How to crochet a ball? Easy tutorial for beginners

Crocheting is a beautiful hobby. With a needle and thread you can create countless things to your liking, you just have to practice and be patient until you learn the technique. So if you are a beginner looking for a new way to create something beautiful or if you already have basic knowledge in crochet, this project will surely be easy for you. But if you don't know where to start, in this tutorial you'll learn how to make a ball with a step-by-step guide to make it perfectly round. Keep reading to learn how to crochet a ball!

Essential materials

Crochet hook
Thread
Scissors
Stuffing: You can use cotton, fleece, or fabric scraps and threads.

A few tips before starting with crochet ball pattern

Knitting crochet balls is a simple way to have fun. You can make them in any size if you follow a pattern, and it's always better when you have a few tips before you start.

Choose a thread according to the size of the ball you want to make. If the thread is thinner, the ball will be smaller, and on the contrary, if the thread is thicker, the ball will be bigger.
It is recommended to use a smaller hook than recommended in the thread instructions to minimize the size of the holes and to prevent the stuffing from coming out.
If you see that you have made a mistake, undo the point(s) that are necessary to correct the error and redo it again, do not abandon your project or continue with the error, you will thank yourself when the result does not contain any error.
To carry out the process more comfortably, we made an article about how to hold yarn when crocheting.

How to crochet a ball? Step by step guide

If you are looking for a simple hobby or if you already have experience in crochet and you are wondering how to crochet a ball, you are in the right place to learn how to do it. You can crochet balls in any size, for example, to make small Christmas decorations, a giant beanbag sofa, amigurumi doll heads, pillows, or as a toy ball for your pets.

Instructions to make a crochet ball:

Each sphere is almost always created in the same way. Here I will give you a summary explanation, but then we will continue with the step-by-step. To begin with, it is best to divide the sphere into 3 sections as detailed in the image. How to make a crochet ball

In this way, first, the magic ring technique is started in section 1. Then, the stitches are increased in a certain proportion until reaching section 2 where the number of stitches remains stable. And finally, in the 3rd section, they begin to decrease the number of stitches in the same proportion as in section 1 they increased.

Section 1

Step 1: Make a magic ring The first thing you should do is weave a circle, the bigger this circle, the bigger the ball will be. On the contrary, the smaller it is, the smaller the ball will be. The magic ring technique is used to make the center of the circle. It is called that because it is a ring that adjusts to the length of the stitches that you knit inside it, in this way, you can get the stitches to be closer together and the central ring to be more closed. To form the center with this technique, you must first form an "X" with the yarn, and make the first chain around the other thread. From there, knit 6 more stitches, depending on the thickness of the yarn, and finally, pull the loose thread to close the ring and knit a single crochet. Here is a video to learn better how to make a weave a circle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7hsBbtJtjU Step 2: Add stitches in every round If you started with 6 single crochets in the magic ring, now in each of these 6 stitches from the first round of section 1, make 2 single crochets. Continue like this until you complete your second round, working two single crochets into each single crochet stitch from the previous round. Now, this second complete round of section 1 should have a total of 12 stitches. Step 3: Last round of increasing stitches This round will be the last in which you increase stitches. To do this, make two single crochets in the first stitch of the previous round and then one single crochet in the second stitch of the previous round. That is, alternate between one and two single crochets in each stitch all the way around, using all the stitches from the previous round. To complete this third round you must have a total of 18 stitches.

Section 2

Step 4: No increases or decreases This section is where you begin to build the sides of the sphere. To do this, you only have to crochet a single crochet in each stitch of the round and do not increase. The number of rounds you will need to do will depend on the size of your initial circle, that of the magic ring, therefore the more rounds you do the longer your ball will be. You can crochet 3 rounds of single crochet, and each one (round number 4, 5 and 6) must have 18 stitches.

Section 3

Step 5: First Rounds of Decreasing Points In this step you should do the same number of rounds as you did for the stitch increment rounds. That is, if you worked three rounds of increase as this tutorial points out, you will need to do three rounds of decrease. Since this tutorial works with 6-stitch increases in section 2, now 6 stitches will be decreased this round. To make a single crochet decrease, you need to insert the needle through the next stitch in your round and wrap around. Then, pull the yarn through the first loop on your hook and insert the thread into the next stitch from the previous round and pull the thread back through. Then, pull the yarn through the first stitch again, and pull it through once more. Pull the thread through the remaining three stitches on the hook to complete the first single crochet decrease. In this seventh round, you must have 12 points in total. Step 6: Stuff the Ball Stuff the ball before the hole gets too small. The ball needs to be stuffed to keep its shape, otherwise it would look deflated. Step 7: Two Rounds of Decrease For the 8th round, make a single crochet decrease over the next two stitches from the previous round. Repeat this around the circumference. In this round, you must have a total of 6 points. The 9th round will be the last. Make a single crochet decrease over two stitches from the previous round. Repeat it around the circumference. In this round, you only need to have 3 stitches total. Step 8: Closing the Ball To close the ball, cut the thread leaving several centimeters to the end. Wrap the thread around the hook and pull the thread that is on it. Then tie a knot to secure the closure. Lastly, weave in the loose end or tuck it into the ball to hide the extra thread.

Now you are ready for your next crochet challenge!

I hope this tutorial helps you better understand how to crochet a ball so you can make it at home without any problem.