There’s something incredibly special about creating handmade items for the little ones in your life. A crochet baby dress is a perfect project for beginners – it’s relatively small, works up quickly, and with simple stitches, you can create something truly beautiful and personal.
This pattern is designed with the beginner in mind, using basic stitches and a simple top-down construction. You’ll create a sweet and comfortable dress that’s perfect for a baby shower gift or for your own little one.
Skill Level: Beginner
Materials:
- Approximately 200-300 yards of DK weight yarn (a soft cotton or acrylic is recommended for baby items)
- Crochet hook size H/8 (5.00 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge
- Stitch markers
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
- 2 small buttons
Gauge: 4″ x 4″ = 16 dc and 8 rows in double crochet. (Checking your gauge is important to ensure the dress will be the correct size. If your swatch is too small, try a larger hook; if it’s too large, try a smaller hook.)
Abbreviations (US Terms):
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- dc: double crochet
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sk: skip
- sp: space
- rep: repeat
Sizes: This pattern is written for a 0-3 month size. Notes on how to adjust for a larger size are included in the instructions.
Video tutorial
Let’s Get Started!
This dress is worked from the top down, starting with the yoke.
Yoke:
- Ch 46 (or a multiple of 4 + 2 for a larger size. The starting chain should comfortably fit around the baby’s head).
- Row 1: Dc in the 3rd ch from the hook (the skipped chains count as the first dc), dc in the next 5 ch, * (dc, ch 1, dc) in the next ch (this creates a corner), dc in the next 10 ch *, rep from * to * two more times, (dc, ch 1, dc) in the next ch, dc in the last 6 ch. Turn. (40 dc, 4 ch-1 sps)
- Row 2: Ch 2 (does not count as a dc here and throughout), dc in the first st, dc in each st to the first ch-1 sp, * (dc, ch 1, dc) in the ch-1 sp, dc in each st to the next ch-1 sp *, rep from * to * two more times, (dc, ch 1, dc) in the next ch-1 sp, dc in each remaining st. Turn. (Increase of 8 dc per row)
- Rows 3-5: Rep Row 2.
To adjust for a larger size, continue repeating Row 2 until the yoke is wide enough to fit around the baby’s chest and shoulders.
Dividing for Armholes:
- Row 6: Ch 2, dc in the first st, dc in each st to the first ch-1 sp.
- (Dc, ch 1, dc) in the ch-1 sp (this forms the underarm corner). Ch 2 (this creates the armhole). Sk all sts across to the next ch-1 sp.
- (Dc, ch 1, dc) in the next ch-1 sp (underarm corner). Dc in each st across to the next ch-1 sp.
- (Dc, ch 1, dc) in the ch-1 sp (underarm corner). Ch 2 (armhole). Sk all sts across to the next ch-1 sp.
- (Dc, ch 1, dc) in the next ch-1 sp (underarm corner). Dc in each remaining st. Turn.
Body of the Dress:
- Round 7: Ch 2, dc in the first st and in each st and ch around, joining with a sl st to the top of the initial dc. (Make sure to work 2 dc into each ch-2 armhole sp).
- Round 8: Ch 2, dc in each st around, joining with a sl st to the top of the initial dc.
- Repeat Round 8 until the dress reaches your desired length.
Adding a Simple Edge (Optional):
You can add a sweet and simple edge to the bottom of the dress and the sleeves.
For the Bottom Edge:
- Join yarn to the bottom edge with a sl st.
- Ch 1, sc in the same st. * Sk 1 st, 5 dc in the next st (shell stitch), sk 1 st, sc in the next st *. Rep from * around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.
For the Sleeve Edges:
- Join yarn to the armhole edge under the arm with a sl st.
- Ch 1, sc evenly around the armhole. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.
Finishing:
- Weave in all loose ends using your yarn needle.
- Attach buttons to the back of the yoke, aligning with the spaces created by the stitches. You can use the gaps in the crochet stitches on the opposite side as buttonholes.
Tips for Beginners:
- Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round, especially in the body of the dress, to help you keep track.
- Count your stitches at the end of each row/round to ensure you haven’t missed any increases or decreases.
- Don’t be afraid to start over if you make a mistake. Crochet is very forgiving!
- Watch video tutorials for the stitches (ch, sl st, sc, dc, shell stitch) if you are new to them.
