Birdie Decoration

This is my pattern/tutorial for a hanging Birdie Decoration. A completely useless object of course, but very cute all the same. It's an easy project to make, great for using up odds and ends of yarn and can be used in all sorts of ways to bring a little good cheer.

This little birdie is made in four pieces :: a round flat circle for the body, a small triangle for the beak and 2 leafy shapes for the wings. There is also a hanging chain to make which you can decorate with flowers if you like, and the option of adding some dangly legs too.

 First a little summary of the basic crochet stitches ::

sl st :: insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch, then through the loop on your hook.

dc :: insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (two loops on hook), yarn over and pull through both loops on hook (note :: this is equivalent to the US sc stitch)

htr :: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (three loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook (note :: this is equivalent to the US hdc stitch)

tr :: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (three loops on hook), yarn over and pull through two loops on hook (two loops left on hook), yarn over and pull through remaining two loops (note :: this is equivalent to the US dc stitch)

dc2tog (a 2-stitch decrease) :: insert hook, yarn over, pull loop back through the stitch (two loops on hook). Insert hook through next stitch, yarn over, pull loop back through the stitch (three loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook.

To start out you will need to make the CIRCULAR BODY. I've worked mine up in htr (half treble) stitch as I find this forms a lovely, neat, compact texture that doesn't show the stuffing when the birdie is made up.

I've worked 7 rounds using a DK weight cotton on a 4mm hook, and the finished size is approx 13cm diameter. For a smaller birdie, simply work less rounds.

I've written out the tutorial for making this Flat Circle as a separate page...it's listed in my side bar with all my other patterns, or you can click HERE.

Now you need to make a TRIANGLE BEAK.

Chain 5 to begin.

Row 1 :: starting in the second chain from the hook, work 1 dc stitch into each chain (4 stitches in total, pictured above). Chain 1 and turn.

Row 2 :: work dc2tog (a 2-stitch decrease, as described above) into the first two stitches. Work another dc2tog into the last two stitches.

After working Row 2, you will have effectively halved your number of stitches, going from 4 to 2, as pictured above.

Chain 1 and turn.

Row 3 :: work dc2tog (a 2-stitch decrease, as described above) into the remaining two stitches. Finish off, leaving a longish tail end which you can use for sewing up.

 

Fold the triangle beak in half length ways and sew the edges together by over stitching, starting at the pointy end and working your way down.

You should end up with a small, beaky type shape, as above. Don't fasten off the end just yet as you can use this to attach the beak to the body....

Fold your circle in half (wrong sides together) to make the birdie body, and position your beak right up near the folded top, as above.

 

Now attach the beak making small stitches through the body, making sure you don't stitch right through to the other side.

Now for the WINGS.

Chain 9 to begin.

Row 1 :: starting in the second chain from the hook, work the following stitches...

dc, htr, htr, tr, tr, htr, htr, dc (as pictured above)

Chain 1 and turn.

Row 2 :: starting in the second chain from the hook, work the following stitches...

dc, htr, htr, tr, tr, htr, htr, dc (as pictured above)

Chain 1, but don't turn the work.

 

To complete the shape, turn it upside down so that the foundation chain is at the top. Work your way along, crocheting dc stitches into the outer loops of the foundation chain (pictured above).

When  you get near to the end of the foundation chain, continue working a few stitches around the end until it looks neat and you meet the beginning of the previous row (pictured above)

Now fasten off, leaving a longish tail end that you can use for stitching the wing to the body.

Position your wing onto the body, with the tail end of the wing facing towards the tail end of the body, as pictured above. Secure in place by over sewing with small neat stitches, working your way all around the outside of wing.

Make another identical wing and stitch it in place on the opposite side of the birdie body, as pictured above. 

Choose some buttons for the eyes and stitch in place, checking their positioning carefully.

The hanging loop is simply a crocheted chain, made as long as you like (I think mine was about 38 chains?). When you form your initial slipknot to begin the chain, make sure you leave a longish tail end, as you'll use this to attach the hanging loop. Similarly when you end the chain, leave another longish tail end for the same reason. You can then knot these two tail ends together as close to the first and last stitch as you can, and thread them down through the central hole in the circular body, as pictured above. Turn the body over to the wrong side and stitch the ends in securely.

Now I chose to add two teeny tiny flowers to my hanging loop, you can find the flower pattern in my sidebar, or click here. 

Stitch them in place by working stabbing stitches around the central flower middle, working through both flowers and trapping the hanging loop in between as you work.

Dangly legs and beady feet are optional, but fun additions. 

The legs are made as one long chain, as long or short as you like (think mine were 28 chains ish?), with beads or buttons attached to each end. Find the central point of the chain and stitch to the bird body, making sure you position them centrally (pictured above)

On the final stretch now...a handful of toy stuffing inside the body (not too much, you don't want a birdie that's too fat to dangle nicely), and sew the body together with neat over stitches, as picture above.

Take care as you work around the dangly legs, making sure you stab through each one to secure it.

 

And do you know what???? I think THATS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oooooo I feel a Ta-Dah moment coming on................

 

......Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!! One dangly Hanging Birdie Decoration!!!


 

If you'd like to make the robin, it's exactly the same process, only without the wings. Instead, you'll need to crochet a smaller red circle for his breast (about 3 rounds should do it). You attach it to the body by sewing it with over stitches in exactly the same way you did for the wings, only do it at the end, after the birdie has been stuffed and stitched together.