving a tail.
Figure 1: Finished body // Figure 2: Two plies of yarn // Figure 3: Draw closed // Figure 4: Make loop
Body Finishing:
1. Using the tail left over from round 7 and a yarn needle, gather the remaining stitches
and draw the hole closed (see Figure 3).
2. Wrap the yarn over your finger to make a loop and knot it (see Figure 4). This loop will
serve as the way to attach the bat to the cuff bracelet.
Wings (Make 2):
Row 1: CH 2. 3 SC in second CH from hook (3 SC). CH 1 and turn.
Row 2: 2 SC in each ST across (6 SC). CH 1 and turn.
Row 3: *SC in first ST, 2 SC in next. Repeat from * across (9 SC). CH 1 and turn.
Row 4: *SC in first ST, 2 SC in next. Repeat from * four more times. SC in remaining ST (13 SC).
CH 1 and rotate work so that the long straight portion of the arch is facing up (see Figure 5).
**Work 3 SC evenly along long side, CH 3 and work 1 HDC. Repeat from ** once. Work 3 more
SC and FO. Weave in end.
Figure 5: Rotate wing // Figure 6: Finished wing // Figure 7: Wing and ear placement
Ears (Make 2):
Row 1: CH 3. SC in second CH from hook and in next CH ST. FO, leaving tail for sewing.
Finishing:
1. Attach wings and ears as shown in Figure 7.
Bracelet:
TIP: Begin by getting an idea for the length of the bracelet. To do this, wrap a length of yarn around the wrist of the person who will wear the bracelet. Pull the yarn tight enough that the bracelet won’t fall off, but not so tight that it will be uncomfortable. Cut the yarn and use this as your length guide.
Row 1: CH 6. SC in second CH from hook and in each across (5 SC). CH 1 and turn.
Rows 2‐N: SC in each ST across (5 SC). CH 1 and turn.
Repeat row 2 as many times as needed to reach desired length. Finish off and weave in ends.
Figure 8: Bracelet, position A marked // Figure 9: Button placement
Bracelet Finishing:
1. Starting at position A (see Figure 8), attach green yarn. SC evenly across to corner, making 2 SC in the corner ST. SC in the first ST on the short side of the bracelet, then CH 3-5 (depending on the side of the button you will use to close the bracelet).
SC in the next ST, then work 2 SC in the corner. SC evenly until you reach the corner opposite A, FO and weave in ends.
2. Sew the larger button near the center of the bracelet and the smaller button in the middle of the side that does not have an edging (see Figure 9).
3. Attach bat to larger button using loop and enjoy!
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful Halloween craft, Karla! Be sure to follow her blog The Itsy Bitsy Spider to keep up with her projects and find her patterns for sale on Ravelry, too.
