5 Free Crochet Fall Patterns (Linked to Each Designer)
Table of Contents
- What you will need
- 1. Autumn Leaves Chunky Scarf
- 2. Falling Leaves Crochet Scarf
- 3. Happy Autumn Leaves
- 4. Crochet Fall Leaf Charm
- 5. Colorful Fall Leaf
- The 5 patterns compared
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How many leaves do I need for a garland?
- What yarn makes the best crochet leaves?
- Do I need to block crochet leaves?
- What can I make with fall leaves besides a garland?
Every free crochet fall pattern below is a real published pattern with written instructions, linked to the designer who wrote it. Three are autumn leaves in different yarns and scales, and two are scarves — one an evening’s work in super bulky, one a proper fingering-weight project.
Leaves are the quickest way into autumn crochet: each one takes a few rounds, they use scraps, and ten of them make a garland. The scarves are the other half of the season.
What you will need
Fall projects are mostly small, which means yarn weight matters more for the look than for the quantity. Cotton and raffia hold crisp points on leaves; acrylic softens them. For the scarves, the yarn weight decides everything — one takes an evening, the other takes weeks.
| Yarn | Hook here | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Raffia | 2.5 mm | Charms and hanging leaves — holds its shape permanently |
| Fingering | 4.0 mm | Fine scarves with lace detail |
| Worsted cotton | 4.25–5.0 mm | Leaves with crisp points; blocks well |
| Super bulky | 8.0 mm | A scarf in one evening |
1. Autumn Leaves Chunky Scarf
The fastest fall project here. Amy Ramnarine works a shell stitch — double and single crochet alternating across the row — in Caron Tea Cakes, a super bulky self-striping yarn, on an 8 mm hook. One cake of about 204 yards gives a scarf 5 inches wide and 54 long, and because the yarn changes colour on its own you get the autumn palette without a single yarn join. Rated easy. Free pattern: Autumn Leaves Chunky Scarf.
2. Falling Leaves Crochet Scarf
At the other end of the scale: Pradeepa’s scarf is worked in fingering weight on a 4 mm hook and takes around 500 metres of yarn to reach 32 cm by 180 cm after blocking. The body is an eight-row repeat of shells and V-stitches, and the leaf motif is in the trim — chain-10 loops with dc5tog clusters and picots worked down both long edges. Beginner friendly, but it is a long project at that gauge. Free pattern: Falling Leaves Crochet Scarf.
3. Happy Autumn Leaves
Tamara Kelly’s leaf is the most convincingly leaf-shaped of the three here, because the veins are structural rather than drawn on: post stitches run a centre vein down the middle, and the edging works quadruple and quintuple treble stitches around those posts to throw side veins outward. Worsted cotton on a 5 mm hook, 9 inches long, about 40 yards each. The original yarn is discontinued; she names Sugar’n Cream as the substitute. Free pattern: Happy Autumn Leaves.
4. Crochet Fall Leaf Charm
Joanne Loh works this one in raffia rather than yarn, on a 2.5 mm hook, which is why it holds its shape as a charm or a tag instead of flopping. Three by five inches. The vein is not crocheted at all — it is sewn on afterwards in a contrasting raffia with a running stitch and a tapestry needle, which takes a minute and does more for the finished look than any amount of extra shaping. Rated beginner. Free pattern: Crochet Fall Leaf Charm.
5. Colorful Fall Leaf
Four rounds from a magic ring and you have a leaf. Samantha builds the points in round 3 with repeated “5 dc in the next stitch”, then outlines the whole thing in round 4 with picots made from chain-3 and a slip stitch back into the previous half double. Worked in cotton on a 4.25 mm hook, and she explicitly says to change hook size to change the finished size — useful if you want a set of leaves in graduated sizes for a garland. Free pattern: Free Colorful Fall Leaf Crochet Pattern.
The 5 patterns compared
| Pattern | Designer | Hook | Size | Yarn | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Leaves Chunky Scarf | Amy Ramnarine | 8.0 mm | 5″ × 54″ scarf | Super bulky | Easy |
| Falling Leaves Scarf | Pradeepa | 4.0 mm | 32 × 180 cm scarf | Fingering | Beginner |
| Happy Autumn Leaves | Tamara Kelly | 5.0 mm | 9″ leaf | Worsted cotton | Not stated |
| Crochet Fall Leaf Charm | Joanne Loh | 2.5 mm | 3″ × 5″ leaf | Raffia | Beginner |
| Colorful Fall Leaf | Samantha, Homely Hens | 4.25 mm | Adjustable leaf | Cotton | Easy |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many leaves do I need for a garland?
Around ten to twelve for a standard mantelpiece, spaced a hand’s width apart. Work them in three or four autumn shades and vary the size — the Homely Hens pattern is written so that changing hook size changes the finished leaf, which is the easiest way to get a graduated set from one set of instructions.
What yarn makes the best crochet leaves?
Cotton, because it holds a crisp edge and the points stay pointed. Acrylic softens and the leaf droops. Raffia, as in the Craft Passion charm, is stiffer still and holds its shape indefinitely — worth it for anything hanging rather than lying flat.
Do I need to block crochet leaves?
Cotton and wool leaves benefit enormously: a quick block flattens the curl and sharpens the points. Acrylic will not hold a block, so shape it as you crochet instead. The Falling Leaves scarf is written with blocked measurements, so expect it to be smaller off the hook.
What can I make with fall leaves besides a garland?
Appliqué them onto a plain cushion or a tote, string them on a length of jute for a window, or use them as napkin rings by sewing a loop to the back. The raffia charm is designed for hanging, and the smaller cotton ones work well sewn to the corner of a blanket.
If you want something finished this weekend, start with the chunky scarf or a handful of leaves. If you want a project to carry through the season, the fingering-weight Falling Leaves scarf is the one. Each link goes to the designer’s own page with the full stitch counts.
